Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mental Health jobs in Australia

About Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mental Health

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience significantly higher rates of psychological distress and suicide than the broader population — a legacy of dispossession, forced removal of children, and ongoing structural disadvantage. Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is the preferred framework within First Nations communities, recognising that wellbeing encompasses connection to land, culture, spirituality, family, and community — not just the absence of clinical disorder. This framework has been developed by Aboriginal community organisations and is distinct from Western biomedical mental health models.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) are the primary providers of culturally appropriate primary mental health care for First Nations communities. The ACCHO sector is governed by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and state/territory peak bodies. Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) teams within ACCHOs employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, SEWB Workers, psychologists, and social workers. The Commonwealth's Closing the Gap framework and Indigenous-specific mental health programs fund much of this workforce.

Non-Aboriginal practitioners working in this field must undergo cultural safety training and work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal communities and organisations. Cultural supervision by Aboriginal Elders or senior Aboriginal health workers is considered essential. Practitioners are expected to understand the impacts of colonisation, the Stolen Generations, and systemic racism on mental health. Lived experience and cultural identity are strongly valued in workforce selection, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners are prioritised for many roles within ACCHOs.