Indigenous News

Ride Against Depression

The ADAA is the major sponsor for the Ride Against Depression.

Meet Bruce Potts and Damion Milo, two healthcare practitioners riding across the continent to promote awareness of depression and where help can be found.

Covering six weeks and some 12,000 kilometres, the journey will begin from the headquarters of the ADAA on the beautiful Sunshine Coast trekking due west; from sunrise to sunset everyday. Keep your eye out for post journey book and videos to be purchased at major retailers around the country. All proceeds from book sales are being invested into the ADAA’s pro bono support services.

Follow progress and daily updates at: www.AcrossOz.net

Stolen Generation Conference at Fountainhead Organic Retreat

Fountainhead Organic Health Retreat was privileged to recently facilitate a “Caring for the Carer” conference, organised by The Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council’s (QAIHC’s) Social & Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Workforce Support Unit (WSU) Gathering, in the beautiful surrounds in Maleny, QLD.

The conference was attended by 60 counsellors from right across Australia. This truly inspirational event marked the first step in providing support to the workforce of the SEWB. The focus was on providing staff with a clear understanding of the role of the WSU, to provide an opportunity to discuss best practice models and how SEWB staff and representatives of the various national Stolen Generation organisations were to get an accurate understanding of what is happening across the country in this sector.

Gerald Enjalran, General Manager of Fountainhead Retreat and Queensland State Manager for the Stress Management Institute, Carol McLoughlin provided professional staff to facilitate a number of concurrent professional development sessions, specifically on the Fountainhead Method™ which was developed over ten years at the retreat. The Fountainhead Method™ to date is one of the most effective therapies for treating stress related illness in the world. The keynote speakers, Dr. Stephen Lundin and Lorraine Peeters, set a tone of learning and inspiration at the beginning of each day with their motivational addresses. Dr. Lundin is a writer and filmmaker with a rich history in business, management and education. His best selling book, FISH! based on the world famous culture of the Seattle Fish markets has been a Wall Street Journal bestseller for more than seven years.

Lorraine Peeters, like many other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, suffered forcible removal from her family and was institutionalised at the age of four. In response to her life’s experiences she has developed a 5-day program to train Aboriginal counsellors to support survivors to heal from the specific types of trauma they suffered as a result of removal. It was a fantastic week of information exchange and learning about best practice models with fun activities and inspirational workshops. Congratulations to all and thank you to the organisers for choosing Maleny’s Fountainhead Organic Health Retreat as a major focal point. We would also like to acknowledge and thank the ADAA for its role in bringing the conference together.