The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health

26/08/2026

🎥 Our Men. Our Leaders. Our Legacy.

Actor Mark Coles Smith is lending his voice to the Jilya men’s campaign — celebrating the men who carry Country forward and helping us create a future where every Indigenous child knows their life matters.

And there’s a simple way you can help Pay It Forward. 💛

It’s not hard — you can literally donate $1.

Click “Get Tickets”, scroll down to the “Pay It Forward” button and enter any amount. Every dollar donated through Pay It Forward helps us ensure bereaved families can take a seat at our Gala table FREE OF CHARGE.

This is why your $1 matters.
It helps us bring people together, support bereaved families and keep investing in a future where Indigenous children can thrive.

📅 23 October 2026
📍 Fullerton Hotel Sydney

👉 Pay It Forward. Purchase a ticket. Sponsor the Gala. Donate a table.
https://events.humanitix.com/jilyagala2026

Every contribution helps us carry this work forward.

25/08/2026

WE CHALLENGED YOU. NOW SHOW US!

How are you supporting the Westerman Jilya Institute Indigenous Child Su***de Prevention Fundraising Gala?

Indigenous children die by su***de at 4 times the rate of non-Indigenous children.

Child and su***de does not belong in sentence.

And every Inquiry has implicated a lack of access to culturally competent services as a driver.

And now, our aspiration is simple: to develop an Indigenous Psychology Treatment Centre to ensure that Indigenous people can access an Indigenous psychologist free of charge.

Because mental wellbeing should not be just for the privileged

That is what the Gala is fundraising for but the response and support for this event have been disappointing.

Dr Tracy Westerman AM said in a recent social media post "here’s the disappointing truth. When I share posts about supporting our fundraising gala-which is literally having to occur because we cannot get funding for a program that addresses the very causal drivers of not only Indigenous child su***des, but incarceration, child removals and we have also built the pipeline of Indigenous psychologists that can now be accessible to services on the ground - who are desperate for this vital access every day - we get very little reaction, engagement or support."

She said, "Activism is hard. Try black activism. The wallets close up. Big companies and organisations who have this as a literal mandate. Services who spend every day trying to access an Indigenous psychologist not supporting this cause."

This is about our children having an equal opportunity to thrive.

Children should not be dying from want in a world of great excess.

And its not hard - you can literally donate $1 to support this event-to donate click on “get tickets” and scroll down to the Pay It Forward” button and insert any amount. That donation will help bereaved families take a seat at our table FREE OF CHARGE.

You can also come to the event – $200 per person, or a table of 10 for $2,000.

And EVERYONE IS DONATING their time to ensure that every cent goes to direct service delivery.

Challenge your employer to sponsor the event.

Share this message with your own networks, tag someone who you think should be there.

Comment if you are coming, if you are paying it forward to help someone else be there and encourage businesses to show up and support Aboriginal children.

https://events.humanitix.com/jilyagala2026/

24/08/2026

Health practitioners working with Aboriginal people will be able to move from screening at-risk clients directly into culturally informed interviews and treatment planning online.A digital expansion o...

24/08/2026

https://events.humanitix.com/jilyagala2026

Help us support funding for the Indigenous Psychology Treatment Centre

Join us to fundraise for the Psychology Treatment Centre!

23/08/2026

✨ EVERYONE DESERVES A SEAT AT OUR TABLE ✨

Like we do every year we are offering complimentary seats to bereaved Indigenous family members impacted by su***de to this years Westerman Jilya Institute Indigenous Child Su***de Prevention Fundraising Gala being held in Sydney

Want to help? You can donate any amount towards the cost of seat for a bereaved family to attend!

The evening will celebrate the achievements of students in the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program, Announce the 2026 Intake and importantly -raise funds for the Indigenous Psychology treatment Centre.

💛 Every $10,000 raised funds an estimated 40 hours of complex clinical therapy for an at-risk Indigenous person, delivered by an Aboriginal psychologist at no cost to them.

https://events.humanitix.com/jilyagala2026/tickets
📩 [email protected]

21/08/2026

20/08/2026

📢 WE’RE HIRING — BOARD SECRETARIAT

The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health is seeking an experienced Board Secretariat to support strong governance at both board and organisational level.

This is a hands-on governance role for someone with:
• Significant company secretary, board secretariat or governance experience in the not-for-profit sector
• Strong knowledge of CATSI Act, ORIC and ACNC requirements
• Experience with BoardPro, or the ability to quickly learn it
• Confidence advising on governance matters
• Excellent attention to detail and discretion
• Experience working with an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO)
• Understanding of Aboriginal community-controlled governance

🕐 Part-time | 1 day/week | Flexible hours
Onboarding and training will be provided.

Indigenous applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

📧 Send your resume (PDF) to [email protected]

Please share with anyone in your network who may be a great fit!

20/08/2026

🚨 NEW RESEARCH ALERT! 🚨
We’re proud to share the publication of The Racial Trauma Treatment Triad (RTTT) — a culturally adapted cognitive-behavioural-physiological framework developed specifically for Aboriginal Australians.

Written by Dr Tracy Westerman AM, Chair & Founder of The Westerman Jilya Institute, the RTTT represents an important step towards culturally responsive approaches to understanding and treating racial trauma.

This research highlights the importance of approaches that recognise the unique cultural, psychological and physiological impacts of racial trauma experienced by Aboriginal Australians.

A few of you tried the link yesterday and hit an access issue while it was still being set up on the Taylor & Francis end — thank you for your patience. That’s now resolved, and the article is free to read for the next three months.

📖 Read the research:https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2026.2714972

19/08/2026

Our Men. Our Leaders. Our Legacy. 💛

Meet Joshua Maguire, the 2025 Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Recipient.

Joshua represents the next generation of Indigenous leaders who are helping create stronger, more culturally informed pathways for Indigenous communities. His journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when we invest in Indigenous people, leadership and potential.

We’re proud to celebrate Joshua and the important role he plays in carrying Country, culture and community forward.

Join us for the 2026 Westerman Jilya Institute Indigenous Child Su***de Prevention Fundraising Gala on 23 October 2026 at Fullerton Hotel Sydney, as we celebrate the men who lead, inspire and make a difference.

💛 Donate a table
🤝 Sponsor the Gala
🎟️ Purchase a ticket
https://events.humanitix.com/jilyagala2026/tickets

14/08/2026

We are thrilled to have the incredible Mark Coles Smith lending his support to the 2026 Westerman Jilya Institute Indigenous Child Su***de Prevention Fundraising Gala.

A proud Nyikina man, Mark is an award-winning actor, writer and composer, best known for his work in Mystery Road: Origin, Beast of War, Last Cab to Darwin and Pawno. Through his work and storytelling, he has helped bring Indigenous stories and experiences to audiences across Australia.

Having Mark lend his voice and support to Jilya’s work means a great deal to us. His presence helps amplify an important conversation — the need to support the wellbeing of Indigenous children and young people, and to keep working towards a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

With Peter Garrett performing acoustically, Narelda Jacobs Our Patron and MC and Dr Tracy Westerman, Jilya founder providing the evening keynote the 2026 Gala is one you don’t want to miss! It is an evening dedicated to raising funds to ensure that our most vulnerable Indigenous people have equal access to Indigenous psychology services.

As Mark says “This is a wonderful cause to get behind, so if you’re in Sydney grab yourself a ticket, come along to the Fullerton and be apart of the night.”

📅 23 October 2026
📍 Fullerton Hotel Sydney

There are a number of ways to be part of the evening — donate a table, sponsor the Gala or purchase a ticket.

We look forward to coming together with Mark and our wider community for an important night of connection, conversation and support.

***dePrevention