Building culturally safe and inclusive support systems is crucial for child and youth development, wellbeing, sense of belonging and purpose. With a sense of urgency and hope, we need to create spaces for innovation that are safe, bold, and led by culture.
This keynote details some of the academic research on protective factors within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures: cultural activities, country, connection and identity. Reframing risks as disconnection from these elements draws our focus to building relational continuity and the roles of family and community. Moreover, emphasising rights-based frameworks can help strengthen cultural safety and accountability.
Seven principles for innovation in therapeutic practice are proposed, that can be used to act now.
