Our approach
Healthy minds, Healthy Lives is a whole of life and life course framework to improve Aboriginal health outcomes, through practical approaches that promote positive relationships between mental and physical health in the three key focus areas of culture, wellbeing and mental health, Aboriginal Children’s Health and Chronic Disease.
Recognising the centrality of culture to good mental and physical health, the Poche Centre will use Aboriginal knowledge systems as the cultural lens and framework for research, education and program delivery.
The Poche Centre will operate from and be guided by the following principles:
- a proactive rights-based approach: the right to health and the right to an Aboriginal education
- valuing Aboriginal knowledge systems, which are critical to developing effective health services
- respectful and meaningful partnerships, essential for achieving sustained change in Aboriginal health outcomes.
By interlinking research, education, clinical services and policy, the Poche Centre will develop Aboriginal education programs, health curriculum resources and professional development programs that ensure clinicians, health professional and health services are culturally competent and better able to respond to Aboriginal health needs.