Set to be held in Sydney for the very first time, the Westerman Jilya Institute Indigenous Child Suicide Prevention Fundraising Gala will return in 2026.
The event is dedicated to funding the Indigenous Psychology Treatment Arm of Jilya, an initiative offering support to Aboriginal communities that currently exists without operational funding.
The Westerman Jilya Institute notes that mental wellbeing should not be solely for the privileged. The Treatment Arm aims to ensure that Indigenous people in critical mental health need can access an Indigenous psychologist free of charge.
With students now graduating at significant rates, every dollar raised will fund access to the Institute's graduating Indigenous psychology students.
The fundraiser commenced in 2021 with an event in Boorloo / Perth, drawing national attention to the unacceptable rates of Indigenous child suicide — four times that of non-Indigenous children.
The fundraiser was sparked by the 13 deaths by suicide of Indigenous young people in the Kimberley region, the subject of the Fogliani inquiry.
Compelled to act, Dr Tracy Westerman AM founded and personally funded the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program. This spoke to decades of inquiries which concluded that children and families continue to suffer due to 'system failure'.
"Imagine having a child caught in the grip of mental illness and there are no services to help," Dr Westerman said.
"Imagine when you do find a service, the cultural barriers between you are so great, that any opportunity for healing is effectively lost.
"Our children should not be dying from want in a world of great excess."
Since then, the program has captured the hearts and minds of the country.
Over 79 Indigenous people have been supported to become psychologists from our highest-risk communities — including the Kimberley, the Pilbara, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Cherbourg, Rockhampton, Mt Isa, Palm Island and many more — with more than 66 per cent being the first in their families to go to university.
The evening is about hope and optimism, with tables reserved for bereaved Indigenous families to attend as part of our "Pay it Forward" campaign.
The fundraiser will also unite community leaders, supporters and change-makers to honour Jilya's recent graduates and announce the new scholarships for 2027.
The event will feature a headline acoustic performance by Peter Garrett and Martin Rotsey of Midnight Oil. Performing for this special evening, their music amplifies social justice, environmental activism and Indigenous rights.
The evening will be hosted by Narelda Jacobs OAM, Jilya Patron.
Ms Jacobs is one of the most well-known faces in Australian journalism and media, a proud Whadjuk Noongar journalist, presenter and commentator.
Dr Westerman will be a keynote speaker, sharing insights on the development of Jilya and her award-winning work in Indigenous psychology and mental health.
Jilya's participants will also share their stories and speak on the transformative impact of Jilya's support.
The event will aim to showcase the profound difference Jilya is making in shaping the future of Indigenous mental health.
In addition to announcing the 2027 Intake, the event will announce the successful intake of the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program.
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