Yarns Heal, a dedicated suicide prevention program, has been honoured with the prestigious Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Award at the 28th Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards.
The award, sponsored by Richmond Fellowship Queensland, recognises outstanding programs and individuals who enhance the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with mental illness. It highlights initiatives that deliver culturally focused, best-practice services.
Yarns Heal, an program delivered by Opens Minds - an independent not-for-profit organisation - serves the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQ+ Sistagirl and Brotherboy communities, aiming to strengthen peer support systems and provide culturally safe avenues for healing, love, and hope.
Accessible throughout Queensland, Yarns Heal offers suicide prevention training, resources, and both individual and group support. The program seeks to reduce suicide by equipping individuals with essential tools to recognise suicidal risks, use appropriate language, and identify where to seek help. It also provides a referral pathway for aftercare following a suicide.
The program collaborates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders to inform its design and includes local expert groups (community advisory groups) in each region where Yarns Heal operates.
Winners of this award were selected from a strong pool of nominations and exemplify excellence in promoting mental health, reducing stigma, and supporting those living with mental illness.
Open Minds chief executive Kate Johnson noted that the Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards are the premier event in the state dedicated to honouring "the incredible contributions of those who make a meaningful difference in the mental health sector".
"We are immensely proud to recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Award, acknowledging the vital work being done to support our First Nations people. Yarns Heal is truly a deserving winner," she said.
The winners across 11 categories were announced at a ceremony on Friday at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The two other finalists in the category were Nikki Burns – Working with UnitingCare Hospitals, Nikki enhances the cultural and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients; and Kim Walker – an Advanced Indigenous Mental Health Worker at Metro North Mental Health, Kim has played a crucial role in creating culturally safe spaces, such as the Nujum Jawa Crisis Stabilisation Unit, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
