Talking About Gambling: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA

Equips adults with the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise, understand and respond and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing a gambling problem.

INTERVENE EARLY

Recognise the warning signs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may be experiencing harm from their gambling.

OFFER SUPPORT

Learn the skills to have an open, supportive conversation about gambling harm with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person.

RESPOND IN A CRISIS

Respond to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who may be experiencing harm from their gambling.

REDUCE STIGMA

Reduce stigma and shame and increase supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing harm from their gambling.

The Talking About Gambling course teaches participants how to provide initial support to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who may be experiencing gambling problems, until professional help is received, or any crises resolves. 

Course participants learn how to recognise and respond to gambling problems, and the interventions and supports available, including cultural context to community-based care. 

Using a practical, evidence-based action plans, course participants learn how to approach someone they are concerned about and initiate a conversation about those concerns. Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage the person to seek professional help, and cultural and other supports.

This course has been developed and reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The course ensures participants are grounded in social and emotional well-being form an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective, equipping them with the skills to provide mental health first aid in a culturally safe and informed way.  

Licensed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Instructors delivering this course draw upon their own unique and instrumental local cultural knowledge, to enrich the content and enable culturally informed and safe delivery. Our courses can be tailored to specific local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, including cultural consideration, protocols and yarn ups. 

Watch this short video to learn more about our course.

Course information

Delivery format

Face-to-Face

Duration

5 hours

Take the next step

For individuals or small groups

For larger groups

Download Conversations about Gambling Flyer

Why MHFA?

Evidence-based: All Mental Health First Aid courses are based on guidelines that are informed by people with lived experience, their caregivers, and mental health professionals.

Rigorously evaluated: Evaluations consistently show that Mental Health First Aid training improves participants’ knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, and confidence in providing mental health first aid to individuals.

Skills-based: Teaches the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a difference.

Internationally recognised: Over 6 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid across 25 countries.

Culturally appropriate & effective: Research has found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid courses to be culturally appropriate and effective.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are based on cultural knowledge and understandings for adults supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Upon completion of this course participants will be able to: 

  • Recognise the cultural signs and symptoms that indicate someone may be experiencing gambling problems. 
  • Understand the prevalence of gambling problems in Australia, with specific information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 
  • Understand cultural concepts and considerations from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander perspective. 
  • Understand the risk factors and motivations for gambling, and the relationship between problem gambling and mental health problems.  
  • Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation.  
  • Gain an understanding of the evidence-based, local and cultural supports, resources and treatments available to someone experiencing gambling problems.  
  • Know the barriers to help seeking and how to overcome these. 
  • Know how to recognise signs and provide initial support to someone who may be at risk of suicide.  
  • Understand relapse in the context of gambling problems. 
  • Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider.

Suitability

This course is suitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous individuals, workplaces of all sizes, and volunteer and community-based groups.

Any adult (aged 18+) can attend.

Course Content

  • This course covers gambling problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Participants learn how to apply mental health first aid to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person experiencing gambling problems. 
  • The course considers local perspectives and experiences and utilises lived-experience stories and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander photography, film, and artworks. This representation matters and leads to better outcomes for those participating in training and the people they go on to support. 

Duration & Format

The 5-hour course is delivered face-to-face. 

All sessions are led by an MHFA trained and Licensed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Instructor. 

Accreditation

There is no accreditation for this course. 

Course Fees

Mental Health First Aid Australia does not employ the Instructors that it trains and licenses. Therefore, each Licensed MHFA Instructor has the autonomy and flexibility to set their own course fees. Course fees do vary for many reasons which can include course type, individual Instructor qualifications and credentials, course venue, course location (metropolitan vs regional locations), course catering and any course participant subsidies that may be available as a result of a community grant.


Excellent opportunity to join a course relevant to the projects I am involved with. Great experience to listen to the Instructor delivering excellent training.

Thank you for providing us a culturally safe space to learn about sensitive issues relating to our culture and society.


The training was excellent. Very well presented I loved the yarning style that our Instructor took.

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