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Blak & Beautiful

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins initiated Blak & Beautiful, to address some of the issues and risk-factors that affect young Aboriginal people. Delvene is from North Stradbroke Island, and has qualifications in the arts and health.

She has worked extensively with young Aboriginal people in a health setting focused on client support and program design and delivery.

Her work is within South Australia, includes delivering a 12 week mental health program for young Aboriginal people called 'HOPE' - Helping Ourselves through Personal Education.

Blak & Beautiful is designed for Aboriginal people 12-18 years old. In its initial stage, Blak & Beautiful focused on:

  • Grooming
  • Personal hygiene
  • Face care
  • Hair Care
  • Self esteem, and
  • Relationships

Over time the program has developed to include topics such as:

  • Sexual health
  • Aboriginal spirituality & identity
  • Cooking
  • Budgeting and
  • Workshops on body image.

The program provides an opportunity for participants to gain an awareness of:

  • Mental health
  • Personal wellbeing issues
  • Build self concept,
  • Self esteem, and
  • Self confidence.

This is achieved through different modes of delivery including ongoing weekly workshops and once off workshops which can be tailored to suit the needs of the group.

Topic Areas are as follows:

1. Getting Started

Individual groups of 3-4 young people will discuss, workshop and give examples of the following;

  • Feeling safe
  • Being trusted
  • Feeling like they belong
  • Being respected

2. Identity

  1. Explore the idea of traditional notions of Aboriginality and what it means to be a young Aboriginal female living in a modern world.
  2. Constructed identities around the use of technologies such as Facebook and how to stay safe in that identity.

3. Personal Development

(Can be conducted over 2-3 sessions if it is required by the group)

  1. Grooming - young people are given an opportunity to 'look after themselves' including a pedicure, manicure, hair treatments (depending on facilities at the school), and face treatments.
  2. Growing up - physical development & reproductive development with resources and support from SHINE SA

4. Mental Health and Wellbeing

  1. Workshop on what they think mental health and wellbeing is and what it means to them
  2. Explore some of the strategies of stress management and relaxation techniques
  3. What does resilience look like and how can I cope when things do not go the way that I want or planned to? E.g. Housing, job, education)
  4. Providing options for young people to go to should their strategies not provide relief with stress.

5. The risk factors of BSNAPD will be presented

  • Body Image
  • Smoking
  • Nutrition
  • Alcohol
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Drugs

The 'Close the Gap' Campaign will be reviewed - what it means to them and how the BSNAPD risk factors can be linked.

6. Positive Body Image

This session follows on from the BSNAPD session with a workshop from the Butterfly foundation. This session looks at the impact of the media on the individual and the deliberate acts to reduce our own self-esteem.

A short DVD of some of those images and examining other media such as popular magazines, The Koori Mail, The newly-released ANTAR campaign featuring Peggy Carter and the word 'Respect', and The Reconciliation Campaign focusing on 'See the person, not the stereotype".

There are discussions, practical exercises and opportunity to practice a new positive body image.

7. The Art of Giving

Options are for the groups to identify in week two (2) where the group would like to visit and to give their time & attention. These may include Kura Yerlo Child Care Centre, Kalaya Child Care Centre, Kaurna Plains Primary School, and the Elders Village.

The purpose of this session is to explore the notion of giving and how that can impact on the person's self-worth. Many of our young people have things (time, programs, attention etc) given to them on different levels, by Social Workers, Youth Workers, Family Support Workers however there are those that fall through the gap and miss out on any support from a community level.

It is hoped that by the end of this program the idea of giving, at the end of the program, the young person will have an understanding of what it is to 'give' and to identify opportunities to practice giving to their family, community and friends.

The young person sees themselves as an active member of the community and how they can make a difference.

8. Celebration

There is an end of program celebration with the presentation of their workbooks, photos and discussions that took place over the period of the 6 week (or more).

This celebration is an opportunity to invite family to be apart of their achievements. It is an informal setting where feedback is provided to the family.

Feedback is provided to the school in the form of a pre and post questionnaire.