Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB)

Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) is a key area of the Danila Dilba Health Promotion and Program Implementation (HPPI) service model. Our SEWB team provide a wide range of services that respond to the needs of our clients, including our most vulnerable.

The Danila Dilba SEWB team supports the social and emotional wellbeing of clients through:

• Mental Health Support
• Counselling
• Legal Health Mob
• Child Counselling Service
• Healing and Recovery Service
• Salvation Army Northern Territory Housing Support Program
• Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)
• Youth Diversion Services
• STRONG Youth Outreach Program

Our SEWB services have experienced significant growth in recent years and will continue to expand. Future planned SEWB services include life skills programs, targeted therapeutic services for LGBTQIA+, a youth integration program, traditional healing, and kinship connection services.

To find out more about the SEWB services available at Danila Dilba, read on below, or speak to your local clinic about how to access to them.

Mental Health Support

The SEWB team provides low to moderate mental health support to Danila Dilba clients who have been recently discharged from mental health services or who require ongoing support to maintain their mental health and wellbeing post discharge.

Counselling

Social workers and psychologists within the SEWB team facilitate multiple counselling services, including:

• Perinatal Mental Health Consultation Service
• Telehealth SEWB Services
• Mental health support at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre

Clients can connect with our counselling services in person, via telephone, or video conference depending on their preferences.

Legal Health Mob

Legal Health Mob (LHM) is an integrated health justice service which acts as a central triage point for all Danila Dilba client referrals and requests for legal support. LHM matters range from wills to child protection, and they work closely with the NDIS team. Community legal sessions for our Elders groups and young clients are provided as an LHM in-reach service by Darwin Community Legal Service.

Child Counselling Service

Danila Dilba provides child-specific social and emotional wellbeing counselling for children and parenting support for their families. Danila Dilba GPs and paediatricians can refer children for play-based counselling for:

• Anxiety
• Emotional dysregulation
• Neurodiversity
• Strategies for caregivers

SEWB child counselling is reflective of our commitment to providing SEWB services across the lifespan of our clients.

Healing and Recovery Service

The DDHS SEWB Healing and Recovery Service is an aftercare service that provides psychological support to those who have attempted suicide or are experiencing suicidal crises. Clients whose crises are assessed by the hospital as low to moderate severity can be referred to the service from the Emergency Department (ED).

The SEWB team connects Healing and Recovery clients with local and national care providers, integrating social and generational changes to support individuals, families and their community. The focus of the service is suicide prevention, with the overarching goal of strengthening community resilience.

Salvation Army Northern Territory Housing Support Program

The Salvation Army Northern Territory Housing Support Program is a partnership between the Danila Dilba SEWB team and Salvation Army Australia. The SEWB team help clients access housing and coordinate their supports within primary health care. This program is for clients affected by mental health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD).

Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)

Danila Dilba’s AOD service provides support to clients who are impacted by alcohol or drugs, and their families. This includes:

• Support in seeking change to an individual’s alcohol or drug use;
• Help accessing AOD treatment and rehabilitation;
• Education and information on harm minimisation strategies;
• Basic counselling and interventions;
• Diversion and social inclusion activities;
• Advocacy to internal and external services on behalf of clients;
• Health promotion across the Darwin and Palmerston regions; and
• Referrals to other providers (e.g. rehabilitation or withdrawal services).

The DDHS AOD service is accessible, confidential and meets our client’s cultural needs. AOD staff work in DDHS clinics, in partnership with external organisations, and provide an outreach service to people living rough in the Darwin suburbs.

Youth Diversion Services

DDHS Youth Diversion Services work with young people to engage them in activities that encourage them to make good life choices with a restorative justice focus. Youth Diversion programs are delivered via mentoring, workshops and activities.

NT Police refer young people to the service following an offence. The DDHS team then provide their clients with tools to make positive and proactive life choices to avoid contact with the youth justice system.

STRONG Youth Outreach Program

The Strengthening the Resilience of Next Generation (STRONG) Youth Outreach Program works with 12 – 14-year-old clients, helping them to find healthy connections with themselves, other peers, their community and other services. The program includes weekly catch-ups and fun support programs. Danila Dilba SEWB staff walk side-by-side with young mob in the program to reconnect, empower, educate and guide them.