VMHPAA Joins National Recognition and Celebration of NAIDOC Week
- Shane Warren
- Jul 5
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 July 2025
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) proudly acknowledges NAIDOC Week 2025, a powerful moment in the national calendar to honour the history, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year it is to be held from Sunday, 6 July to Sunday, 13 July, NAIDOC Week invites all Australians to engage meaningfully with First Nations heritage, not as a chapter in the past, but as a vibrant and vital part of who we are as a nation today.
“NAIDOC Week reminds us that reconciliation begins with recognition,” said Shane Warren, Chair of VMHPAA.“We cannot promote healing and mental wellbeing in this country without truth-telling, cultural respect, and listening deeply to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These are not symbolic gestures, they are the groundwork of meaningful change.”
VMHPAA affirms the crucial role that vocationally trained practitioners play on the frontlines of care, especially within First Nations communities. From community support workers to counsellors and lived experience practitioners, many of our members are embedded within these cultural contexts, offering strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally safe support.
“This week is not only about celebration, it’s also a call to action,” Mr Warren added.“To build a mentally healthier nation, we must elevate Indigenous leadership, support community-led services, and acknowledge the profound wisdom embedded in the world’s oldest living cultures.”
As NAIDOC Week unfolds, VMHPAA encourages all Australians to:
Attend local NAIDOC Week events
Learn from Elders, artists, and educators
Reflect on the theme of this year’s celebration
Commit to long-term, respectful partnerships with First Nations communities in every sector, including mental health
Let us walk together, not just this week, but always - in learning, in humility, and in solidarity.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
VMHPAA
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