Dear Readers,

Hello and welcome to the November/December 2011,
Vol 6 issue of the Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker
Journal. While looking back at the very first issue of the
Journal, I discovered "Prescription for Mental Health" by Karl E.
Schmidt, which is on our front cover. The continuing relevance
of the quote is reflected today in the burden of mental illness
amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. As
the authors of Exploring Severe Mental Illness (Psychosis)
in Far North Queensland say, they "would like to work with
Indigenous people and other mental health service providers to
learn more about the prevalence of psychosis for other remote
Indigenous populations". I would encourage this initiative in all
states and territories. That would work towards reducing the
incidence of mental illness for all our people. Our people and
service providers are crying out for this. When will our voices
be heard by those who control the purse strings for important
local initiatives.

This issue of the Journal provides vital information to the
health workforce, from registration requirements, nutrition,
financial issues and a range of other information that affects
health workers on a day-to-day basis.

Heron Loban, in her article on page 14, concludes that "there
is a clear association between a person's financial health and
his/her emotional and physical health and wellbeing. Given the
emerging links between health, financial stress and Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people this is an area that requires
more focused research. Whilst further investigation must take
place to fully and accurately measure the links between health,
financial stress and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
multidisciplinary study between health and legal professionals
and academics can start to make these links clearer and
provide a starting point and direction for change to improve the
lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and work
to 'close the gap'".

I loved reading every page of this Journal and hope you all do
as well. Big thanks to all our authors and much gratitude to our
subscribers for enabling the continued publication of the Journal
with your financial support.

Until the next issue, Keep the Faith, Kathy Malera Bandjalan

Rodney Junga-Williams was a gay Aboriginal
man who lived with HIV for his last 26 years. He
passed away on 24 November 2011, peacefully
surrounded by family and close friends after a
struggle with cancer of the liver.

Rodney was an inspiration. He was a role
model to his family, the community and to
many others.

Rodney's survival was about being a
strong Aboriginal man from a unique cultural
background who struggled through much
adversity.

His tribes are Narungga-Kaurna from the
York Peninsula and the Adelaide Plains of
South Australia respectively.

Rodney took on many projects and was
fundamentally involved with the HIV/AIDS, NA
and AA communities.