I just wanted to send a genuine thank you for your teaching and support throughout the Alcohol and Other Drugs Skill Set.
I learned so much from the course, but more than that, it really shaped how I think about alcohol-related harm in communities and the importance of realistic, respectful and evidence-based responses. It helped me move away from judgement and ‘quick fix’ thinking, and toward harm minimisation, cultural safety, and coordinated support pathways.
The training has actually been a major influence in a community project I’ve now started developing in Coober Pedy. I’m working on an evidence-informed discussion paper/concept paper for a Community Wellbeing Hub (safe space) model, designed to reduce harm and improve safety for Aboriginal people who come into town and are already drinking and sleeping rough, while also supporting the wider community through better coordination of outreach and services.
Thanks again Katie and James, I really appreciate what you’ve given me through the course.

The Certificate IV Stolen Generations Family research and case management that I recently had the privilege to partake in was a highly valuable and insightful opportunity to further my understanding of the long-term generational impacts of colonisation and failed past government policies.
I was able to creatively collaborate and learn alongside Linkup peers from Nunkuwarrin Yunti and other deadly Mob from across Australia also working with and supporting Stolen Generations Survivors.
The content was highly relevant to my day-to-day work as a case worker and provided lots of opportunities for discussion and sharing of experiences in the field, around the challenges in doing family history research, trauma informed perspectives, problem solving and positive experiences and outcomes that can be attributed to good research.
The facilitators this year were all so unique in their teaching styles, lived experiences and diversity of backgrounds that it made for fun times, lots of laughs and many different perspectives on the various topic discussed and learned about.
I loved the challenge of the course, having to think outside the box and learn from other Linkup workers about what they do differently to us. I have gained so much knowledge about research processes/pathways and data bases and have further developed my understanding around how deeply historical factors are linked to client wellbeing and quality of lived experiences.
I have a background in social work, but I believe this certificate trumps all of the previous studies I have completed in relation to working with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to partake in this course to do so, as it has been invaluable to my caseworker role and is positively unique in its design and how it was presented and taught to students. Thanks!

Narrative was a self-development, helped me with my own trauma and triggers that I never knew I had and without this I wouldn’t be here today and also be able to pass in onto our community and help our mob. It’s a critical and special course and if you can get to do it’s a privilege.

The experience of the Diploma of Narrative Approaches helped open up a new way of communicating and listening to “the story” of where it all began and the reasons behind why it is now. It is not only great for enhancing your skills with work deliveries to your own Communities around SEWB, but it is also creates moments for yourself in regards to your own self-care and self-reflection. This allows you to become stronger within yourself which in the end enables you to encourage others to take the same journey to experience it for themselves.

The thoughts from our life within our minds, our hearts and our souls are guided towards transforming them into words. Narrative allows each and every one of us to find our own words that express how we feel and communicate who we are to one another. Creating a deeper understanding, narrative allows us to make positive affirmations about who we are and choose what we want to do with our lives. There is still a lot of pain, hurt, trauma and daily suffering among our people. How do we help people to express what that is and find the resistant within to move beyond for a better life? Narrative is truly an Indigenous therapy which allows us to be creative, compassionate and hold the privilege of hearing about other people’s journeys while learning Dadirri. We hear about the struggle and understand it, and while knowing that it is their journey, we can walk along side of them and be a part of the solutions that they begin to unravel over time. I loved doing this course.

This course is by far the best course I have ever done! It has changed my life in so many ways and has opened my eyes up so much by building on my resilience and teaching me more patience. It has taught me to be a better listener and be more open-minded and to think outside the box and see the bigger picture.
This course has definitely made me a better person and helped me build on my knowledge and the importance of culture and identity between the two worlds of being Aboriginal in a western society.

To undertake the ‘Diploma of Narrative Approaches for Aboriginal People’ is to undertake an exploration into your self-identity as an Aboriginal person. The diploma provides a unique framework to explore and strengthen your identity and how to relate this to your family and community that you live and work within.
The Narrative journey for me has provided me with an understanding of my position between past and future generations who have and will continue the knowledge cycle of passing forward our culture, and looking after our mob.
Through this journey I have developed the frameworks to exist and walk between two worlds with pride.

The Diploma of Narrative Approaches course is like that missing piece of the puzzle, it just fits perfectly in every aspect of my personal and professional life. It has helped me to communicate more effectively with my family and to focus on developing culturally appropriate programs with greater purpose and intentions in addressing Social and Emotional Wellbeing needs of the young people I work with. The course is delivered with such professionalism by the team at PDU and our teacher provides a safe, respectful and fun space for learning no matter your learning style. I feel like I was meant for Narrative Approaches and Narrative Approaches was meant for me.

“In my opinion it is the best education we can receive to make sure our Tool Kits are full and has the right tools for service delivery for our Aboriginal Communities. The Diploma of Narrative Approaches provides a strong foundation in counselling practices for our Aboriginal Workers that are engaged in Social and Emotional Well Being to allow a safe sensitive service delivery to our Aboriginal Community.”