title: Towards culturally appropriate assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional well-being.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identification of need for specialist assessment and the use of relevant cultural information to inform mental health assessment and care are two key factors in improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to and experience of mental health care. This paper describes the Here and Now Aboriginal Assessment tool (HANAA) and the Cultural Information Gathering Tool (CIGT), two instruments developed to be used respectively by non-mental health clinicians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following widespread consultations and feedback, two independent groups of mental health clinicians based in Western Australia and Queensland were involved in developing the HANAA and CIGT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the HANAA and CIGT fill unmet needs in terms of instruments that can be used by non-specialists working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary use of the HANAA and CIGT suggests that they are well received, easy to deploy and effective instruments that promote cultural security and communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
authors.affiliation: Regional Psychiatrist, Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service, Broome, WA and; Associate Professor, School of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia siva.bala@health.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Sivasankaran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balaratnasingam
authors.affiliation: District Indigenous Health Worker Co-ordinator, Townsville Hospital Health Service, Mental Health Service Group, Vincent, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Lynette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Winthrop Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Western Australia, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janca
authors.affiliation: Clinical Director, The Townsville Hospital Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit, Douglas, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011793:Queensland; D014904:Western Australia; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
keywords: Aboriginal; Torres Strait Islander; assessment; cultural security; mental health