Conversations about Out Bush On Country

24/08/2024

Australian peeps... if you support outdoor health practices of any kind, and want to support affordable access to these practices for people living with disabilities, TODAY or TOMORROW is the time to send your thoughts to the NDIS. Their consultation closes tomorrow. Yes, a ridiculously short timeframe! Please read on if you can help...

If you value bush adventure therapy, outdoor counselling, outdoor therapy and other evidence-informed outdoor practices as an innovative and important way to support peoples' health, wellbeing and healing, please do these 3 things TODAY or TOMORROW. Your 15 minutes will support continuing access to outdoor health practices by NDIS participants around Australia:
1. Complete the official NDIS Survey. This will take 2-5 minutes. The link and some suggested answers are pasted below.
2. Email the NDIS with your concerns, ideally on your organisation's Letterhead, but just in the body of an email will do. Key messages for letters are provided within the OHA Letter, which was developed in consultation with participants, parents/carers, referrers and outdoor health service providers. The OHA Letter can be found on the OHA page. Letter key messages are also pasted below.
3. Share this request with your participants, families, colleagues and networks.

Remember: the deadline is tomorrow. Yep, crazy! But very important......

Huge thanks for your support, and for the incredible volunteer OHA team effort behind this advocacy.

Onwards and upwards!

Suggested Survey responses:
1. Do you think the draft list of NDIS Supports covers the kinds of disability supports you think should be included?
NO - We request that the NDIS explicitly add this support item: “Evidence-informed nature-based outdoor health, wellbeing and therapy”. A huge body of research supports these practices, which are already provided around Australia to many NDIS participants using a range of Core and Capacity Building codes.
The safety and quality of the outdoor health sector supported by the national body Outdoor Health Australia. We request that the NDIS meet with OHA to discuss the details of this beneficial value-for-money support, to define evidence, scope, eligibility and item costs.
2. Are there goods or services on the exclusion list that you think shouldn’t be there? YES - 'Wilderness therapy'. This term is not often used in Australia, we usually use the terms Bush Adventure Therapy, Outdoor counselling, and 30 other names for ethical evidence-informed nature-based health and wellbeing practices. Nevertheless, we are greatly concerned that the NDIS and referrers may accidentally conflate the terms, and exclude NDIS participants from their right to appropriate beneficial outdoor health practices. We would be pleased, however, for the NDIS to exclude “involuntary, forceful and coercive therapies” of any kind. The Ethical Principles of Outdoor Health Australia support voluntary, evidence-informed outdoor practices, ideally co-designed with participants to maximise choice, control and beneficial outcomes for participants.

Suggested Letter key messages:
- Based on stakeholder feedback and research evidence, we request that evidence-informed and value-for-money "Outdoor health, wellbeing and therapy supports" be explicitly "included" in the NDIS list of eligible supports.
- "Outdoor health, wellbeing and therapy supports" are currently provided by a broad range of outdoor health practitioners to a diverse range of NDIS participants under a range of Core and Capacity Building categories.
- We note that ‘Wilderness therapy’ has been listed by the NDIS as ‘not value for money/not effective or beneficial’, with no further detail available about what informs this opinion. We request that ‘Wilderness therapy’ be removed from the “excluded” list for the following reasons: 1. Given the general lack of understanding within the NDIS service system about evidence-informed outdoor health practices, we have concerns that if ‘wilderness therapy’ is included in the list of non-approved treatments, that NDIS planners and referrers will accidentally conflate terminology and exclude NDIS participants from accessing the existing suite of evidence-informed, value-for money "Outdoor health, wellbeing and therapy practices".
- Excluding ‘wilderness therapy’ risks the accidental removal of access to 30+ forms of evidence-informed "Outdoor health, wellbeing and therapy practices" to NDIS participants (practices that are currently being provided in Australia by wide ranging therapists, practitioners, Aboriginal cultural mentors and peer workers).
- Listing ‘wilderness therapy’ as excluded ignores a large body of research evidence AND may inadvertently also limit innovative trauma-informed supports provided outdoors, with effective wide-reaching outcomes for diverse peoples.

https://engage.dss.gov.au/consultation-on-draft-lists-of-ndis-supports/consultation-on-draft-lists-of-ndis-supports-survey/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE1_ANleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaXd2V12_Nxzm8-WvN89DQFRjPzS-QXLo5kQSunH_7n8_heUEhjwN6qkPw_aem_jZNoqvUGUm7HUpp1aeKt9w

20/08/2024

Australian peeps: do you care about access to Outdoor Health services by NDIS participants (as participant, parent/carer, referrer or provider/practitioner)?

Outdoor Health includes all evidence-informed nature-based practices supporting health, wellbeing and healing (think bush adventure therapy, walk & talk counselling, therapeutic adventure activities, nature-based therapy, and many more practices)...

The NDIS is consulting on which supports should be included or excluded by the NDIS, and currently say that 'wilderness therapy' should be excluded. They haven't provided evidence for that decision, nor defined what they mean by the term. While the term 'wilderness therapy' is rarely used in Australia, without clarity, such a decision may accidentally reduce access to safe ethical effective outdoor health services.

[BTW I think we all agree that coercive, involuntary, punitive, boot camp style programs don't have a place within safe, ethical, evidence-informed, effective, value-for-money outdoor health practice. But/and.... with lack of clarity, there is a risk that NDIS planners will see all outdoor health practices as the same thing, and not fund any of them].

A volunteer working group from Outdoor Health Australia is developing a response on behalf of the sector, and wants to hear what you think should be said to the NDIS. Because the NDIS deadline is Aug 25, OHA needs to hear your thoughts by lunchtime on Aug 22nd. Yes, a ridiculous timeline. But very important.

A link to the OHA Consultation Survey is below. If you are a direct or indirect stakeholder of any kind, your thoughts are really valued, and will help shape OHA's submission: https://forms.gle/CeMUQsHZNH7TtR59A

Thanks and please share in your networks w***y nilly !!

This survey is for - NDIS participants or - providers of outdoor health and wellbeing services or - people who refer NDIS participants to outdoor health and wellbeing services. This survey is about the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS. The NDIS pays for services and supports for people w...

01/09/2022

Outbush had the opportunity to share our ideas for a bush adventure therapy program for young Tasmanians.

Youth advocates say programs that take at-risk children out into the bush to reconnect with nature can have enormous therapeutic benefits. But a year after promising to fund a state-based initiative, the Tasmanian Government still hasn't called for tenders.

28/02/2022

Folks, submissions are due TODAY to the Tasmanian Government’s Discussion Paper on Youth Justice Reforms.

We will be making a submission that proposes the Government fund Out Bush On Country as a way of better supporting children and young people who may otherwise enter youth justice and detention.

If you support this approach, we encourage you to send an email to the Government letting them know why, and attach the Out Bush On Country Prospectus, which can be found here.

Email: [email protected]

More information on Tasmania’s Youth Justice Reforms can be found here:

https://www.communities.tas.gov.au/children/youth_justice/youth-justice-reform

09/09/2021

Our statement on today's announcement of the Tasmanian Government's intention to close Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

We look forward to working with the government to develop new trauma informed models of care based on the proven benefits of bush adventure therapy.

Read our statement here:

9/9/21
The Outbush on Country team welcomes today’s announcement of the Gutwein Government’s intention to close Ashley Detention Centre. We recognise the important of trauma-informed and fully integrated models of care due to the strong crossover influences between mental health, drug and alcohol, education, family violence, child safety and youth justice issues, services and systems. The overrepresentation of indigenous youth in the justice system is especially troubling. Through bush adventure therapy, the Outbush on Country program promotes and supports the benefits of connection with country and the development of positive cultural identity for youth at risk and their families. Time in nature developing healthy social skills, self mastery and a sense of personal achievement can lead to a place of healing and fulfillment of potential. We believe that only the right environment and integrated wrap around supports will do that.
The Outbush on Country project team looks forward to engaging with the Tasmanian Government, and Minister for Children and Youth, the Hon Sarah Courtney, to develop the right services and models of care for the most vulnerable in our community.
Let’s work together to build brighter futures for Tassie kids by doing differently and doing better.

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The Outbush on Country Project is a collaboration between Adventure Works and Dooloomai, working with a strategic alliance of over 45 professionals across relevant sectors.
For more information and an overview of our evidence-based and trauma-informed model of care, please visit

Message us Phone us Email us Download Referral Form Program Price Guide What it is Out Bush On Country is a home-grown model of on-country care for Tasmanian children, young people and families, including for those with highest levels of need. Out Bush uses bush adventure therapy practices to tap in...

19/05/2021

"They met the challenge really well."

12/04/2021

Mollie Tobin outlines research from neuroscience, psychology and education to highlight new understandings in childhood trauma research and how it can be applied.

19/03/2021

Short notice and all but your help would make a difference.

19/03/2021

Hi Friends, today the Outbush on Country team needs your help! Submissions close today for the Tasmanian Government's Children and Youth Wellbeing Strategy Discussion Paper. Help us to be heard by lending your support for a Bush Adventure Therapy model for Tassie kids for health, wellbeing and healing. You can either upload our proposal, or make your own contribution by following the links and 5 easy steps below.

Outbush on Country Budget Proposal document:https://adventureworks.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OBOC_WSSubmissionMarch-2021_Screen.pdf

Either Email the submission to: [email protected] or better still…

Submit the Out Bush Proposal or your own to the portal using following steps:

1) Download the attached Out Bush Proposal onto your device
2) Go to this site: https://wellbeing.tas.gov.au/upload-submission
3) Sign up with a user name and password
4) Provide your details (name, area of work, suburb)
5) Upload the OBOC WS Submission!

Thank you so much for your support!

Tasmanian Government Website: https://wellbeing.tas.gov.au/discussion-paper

18/03/2021

A CALL TO ACTION

Today you can support the Out Bush On Country project in a very hands-on way.
The Tasmanian Government has released a Discussion Paper seeking community feedback to help shape the new Tasmanian Children and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.

The Outbush on Country project team need you to help us to be heard. We would really appreciate if you could submit the attached submission to the Tasmanian Government’s Wellbeing Strategy portal today or tomorrow.
https://adventureworks.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OBOC_WSSubmissionMarch-2021_Screen.pdf

Because the Premier is calling for creative feedback, we’re calling on all of you to submit the proposal on behalf of your personal self. We’d like to flood the portal with support for Out Bush. It’ll just take 2 minutes of your time.

Either Email the submission to: [email protected] or better still…

Submit the Out Bush Proposal to the portal using following steps:

Download the attached Out Bush Proposal onto your device
Go to this site: https://wellbeing.tas.gov.au/upload-submission
Sign up with a user name and password
Provide your details (name, area of work, suburb)
Upload the OBOC WS Submission!

And if you have a spare half hour today or tomorrow… please consider sending this request to all your friends and colleagues who would like to see the establishment of an effective model of care for Tasmanian children and young people who need it most. Maybe they’d like to help this happen. Feel free to forward this email, set up a group email, Bcc your friends, and copy these instructions into the email. The proposal will be hard to ignore if 100+ copies are received!😊

We will post a short clip with more information shortly about OutBush on Country and ways for you to help shape a brighter future for some of Tasmanian's young people most at risk and their families.

Warm wishes,

Anita

On behalf of the Out Bush On Country Project team


Dr Anita Pryor
Co-director, Adventure Works Australia Ltd.
Co-lead, AABAT national Outdoor Healthcare initiative
Co-lead, Out Bush On Country Project Team, Tasmania

16/02/2021

Anita Pryor and Myself were interviewed last week about a state Government review into the creation of Tasmanian based therapeutic care model for high risk youth.

Below is the link to the article.

The government announced terms of reference for the panel last week.