The Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School (the Murri School)
The Murri School is a coeducational non-government school established in 1986. The school is Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-controlled. The Murri School was originally a primary school but it now educates children from prep to grade 12. With a proven track record in assisting students to attend and remain in school, the school aims to promote the development of Indigenous students as independent and skilled people who are culturally, morally and socially responsible; employable, capable of self-fulfilment and of contributing to society.
The School adopts a holistic approach that supports the educational, health, social and emotional wellbeing, and cultural development of children and their families. The Murri School provides children with a safe space where they can (re) connect with education and takes an approach which considers the whole child – their spiritual, health, emotional and educational needs in the context of their families, their school and the wider community.
Since 2012, the School has implemented a trauma informed approach to responding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. This Healing Initiative has demonstrated its ability to both identify service gaps and respond in flexible, child-centric, culturally safe ways to engage highly marginalised families in processes of healing and change. An evaluation in 2014 proposed that sustained funding should be obtained for the Healing Initiative as a core component of a wider “community of care” including family support and community development initiatives for vulnerable children, families and communities at the Murri School.
The 2014 evaluation found that the Healing Initiative program had successfully met its short-term outcomes regarding participation, safety, enhanced care and engagement in healing activities. The analysis also identified that the initiative had resulted in improvements in the following longer-term goals and national outcomes for the intergenerational trauma initiatives auspiced by the Healing Foundation (see Evaluation p.13):
• Improved social and emotional wellbeing of young people
• Improved resiliency of young people
• Improved relationships between young people and their families
• Improved service coordination for young people and their families.
It is noted that the implementation of trauma and healing informed approaches including through government resourcing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop their own healing approaches, and the development of a trauma informed child and family service workforce is one of four key evidence-based strategies required to drive the reduction in the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia’s child protection systems and advance the safety and wellbeing of children (see Family Matters Discussion Paper, February 2016). The other three key strategies highlighted in the Discussion Paper are: increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in decision-making, supporting families and communities to stay together, and embedding accountability.
Further, Deloitte Access Economics conducted a cost benefit analysis of the school’s operation in 2016 (see Attachment D). Findings included: improved educational attainment, improved mental health, less contact with the child protection system, and lower contact with the justice system. Tangible benefits attributed to the Murri School equalled $6.2 million or approximately $27,009 per student. The largest benefit identified was the savings from decreasing usage of child protection services ($17,105/student) followed by the improvements in mental health ($4,425/student). Other potential reductions have been identified which are located in page V Executive Summary.
To view the Deloitte Access Economics cost benefit analysis report go to this link
To view the evaluation report by the Healing Foundation 2014, go to this link
I feel very fortunate to be part of the Family Support Team at the Murri School and contribute to the overall work of the School. The team has myself as Coordinator, 2 full-time Family Support Workers in Lenny Cresdee and Natalie Low and a part-time Psychologist Sally Frye. The Family Support work at the school is high volume face to face contact work on a daily basis. The Team is accessible to the students and families every day of the school semester Family Support is also based in a large, comfortable and welcoming space at the school for students and families. The staff also assist with participation in Family Healing Camps that are run over the school holidays
The Family Support staff work from a trauma based model – the crux of which is providing safety and stability to young people so that they can develop trust and in turn have the ability to form healthy relationships across their lives – both within and outside of the school. This process helps with their overall healing. The resilience of the students and families we see is evident on a daily basis and this combined with the overall sensitivity of the staff positions the Murri School well.
Article provided by Alf Davis, Family Support Team Coordinator, from the Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School (Murri School) at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane.