The Healing Centre’s aim is to combine mainstream medicine and Yolngu indigenous healing knowledge to begin to deal with the epidemic of substance abuse and youth suicide in the region.

The program aims to provide a range of counselling;and mental health services as well as to involve youth workers and referrals to further treatment programs, or to job and training programs. The scope of the proposed centre currently falls outside of the services provided by the local hospital and clinic.

It will be a facility that will also help the carers, the immediate families and those who are currently carrying the unbearable weight of depression and despair that this serial problem inflicts upon a tight knit close Indigenous community.

Just 15 years ago this problem was simply unheard of. The Aboriginal Benefits Foundation believes it is vital that those who sympathise with Aboriginal people and their aspirations for the future to help immediately. One way to help the centre to be bulit is to take part in the Foundations fundraising events - the next is on 18 September 2008.