Indigenous Healing Service

The Pilbara Safe Spaces was identified under the Pilbara Juvenile Crime Working Group and codesigned by government, industry, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and placed based community Subgroups.

Pilbara Safe Spaces comprises a Hedland and Newman program that will be funded jointly by BHP and Fortescue who are contributing up to $22 million from the Resources Community Investment Initiative (RCII) towards their delivery over a five-year period from 2025.

More information can be found on our Pilbara Safe Spaces webpage at the Pilbara Development Commission website.

An Indigenous Healing Service is a dedicated child focused trauma recovery service, informed by traditional and local Aboriginal healing practices. The Indigenous Healing Service will provide centre based and outreach services for children, young people and their families who have experienced or been affected by child abuse and or family and domestic violence.

The Indigenous Healing Service will deliver culturally informed and appropriate therapeutic support that provides a holistic response for Aboriginal children and families; enhances the safety of children and young people; and reduces the likelihood of abuse.

The Indigenous Healing Service in Newman will be delivered by Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS). PAMS will work closely with Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) Aboriginal Corporation and the Newman Women’s Shelter who are delivering the Pilbara Safe Spaces service in Newman to provide coordinated supports for children and young people at risk, and their families.

The Newman Indigenous Healing Service has been developed specifically as a referral pathway for the Safe Spaces in Newman where it was identified that there was a service gap.

The Newman Indigenous Healing Service is a standalone Indigenous Healing Service which will operate for the life of the Pilbara Safe Spaces program (5 years).

PAMS will run the Indigenous Healing Service in Newman, in collaboration with KJ and Newman Women’s Shelter delivering the Safe Spaces program.

The important collaboration between the three service providers will include co-location of service, providing Indigenous Healing Service supports during the day and the Safe Spaces service during overnight hours.

It is expected the Indigenous Healing Service will commence late-2025.

The Indigenous Healing Service will be in Newman, WA and include outreach to surrounding Western Desert Aboriginal communities of Jigalong, Punmu, Parnngurr and Kunawarritji.

The Indigenous Healing Service will co-locate with the Safe Spaces service to enable strengthened inter-agency collaboration focused on achieving positive outcomes for young people and their families.

The Indigenous Healing Service will prioritise referrals for children and young people that have attended the Safe Space and referrals from Communities.

The service specifically supports Aboriginal children, young people and families affected by child sexual abuse and/or family and domestic violence and encompasses physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing.

The service also offers community outreach providing early intervention education and community protective practices and behavioural education.

The Indigenous Healing Service will accommodate the transient nature of Newman and surrounding communities’ young people and families, providing outreach support to desert communities and supporting parents/families to link children and young people with appropriate services.

PAMS is committed to a “no wrong door” approach and will identify appropriate supports if a referral does not fit with the service.

PAMS has considerable experience with health service provision in Newman and on remote Martu communities and is best placed to deliver the Indigenous Healing Service in Newman.

PAMS also has the support of and a trusted relationship with the Martu Elders.