FOUNDATION ATTRACTS BUDDING PSYCHOLOGISTS

Dr Tracy Westerman.

GEOFF VIVIAN

Aboriginal people are keen to take up the opportunity to become psychologists, according to Jilya Institute founder and Nyamal woman Dr Tracy Westerman.

Dr Westerman said her charity funded 15 places in its first year, 11 last year, and hoped to fund another 15 this year.

“The ‘buy in’ rate is $10,000 a year and that amount goes straight to the students,” she said. “ But importantly they get personally mentored by me and they also have a research manager, we have a scholarships manager, so they get supported wrap around services. They get a conference once a year. So what you find is that as they all develop relationships with eachother they help eachother out, they support eachother, and they inherit all of my research for their Honours and Masters so they can contribute to all the gaps in best practice that we’ve experienced for way too long.”

The scholarships are funded by private donations and an gala dinner and concert, to be held this year on September 10 in Perth.

A link to ticket sales can be found by typing “JILYA” into Google.