Here’s our message to you this festive season in a few commonly spoken languages

Today is International Day of People with Disability. To recognise the day, we caught up with dad, carer, and doctor, Chris Vladcoff.

A new, free phone app has just launched, which includes information, ideas, and guidance for parents on supporting their child’s mental health and wellbeing. The Raising Healthy Mind App was developed by an Australian Government initiative, Raising Children Network, in consultation with leading health, mental health and parenting experts, as well as parents from across the country. It aims to build the knowledge of parents and carers, with kids aged 0-12, on children’s social and emotional wellbeing. It provides evidence-based advice and referral information that can help parents and carers become more confident in identifying when additional help is needed. It allows them to check on emotions or behaviours that might be concerning them, or get helpful information based on their child’s age. It also includes resources aimed at professionals working with children and families, to ensure they have the latest evidence-based information to respond to questions raised with them by parents. It has been codesigned and user-tested to be as accessible as possible to parents from all backgrounds and abilities, using videos, images and infographics as much as possible. The app will help increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma in talking about problematic or concerning behaviours or emotions that children may be experiencing. You can download the app from the Apple or Google Play stores or access it via raisingchildren.net.au/raisinghealthyminds

To help you stay on top of the COVID-19 situation in the NT, we’ve pulled together a handy list of resources and information. Check the public exposure sites list It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the NT Government’s list of public exposure sites. The list will give you a breakdown of dates and times as to where a confirmed COVID case has been. See NT exposure sites What to do if you’ve been in an exposure site If you have been to a public exposure site, you need to go home and stay home. You will need to identify yourself as a close contact by calling the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484 or registering yourself online on the NTG website. Following this you’ll need to get tested and quarantine for 14 days. Anyone living in the same household as you will also need to be identified as a close contact self-quarantine until the close contact receives an initial negative test result. Others living in your household don’t need to be tested unless they have symptoms. When to get tested You need to get tested if you’ve been in an exposure site or have COVID-19 symptoms. Depending on which one of these you fall into, there are different requirements to getting tested: If you’ve been in an exposure site, you need to call the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484 and they will schedule you in for a test. If you’re showing COVID-19 symptoms you can book a test online or head to one of the drive-through clinics that don’t require bookings. Learn more or find a testing clinic. Knowing the latest restrictions NT Government continues to keep their website up to date with all the latest information on restrictions including things like mask-wearing, reasons for leaving home, list of essential workers and more. See the latest restrictions How to get vaccinated Anyone over 12 years of age in the NT is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Both the Pfizer vaccine and AstraZeneca vaccine are approved for use in Australia. People 60 years of age and over will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine and those aged 16 to 59 years will receive the Pfizer vaccine. Book your vaccine online Find a vaccine clinic or private GP who is administering the vaccine Hotspots around the country are always changing, it’s important to stay on top of them especially if you’re trying to make travel plans. Learn more about the latest hotspots

With the continuing spread of COVID-19 cases and prolonging of lockdowns, the risks of the pandemic continue to impact our communities. The good news is there’s a way out, but we all need to do our part. Vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19. By getting vaccinated we’re protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our entire community. We’re also protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our community like the elderly, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, or those who can’t be vaccinated, such as very young children. With enough people in the community vaccinated, we can slow down the spread of COVID-19 and return to normal life. For some that’s getting back to work, for others it’s travelling home, for many of us it’s being with loved ones again. Book your vaccination online or find out which GPs and pharmacies are offering the vaccine. Territorians can now choose from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, or Moderna.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for lands, waters, sacred sites and cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. Maintaining and strengthening connection to Country can be a powerful factor in protecting against psychological distress and enhancing people’s mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, many NAIDOC events in the NT have been cancelled or postponed due to the risk of COVID-19. Hopefully we can all celebrate together later, but for now there are things we can still do to celebrate safely. Here are a few ideas or check out the NAIDOC website for even more : SBS shows lots of deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander movies during the week, watch them with your family. If you are a library member, check out digital books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. Grab some for the kids too, and read together. Plan a bush tucker garden if you’re able to have one. Research the plants indigenous to your area and their uses. If you have one, update your family tree. Or if you don’t have one start one. Learn some words from the language spoken where you live. There are many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language dictionaries on line. If not on your own country, learn more about the country you are on. Play all your Aboriginal music from your collection, or listen to a First Nations radio station. Cook a bush tucker inspired meal with your family. Make your own flag or NAIDOC week banner to hang outside your house. If you can download and print, there are lots of activities for kid’s activities online. This is just one place you can access stuff . Take a virtual tour of museums and art galleries featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections. There are many sites to go to, this is just one.