WE do not need to visit the Northern Territory to comprehend the quality of life that remote Aboriginal communities endure. We only need to look in our own backyards.

This week I attended a forum in Grafton to discuss the issues of domestic violence and mental health. As a field officer with the Aboriginal Legal Service, these issues frequently affect my clients.

I was sorely disappointed in the forum.

It was organised by the Grafton Domestic Violence committee so Aboriginal service providers could meet and discuss their concerns.

But unfortunately, many of the services did not attend, even though they were told about it months in advance.

I am now wondering whether they are interested in providing a good service or have just grown complacent.

We have a mental health crisis in the Clarence Valley and the truth is that mental illness – including alcohol and drug abuse – leads to crime, it leads to violence and it leads to poverty.

It has played a large part in the Aboriginal community becoming grossly over-represented in the courts.

The Aboriginal Legal Service is under immense pressure from the justice system to provide an alternative to jail, as they realise the extent of mental illness in our community and its link to domestic violence.

Although it is a big problem here, visibility from the Aboriginal services dealing with these issues is almost non-existent. There is a growing perception that service workers are hiding behind their desks.

I have on many occasions tried desperately to engage mental health intervention in extreme circumstances, but to no avail.

I hoped this forum would provide me with resources available to assist my clients. I was wrong.

I am sick and tired of being directed to use the Aboriginal workers attached to mental health and domestic violence services and not getting the information or assistance I need.

Although I value Aboriginal-specific services, if being referred to them means my clients get a second rate service then I would rather use mainstream services.

I do not believe the support workers in the Aboriginal sector are appropriately accredited when compared to mainstream service providers.

As a result, the Aboriginal community is receiving below-standard duty of care.

At the moment there seems to be no performance review of workers and services, both in Aboriginal and mainstream providers.

What is clear is that Aboriginal services need to get out of there offices and into the community, especially in remote areas such as Baryulgil and Malabugilmah.

The disappointing part is that the services could make a huge difference in the community and in countless families if they did their jobs properly.

Today I am no closer to being able to access the services my clients need. And they do need it. Badly.