Mental Health Commission
Content Warning: This page contains information relating to historical forced adoption practices that may be confronting or distressing for some. Click here for support services.
Every day, people working in health, mental health, aged care, social and community service settings see people whose life experiences have been impacted by past forced adoption practices.
Under past forced adoption policies and practices in Western Australia, some women were channelled into an adoption process, often early in their pregnancies, and sometimes without their knowledge. These practices have caused life-long trauma, grief and suffering for many in our community today, including adopted people, mothers, fathers and their extended family members.
It is important that people impacted by past forced adoption practices are met with trauma-informed, sensitive and appropriate support regardless of the type of service they are accessing.
The Mental Health Commission is committed to supporting those impacted by forced adoption through trauma-informed and culturally responsive mental health and alcohol and other drugs services.
Training and resources have been developed to support health professionals to understand these practices to ensure people impacted by past forced adoption receive the right support.
Training developed by the Department of Social Services introduces the history and impacts on people affected by forced adoption, and practical guidance on recognising circumstances that may trigger distress, understanding how these experiences can influence interactions with health, aged care and community services, and responding with kindness, respect and trauma-informed awareness.
The Australian Psychological Society has also developed specialised online training to enhance understanding of forced adoption and support the delivery of evidence-informed therapeutic care for those impacted by the past practices.
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