RESEARCH REPORT Healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy relationships
A health service to address the violence-prevention and healing needs of the Mununjali people and their community
This community-driven research project responds to significant gaps in the availability of culturally safe health services for the Mununjali people and their community.
The Mununjali people are the Traditional Owners living on Country in Beaudesert, South East Queensland. To address the unmet health and support needs of Mununjali community members who use domestic, family and sexual violence, the research team co-designed a health service model with the community.
This holistic and culturally appropriate service model was built on three pillars: healthy minds, healthy bodies and healthy relationships.
Commissioned under ANROWS’ 2023–2027 research program focusing on people who use domestic, family and sexual violence, the project featured:
- a governance structure comprising Elders, community members and stakeholders
- community co-researchers
- 30 qualitative discussions, 4 workshops and in-depth yarns (interviews) with Elders, community members, men’s groups and service providers
- a culturally adapted, health-based survey of 105 community members aged 18 and over
- ongoing community engagement, feedback loops and knowledge translation activities.
The project provides a model for best practice in participatory research. It highlights how crucial self-determination, cultural safety and First Nations community leadership are when designing and delivering services for First Nations communities.
The findings of the project could also be of relevance to other First Nations communities outside major urban centres in Australia.
Key findings
Key findings Addressing the intersecting social determinants of ill health is crucial in efforts to address domestic, family and sexual violence. The following findings reflect this need.
- The Mununjali community carries a multilayered mental health burden shaped by trauma, loss, and systemic and intergenerational harms. These are all contributors to diminished social and emotional wellbeing.
- Local mainstream health services are not able to address common comorbidities and physical health challenges among community members.
- More than two-thirds of survey participants had experienced, witnessed or used violence. However, they agreed that violence is not justifiable – and that more action needs to be taken to address domestic, family and sexual violence.
- Systemic barriers severely limit access to culturally safe, coordinated and reliable health care in Beaudesert. These barriers include a lack of availability; transport limitations; and distrust of mainstream care based on practitioners’ disrespect, racism and poor listening skills.
- Despite significant adversity, Mununjali community members demonstrate resilience, self-reliance and cultural strength.
Key practice and policy recommendations
Key practice and policy recommendationsThere is a need to establish and fund local Aboriginal community-controlled health hubs, governed by Elders, to meet the specific needs of First Nations communities who do not currently have access to such services. These health hubs must:
- Provide domestic, family and sexual violence counselling and early intervention programs for community members who experience and/or use violence.
- Provide wraparound support for healthy minds, bodies and relationships, including outreach, transport and integration with existing services.
- Embed, as a core principle, trauma-informed, culturally safe and holistic care.
- Adopt a “no wrong door” approach that enables warm referrals and access to a range of health, legal and social supports.
Further, policymakers should:
- Improve awareness and accessibility of services, including mental health supports and annual government-funded health checks.
- Foster partnerships among the health hubs with existing mainstream health service providers, government agencies and local Aboriginal community-controlled services. This will ensure sustainable funding for the hubs as well as the provision of integrated care.
Publication details
This work is part of the ANROWS Research reports series. ANROWS Research reports are in-depth reports on empirical research produced under ANROWS’s research program.
This research was produced under the 2023–2027 research program People who use domestic, family and sexual violence.
Authors
Ally Cahill
Senior Research Consultant, Social Research Centre
Dr Kylie Brosnan
Executive Director, Social Research Centre
Professor Daryl Higgins
Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University
Paul Paulson
Chief Investigator, Mununjali Health Service
Georgina Halse
Research Director, Social Research Centre
Michael McGrath
Senior Research Consultant, Social Research Centre
Catherine Wayman
Senior Research Consultant, Social Research Centre
Lisa Tropeano
Research Consultant, Social Research Centre
Mercedes van Setten
Research Consultant, Social Research Centre
Suggested citation
Cahill, A., Brosnan, K., Higgins, D., Paulson, P., Halse, G., McGrath, M., Wayman, C., Tropeano, L., & van Setten, M. (2026). Healthy minds, healthy bodies, healthy relationships: A health service to address the violence-prevention and healing needs of the Mununjali people and their community (Research report, 02/2026). ANROWS. https://doi.org/10.71940/8APW-BM61