"Triage mental health nurse"

I contacted the Mental Health Service at King Edward Memorial Hospital to discuss a referral for anxiety and was met with an abrupt and intrusive barrage of personal questions, delivered without, I believe, any attempt to establish rapport or trust. I was expected to disclose highly sensitive mental health information to a stranger immediately. When I expressed discomfort, I was told that if I was unwilling to do so, I could not be triaged.

This approach is not only dismissive, it reflects a concerning lack of understanding of culturally safe practice. As an Aboriginal woman, the expectation of immediate, deeply personal disclosure without relationship, reciprocity, or care for shame is not neutral. It is unsafe.

During the call, the nurse also spoke with misplaced confidence about aspects of my previous care, despite being incorrect. This further eroded trust in what was already a confronting interaction.

When I asked whether most women feel comfortable disclosing their mental health in such an abrupt way, I was told, if they want help they do. That response alone speaks volumes about the underlying approach of this service.

This was my second interaction with this triage system, and both have been similarly jarring. While the service may claim to have a cultural safety framework, in my experience it is not evident in practice. If two consecutive experiences are any indication, there is a significant gap between policy and implementation.

The shame here does not sit with Aboriginal women seeking mental health care. It sits with a system, and nurse, that continues to demand disclosure without first earning trust or building rapport with people who have taken the time to reach out for help.