Mr Maher, who leads the Yunna Boo-Larng Social and Emotional Wellbeing team, has spent the past year building the social services that are often at the bottom of ­budgetary priority lists. 

Namely, those that target mental health in Aboriginal men.

“Our men are the last to put their hands up and say ‘I’ve got a ­problem’,” Mr Maher said.

He said there had historically been a stigma surrounding mental health and a fear of being labelled that prevented men from accessing mental health services.

“Dealing with internal feelings men, instead, turn to substances and express their fear through anger and violence – it creates that damaging cycle.”

In 2012, beyondblue’s ­humorously named, A place for men to deal with manly issues in a manly way: The rationale behind Man Therapy reported that stigma, real or perceived, was a primary barrier for men dealing with mental health issues.

“For many men, depression and anxiety continue to be associated with weakness, and that is ­synonymous with failure,” the report said.

“The implication of seeing anxiety and depression as a weakness is that help-seeking can be seen as a failure to ‘handle the problem’.”

The Kurra Kong Service ­educates Indigenous men on what Mr Maher called the three central pillars – mental health, alcohol and drug use, and family violence.

“There are a number of services targeting women, families, young people, but there’s a huge service gap for men,” he said.

Despite the relative lack of ­services, Mr Maher said there had been an increase in men accessing those that did exist.

Research published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry this year ­confirmed the increasing requests for access. 

From 2006 to 2007, 32 per cent of men with mental health or ­substance disorder accessed a ­service, but this rose to 40 ­per cent in 2011 to 2012.

“It’s about building their ­capacity to make healthier life choices,” Mr Maher said. “It starts with them.”

Mr Maher said that while Kurra Kong was only a year old, the seed that became the group was planted in his mind more than a decade  ago. 

“We realised then that we didn’t have many specific services for Aboriginal men’s issues. That led to discussions with other services, workers and the community to address the needs,” he said.

“We decided that what we ­needed was a forum to bring them together.”

The beyondblue research found many men eschewed psychological therapy in favour of more casual, socialised support and mateship.

“Where social support does exist, it is important for men to learn about anxiety and depression so they can support their mates, and other loved ones,” the report said.

“Men do look to their mates for support.”

The counsellor said feedback from the men and the wider ­community had indicated an improvement in the men who attended the group.

Mr Maher receives funding from Awabakal Limited to run the group every Friday, but does so in addition to his full load as team leader of his other service. 

He said the financial support from Awabakal had enabled the program to continue where so many similar services had failed. 

“I’ve set these groups up and run them in the past, but without that support, it’s just hard,” he said.

“I’m fortunate to be given that base, I’d be doing it very tough without that.” 

Despite the confident strides made over the past year, Mr Maher said the group was in its infancy. 

He hoped to expand Kurra Kong to a fully staffed and resourced ­service.

Kurra Kong means “belonging to men” and is conducted by Mr Maher every Friday at 64 Hannell Street, Wickham. 

It is open to non-Aboriginal men and is committed to complete inclusion. More information can be found by calling the Awabakal Medical Centre on 4907 8555.