Aboriginal health promotion through addressing employment discrimination

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angeline S. Ferdinand ◽  
Yin Paradies ◽  
Ryan Perry ◽  
Margaret Kelaher
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Cultural Competency ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Participant Understanding ◽  
And Training ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

The Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) program aimed to improve the mental health of Aboriginal Victorians by addressing racial discrimination and facilitating social and economic participation. As part of LEAD, Whittlesea Council adopted the Aboriginal Employment Pathways Strategy (AEPS) to increase Aboriginal employment and retention within the organisation. The Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training Program was developed to build internal cultural competency and skills in recruiting and retaining Aboriginal staff. Analysis of surveys conducted before (pre; n = 124) and after (post; n = 107) the training program indicated a significant increase in participant understanding across all program objectives and in support of organisational policies to improve Aboriginal recruitment and retention. Participants ended the training with concrete ideas about intended changes, as well as how these changes could be supported by their supervisors and the wider organisation. Significant resources have since been allocated to implementing the AEPS over 5 years. In line with principles underpinning the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–23, particularly the focus on addressing racism as a determinant of health, this paper explores the AEPS and training program as promising approaches to health promotion through addressing barriers to Aboriginal employment. Possible implications for other large organisations are also considered.

scholarly journals ‘Which way? Talking culture, talking race’

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn Fredericks ◽  
Debbie Bargallie
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competency ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Competency Training ◽  
Cultural Competency Training ◽  
Torres Strait

In Australia, organisations identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cross-cultural awareness training or Indigenous cultural competency training as a means to address the service needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to address the gap in disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This training is also one of the strategies utilised in working towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This paper presents the findings from an institutional study based on the development and implementation of an Indigenous Cultural Competency Course within an Australian university and the tensions that exist within the teaching and delivery of such a course.

scholarly journals 'I don't know why they don't come': barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle L. DiGiacomo ◽  
Sandra C. Thompson ◽  
Julie S. Smith ◽  
Kate P. Taylor ◽  
Lynette A. Dimer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Institutional Barriers ◽  
Aboriginal Australians

Objectives. To describe health professionals’ perceptions of Aboriginal people’s access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services and the role of institutional barriers in implementing the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines Strengthening Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Design. Qualitative study. Setting. Metropolitan and rural tertiary and community-based public CR services and Aboriginal health services in WA. Participants. Thirty-eight health professionals working in the CR setting. Method. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with 28 health professionals at public CR services and 10 health professionals from Aboriginal Medical Services in WA. The participants represented 17 services (10 rural, 7 metropolitan) listed in the WA Directory of CR services. Results. Emergent themes included (1) a lack of awareness of Aboriginal CR patients’ needs; (2) needs related to cultural awareness training for health professionals; and (3) Aboriginal health staff facilitate access for Aboriginal patients. Conclusions. Understanding the institutional barriers to Aboriginal participation in CR is necessary to recommend viable solutions. Promoting cultural awareness training, recruiting Aboriginal health workers and monitoring participation rates are important in improving health outcomes. What is already known about this subject? Significant health and social inequity exists for Aboriginal Australians. Despite the persisting high rates of morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal Australians, participation rates in cardiac rehabilitation remain low. What does this paper add? Despite widespread dissemination of NHMRC guidelines, there remains a disconnect between CR health professionals’ understandings and practices and the needs of Aboriginal people in WA. Increasing the volume and quality of cultural awareness training as well as access to Aboriginal health professionals are crucial in addressing this disparity. What are the implications for practitioners? Increasing the number and support of Aboriginal people trained as health professionals will assist the system to respond better to the needs of communities. Collaborative partnership models where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health professionals work together to increase mutual understanding are warranted.

What constitutes ‘support’ for the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child health workforce?

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Watson ◽  
Jeanine Young ◽  
Margaret Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Overall Acceptability ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Use Of Health Services ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

As well as providing primary health care services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services through their role of cultural brokerage in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this vulnerable population. This study sought to identify key areas that both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health professionals working within Indigenous communities felt were important in providing support for their roles. This group of workers require support within their roles particularly in relation to cultural awareness and capability, resource provision, educational opportunities, collaboration with colleagues and peers, and professional mentorship. What is known about the topic? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this population. What does this paper add? Through consultation with a sample of Indigenous child health workers and child health workers key areas necessary to provide support for the individuals working in these roles have been identified. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings from this study will inform policy and program development in order to more comprehensively support health workers in the community and contribute towards workforce development and satisfaction, recruitment and retention.

The Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: An Operational Rationale and Some Reflections on Progress so far

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Giles ◽  
Merridy Malin ◽  
Peter Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health Council ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Research Excellence ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

The Centre of Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was established in late 2003 through a major National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant involving collaboration between the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA), Flinders University, and Aboriginal Health Services. Our foundation research communities are the Aboriginal communities served by these Aboriginal Health Services in the Spencer Gulf / Eyre Peninsula region. In recent years a number of collaborative research programs involving chronic illness management, self-management and coordinated care have been implemented in these communities and this work is the basis of the initial CCRE activities. Key objectives of the CCRE are to improve the health status of Indigenous people through conducting relevant and meaningful Aboriginal controlled health research, providing formal training for Indigenous health researchers and developing innovative approaches to health care that can be readily translated and applied to support communities. The inclusion, empowerment and engagement of Indigenous people in the process of managing community health represent tangible strategies for achieving more equitable health outcomes for Aboriginal people. This paper outlines the CCRE operational rationale and presents early activities and outcomes across the three strategic areas of CCRE operations: research, education and training, and translation. Some critical reflections are offered on the progress and experience of the CCRE thus far. A common obstacle this CCRE has encountered is that the limited (especially staff) resources available to the Aboriginal Health Services with which we are collaborating make it difficult for them to engage with and progress the projects we are pursuing.

scholarly journals The Need to Extend Beyond the Knowledge Gained in Cross-Cultural Awareness Training

2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (S1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn Fredericks
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Aboriginal Women ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Improve Service Delivery

Abstract In the Health sector, Cross-Cultural Awareness Training has been seen as a way to improve knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to therefore improve service delivery and therapeutic care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Health personnel may have undertaken this type of training in their workplace or as part of their education in an undergraduate degree program. Other sectors additionally undertake Cross-Cultural Awareness Training for similar reasons and in similar educational settings. This paper includes the views of a selection of Aboriginal women and highlights the need to extend beyond knowledge gained through Cross-Cultural Awareness Training to Anti-Racism Training. Furthermore, that Anti-Racism Training and addressing white race privilege is required in order to address the inequities within the health system, the marginalisation and disempowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

scholarly journals Ngaa-bi-nya Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program evaluation framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Williams
Keyword(s):  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Social Programs ◽  
Cultural Leadership ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

The Ngaa-bi-nya framework presented here is a practical guide for the evaluation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs. It has a range of prompts to stimulate thinking about critical success factors in programs relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives. Ngaa-bi-nya was designed from an Aboriginal practitioner-scholar standpoint and was informed by the holistic concept of Aboriginal health, case studies with Aboriginal-led social and emotional well-being programs, human rights instruments, and the work of Stufflebeam. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social programs have been described as suffering from a lack of evaluation. Ngaa-bi-nya is one of the few tools developed specifically to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ contexts. It prompts the user to take into account the historical, policy, and social landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives, existing and emerging cultural leadership, and informal caregiving that supports programs. Ngaa-bi-nya’s prompts across four domains—landscape factors, resources, ways of working, and learnings—provide a structure through which to generate insights necessary for the future development of culturally relevant, effective, translatable, and sustainable programs required for Australia’s growing and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Aboriginal cultural awareness training: policy v. accountability - failure in reality

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Westwood ◽  
Geoff Westwood
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Cultural Training ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Cross Cultural Education ◽  
Policy Direction

Despite 42 years progress since the 1967 referendum enabling laws to be made covering Aboriginal Australians their poor health status remains and is extensively documented. This paper presents results of a study into Cultural Awareness Training (CAT) in New South Wales and specifically South West Sydney Area Health Service (SWSAHS) with the aim of improving long-term health gains. The evidence demonstrates poor definition and coordination of CAT with a lack of clear policy direction and accountability for improving cultural awareness at government level. In SWSAHS staff attendance at training is poor and training is fragmented across the Area. The paper proposes actions to improve Aboriginal cultural awareness for health professionals including incorporating Aboriginal CAT into broader based Cross Cultural Training (CCT). What is known about the topic? Cross-cultural education programs for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health industry staff are poorly coordinated, delivered and evaluated. There is recognition that improvements in this area could bring real enhancements in service delivery and health outcomes. What does this paper add? The deficiencies in Aboriginal CAT programs in general are explored and specifically identified in one large NSW health area with a major urban Aboriginal population. This paper reviews CAT themes in the literature and evaluates the effectiveness of known programs. What are the implications for practitioners? The authors list a series of recommendations that have the potential to improve awareness of Aboriginal cultural issues to provide a basis for development of effective and comprehensive CAT programs to bring real improvements in service delivery.

How the Social Determinants of Indigenous Health became Policy Reality for Australia's National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW FISHER ◽  
SAMANTHA BATTAMS ◽  
DENNIS MCDERMOTT ◽  
FRAN BAUM ◽  
COLIN MACDOUGALL
Keyword(s):  
Social Determinants ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Advocacy Coalition ◽  
Health Networks ◽  
Policy Actors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Torres Strait Islander Health

AbstractThe paper analyses the policy process which enabled the successful adoption of Australia's National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023 (NATSIHP), which is grounded in an understanding of the Social Determinants of Indigenous Health (SDIH). Ten interviews were conducted with key policy actors directly involved in its development. The theories we used to analyse qualitative data were the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the Multiple Streams Approach, policy framing and critical constructionism. We used a complementary approach to policy analysis. The NATSIHP acknowledges the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, Aboriginal) culture and the health effects of racism, and explicitly adopts a human-rights-based approach. This was enabled by a coalition campaigning to ‘Close the Gap’ (CTG) in health status between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The CTG campaign, and key Aboriginal health networks associated with it, operated as an effective advocacy coalition, and policy entrepreneurs emerged to lead the policy agenda. Thus, Aboriginal health networks were able to successfully contest conventional problem conceptions and policy framings offered by government policy actors and drive a paradigm shift for Aboriginal health to place SDIH at the centre of the NATSIHP policy. Implications of this research for policy theory and for other policy environments are considered along with suggestions for future research.

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