scholarly journals Sharing Our Wisdom: A Holistic Aboriginal Health Initiative

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Howell ◽  
Monique Auger ◽  
Tonya Gomes ◽  
Francis Lee Brown ◽  
Alannah Young Leon
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Cultural Orientations ◽  
Health Circles ◽  
Cultural Belonging

<p>Colonization has had a profound effect on Aboriginal people’s health and the deterioration of traditional Aboriginal healthcare systems. Health problems among Aboriginal people are increasing at an alarming pace, while recovery from these problems tends to be poorer than among other Canadians. Aboriginal people residing in urban settings, while maintaining strong cultural orientations, also face challenges in finding mentors, role models, and cultural services, all of which are key determinants of health. Using a participatory action framework, this study focused on understanding and describing Aboriginal traditional healing methods as viable approaches to improve health outcomes in an urban Aboriginal community. This research investigated the following questions: (a) Do traditional Aboriginal health practices provide a more meaningful way of addressing health strategies for Aboriginal people? (b) How does participation in health circles, based on Aboriginal traditional knowledge, impact the health of urban Aboriginal people? Community members who participated in this project emphasized the value of a cultural approach to health and wellness. The project provided a land-based cultural introduction to being of <em>nə́c̓aʔmat tə šxʷqʷeləwən ct</em> (one heart, one mind) and learning ways of respectful listening <em>x<sup>w</sup>na:mstəm</em> (witness) <em>tə slaχen</em> (medicines) (listen to the medicine), through a series of seven health circles. The circles, developed by Aboriginal knowledge keepers, fostered a healthy sense of identity for participants and demonstrated the ways of cultural belonging and community. Participants acknowledged that attending the health circles improved not only their physical health, but also their mental, emotional, and spiritual health.<strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Participatory Action Research-Dadirri-Ganma, using Yarning: methodology co-design with Aboriginal community members

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hepsibah Sharmil ◽  
Janet Kelly ◽  
Margaret Bowden ◽  
Cherrie Galletly ◽  
Imelda Cairney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Abstract Background Appropriate choice of research design is essential to rightly understand the research problem and derive optimal solutions. The Comorbidity Action in the North project sought to better meet the needs of local people affected by drug, alcohol and mental health comorbidity. The aim of the study focused on the needs of Aboriginal peoples and on developing a truly representative research process. A methodology evolved that best suited working with members of a marginalised Aboriginal community. This paper discusses the process of co-design of a Western methodology (participatory action research) in conjunction with the Indigenous methodologies Dadirri and Ganma. This co-design enabled an international PhD student to work respectfully with Aboriginal community members and Elders, health professionals and consumers, and non-Indigenous service providers in a drug and alcohol and mental health comorbidity project in Adelaide, South Australia. Methods The PhD student, Aboriginal Elder mentor, Aboriginal Working Party, and supervisors (the research team) sought to co-design a methodology and applied it to address the following challenges: the PhD student was an international student with no existing relationship with local Aboriginal community members; many Aboriginal people deeply distrust Western research due to past poor practices and a lack of implementation of findings into practice; Aboriginal people often remain unheard, unacknowledged and unrecognised in research projects; drug and alcohol and mental health comorbidity experiences are often distressing for Aboriginal community members and their families; attempts to access comorbidity care often result in limited or no access; and Aboriginal community members experience acts of racism and discrimination as health professionals and consumers of health and support services. The research team considered deeply how knowledge is shared, interpreted, owned and controlled, by whom and how, within research, co-morbidity care and community settings. The PhD student was supported to co-design a methodology that was equitable, democratic, liberating and life-enhancing, with real potential to develop feasible solutions. Results The resulting combined Participatory Action Research (PAR)-Dadirri-Ganma methodology sought to create a bridge across Western and Aboriginal knowledges, understanding and experiences. Foundation pillars of this bridge were mentoring of the PhD student by senior Elders, who explained and demonstrated the critical importance of Yarning (consulting) and Indigenous methodologies of Dadirri (deep listening) and Ganma (two-way knowledge sharing), and discussions among all involved about the principles of Western PAR. Conclusions Concepts within this paper are shared from the perspective of the PhD student with the permission and support of local Elders and Working Group members. The intention is to share what was learned for the benefit of other students, research projects and community members who are beginning a similar journey.

scholarly journals Participatory Action Research with Daddiri and Ganma: Methodology Co-Design with Aboriginal Community members.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hepsibah Sharmil ◽  
Janet Kelly ◽  
Margaret Bowden ◽  
Imelda Cairney ◽  
Joanne Else ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Abstract Background: This paper discusses the process of co-design of a de-colonising participatory methodology that enabled an international PhD student to work respectfully with Aboriginal community members and Elders, health professionals and consumers, and non-Indigenous service providers in a drug and alcohol and mental health comorbidity project in Adelaide, South Australia. The Comorbidity Action in the North project sought to redesign services to better meet the needs of local people affected by drug, alcohol, and mental health comorbidity. This arm of the study focused on the needs of Indigenous peoples. Methods: The PhD student, Aboriginal Elder mentor, Aboriginal Working Party and supervisors (the research team) sought to co-design a methodology that could address the following challenges: many Aboriginal people deeply distrust Western research due to past poor practices and a lack of implementation of findings into practice; Aboriginal people often remain unheard, unacknowledged and unrecognised in research projects; drug and alcohol and mental health comorbidity experiences are often distressing for Aboriginal community members and their families; attempts to access comorbidity care often result in limited or no access; Aboriginal community members experience acts of racism and discrimination as health professionals and consumers of health and support services; and, the PhD student was an international student with no existing relationship with local Aboriginal community members. The research team considered deeply how knowledge is shared, interpreted, owned and controlled, by whom and how, within research, co-morbidity care and community settings. The PhD student was supported to co-design a methodology that was equitable, democratic, liberating and life-enhancing, with real potential to develop feasible solutions. Results: The resulting combined Participatory Action Research (PAR)-Dadirri-Ganma methodology sought to create a bridge across Western and Aboriginal knowledges, understanding and experiences. Combined mentoring by senior Elders, Indigenous methodologies Dadirri (deep listening) and Ganma (two-way knowledge sharing), and Western PAR.Conclusions: Concepts within this paper are shared from the perspective of the PhD student with the permission and support of local Elders and Working Group members. The intention is to share what was learned for the benefit other students, research projects and community members who are beginning a similar journey.

Understanding lived experiences of Aboriginal people with type 2 diabetes living in remote Kimberley communities: diabetes, it don't come and go, it stays!

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Straw ◽  
Erica Spry ◽  
Louie Yanawana ◽  
Vaughan Matsumoto ◽  
Denetta Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Community

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Kimberley Aboriginal people with type 2 diabetes managed by remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services using phenomenological analysis. Semi-structured interviews formulated by Aboriginal Health Workers, researchers and other clinicians were used to obtain qualitative data from 13 adult Aboriginal patients with type 2 diabetes managed in two remote communities in the Kimberley. Together with expert opinion from local Aboriginal Health Workers and clinicians, the information was used to develop strategies to improve diabetes management. Of 915 regular adult patients in the two communities, 27% had type 2 diabetes; 83% with glycated haemoglobin A &gt;10%. Key qualitative themes included: the need for culturally relevant education and pictorial resources; importance of continuous therapeutic relationships with healthcare staff; lifestyle management advice that takes into account local and cultural factors; and the involvement of Aboriginal community members and families in support roles. Recommendations to improve diabetes management in the remote communities have been made collaboratively with community input. This study provides a framework for culturally relevant recommendations to assist patients with diabetes, for collaborative research, and for communication among patients, Aboriginal Health Workers, community members, researchers and other clinicians. Interventions based on recommendations from this study will be the focus of further collaborative research.

Contribution of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services to improving Aboriginal health: an evidence review

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Ann Campbell ◽  
Jennifer Hunt ◽  
David J. Scrimgeour ◽  
Maureen Davey ◽  
Victoria Jones
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Primary Health

Objective Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) deliver comprehensive, culturally appropriate primary health care to Aboriginal people and communities. The published literature acknowledging and supporting the roles of ACCHSs in improving Aboriginal health is limited. This paper seeks to collate and analyse the published evidence supporting the contribution of ACCHSs to improving the health of Aboriginal people. Methods A conceptual framework for exploring the contribution of ACCHSs was developed, drawing on the literature on the core functions of ACCHSs and the components of quality primary health care. This framework was used to structure the search strategy, inclusion criteria and analysis of the review. Results ACCHSs contribute to improving the health and well being of Aboriginal peoples through several pathways, including community controlled governance, providing employment and training, strengthening the broader health system and providing accessible, comprehensive primary health care. Conclusions ACCHSs make a range of important contributions to improving the health of Aboriginal peoples that are under-acknowledged. Consideration of the different ways ACCHSs contribute to improving Aboriginal health is of value in the design and evaluation of programs and policies that aim to improve the health of Aboriginal peoples. What is known about the topic? Aboriginal communities have long argued the vital role of ACCHSs in improving Aboriginal health. What does this paper add? This paper provides a comprehensive collation and analysis of the evidence supporting the contributions ACCHSs are making to improving Aboriginal health. What are the implications for practitioners? The conceptual framework and findings outlined in this paper illustrate that ACCHSs are making important contributions to improving Aboriginal health through several pathways. This information can be used to ensure actions to improve Aboriginal health are appropriate and effective. There are important gaps in the literature that researchers need to address.

scholarly journals Research Protocol: Retention of the Aboriginal health, ageing, and disability workforce (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Gilroy ◽  
Kim Bulkeley ◽  
Folau Talbott ◽  
Josephine Gwynn ◽  
Kylie Gwynne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Staff Retention ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Disability Service ◽  
Barriers And Enablers

BACKGROUND Despite Australia being one of the most developed nations in the world there is a significant and widening gap in health and welfare between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people, and non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal workers known or local to Aboriginal communities who access the health, ageing, and disability supports play a vital role in guiding their non-Aboriginal colleagues in ways to adapt their interactions, advice, and interventions to ensure they are culturally appropriate and safe for Aboriginal patients and clients. There is a need to identify the factors that inhibit (push) and promote (pull) staff retention or departure of this workforce from various sectors. This study aims to identify the barriers and enablers to retaining Aboriginal people who do not have university qualifications in the heath, disability and aged care workforces. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify the barriers and enablers to retaining Aboriginal people who do not have university qualifications in the heath, disability and aged care workforces. In this paper, ‘frontline service delivery’ is defined as Aboriginal staff who are paid employees in the health, ageing, disability, community services sector in roles that involve direct client, participant, or patient support. METHODS This study is a mixed-method design situated within an Indigenous decolonising methodological framework which drives all phases of the research. Decolonisation centres on privileging the needs of Aboriginal people by analysing and dismantling the power imbalances that exist between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in how research is undertaken to inform government policy, practice, and praxis. The surveys will be sent through the Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, non-government industry groups, Local Health Districts, community interagency committees, and non-government and for-profit agencies. The alumni of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney and Centre’s agency networks will be key recruitment targets. In addition, members of the research team will aim to attend Aboriginal community events and major conferences to connect with Aboriginal workers and community organisations where COVID restrictions permit.In-depth interviews or yarns will be conducted with a subset of 20 Aboriginal workers and 20 employers of Aboriginal workers who have completed the survey and consented to be interviewed. These may occur by zoom or phone dependant on COVID restrictions. RESULTS An Aboriginal workforce is essential to the delivery of high quality, culturally safe health and social services and to address structural barriers to service access. Aboriginal people experience higher rates of disability and chronic health conditions that non-Aboriginal people which heightens the need for responsive supports and services. A key strength of this this study is that it applies an Indigenous Methodological framework throughout which ensures that the research is designed and implemented with Aboriginal organisations and researchers. The research team includes Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and one disability service peak body. The survey and interview questions and model were developed in partnership with Aboriginal health, ageing, and disability, service workers rather than relying only on research publications on the workforce or government policies and HR strategies. CONCLUSIONS By identifying the factors that influence the retention of the Aboriginal workforce from yarn ups and surveys completed by Aboriginal workers and their employers, this study will provide a cohesive set of strategies for organisations to apply in improving their retention of Aboriginal workers. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Cultural Immersion: Developing a Community of Practice of Teachers and Aboriginal Community Members

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathie Burgess ◽  
Paddy (Pat) Cavanagh
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Aboriginal Students ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Joint Enterprise

A lack of teacher awareness of the cultural and historical background of Aboriginal students has long been recognised as a major causative factor in the failure of Australian schools to fully engage Aboriginal students and deliver equitable educational outcomes for them. Using Wenger's communities of practice framework, this paper analyses the effectiveness of the Connecting to Country (CTC) program in addressing this issue in New South Wales (NSW) schools whereby Aboriginal community members design and deliver professional learning for teachers. Qualitative and quantitative data from 14 case studies suggest that the CTC program has had a dramatic impact on the attitudes of teachers to Aboriginal students, on their ability to establish relationships with the local Aboriginal community and on their willingness to adapt curriculum and pedagogy to better meet the needs of their students. As Aboriginal community members and teachers developed communities of practice, new approaches to Aboriginal student pedagogies were imagined through a sense of joint enterprise, mutuality and shared repertoire, empowering all participants in the CTC journey. Implications from this research highlight the importance of teacher professional learning delivered by Aboriginal people, Aboriginal community engagement in local schools and addressing deficit discourses about Aboriginal students and their families.

Report: The Armidale Aboriginal Education, Health and Welfare Conference, 1978

1979 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 12-14
Author(s):  
T.E. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
New England ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Aboriginal Education ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
North West ◽  
Education Committee ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Welfare Workers

The Armidale Aboriginal Education, Health and Welfare Conference, 1978, was held at Mary White College, University of New England, from Thursday, 30th November to Saturday, 2nd December, 1978. The conference was convened by Margaret Wells and Jane Purkiss, with the assistance of Ross Bell from Duval High School, Armidale. The conference was granted in-service status by the New South Wales Department of Education, and teachers attended from schools within North West Region. Academics and teachers, health and welfare workers attended and a large representation came from the Aboriginal community of Armidale.The conference, which was funded jointly by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Armidale College of Advanced Education, dealt with : Aboriginal Teaching Assistants’ courses; Aboriginal housing; participation in decision making by Aboriginal communities; use of Aboriginal personnel; support for Aboriginal Health Centres; and District Aboriginal Education Committees. Workshops were also held on various aspects of Aboriginal education, health and welfare.Key speakers at the conference included Professor Colin Tatz, Professor of Politics, University of New England, who discussed various aspects of race relations and their relevance to the classroom, and Stephen Albert, Chairman of the National Aboriginal Education Committee, who outlined guidelines which have been formulated by the Committee on Aboriginal education, and have been distributed for comment. They recommend that Aboriginal community members be included in decision making in areas concerning Aboriginal education. The Committee also recommends that local Aboriginal Education Committees, all Aboriginal in membership, be established for advisory and consultative purposes. Local District Aboriginal Education Committees would also have an advisory function for the National Aboriginal Education Committee.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Comprehensive Primary Health Care: The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Bartlett ◽  
John Boffa
Keyword(s):  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Comprehensive Primary Health Care ◽  
High Quality Medical Care ◽  
Dominant Society

Aboriginal community controlled PHC services have led the way in Australia in developing a model of PHC service that is able to address social issues and the underlying determinants of health alongside high quality medical care. This model is characterised by a comprehensive style rather than the selective PHC model that tends to be more common in mainstream services. Central to comprehensive PHC is community control, which is critical to the bottom up approach rather than the top down approach of selective PHC. The expansion of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in Australia is a product of the colonial relationship that persists between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia. It is this relationship that explains why community control has been a feature of Aboriginal PHC services while similar attempts in the dominant society have tended to be incorporated into the mainstream. The mechanisms of control occur through community processes and should not be confused with day to day management processes, although the two are related. The Core Functions of PHC is a framework that reflects the experience of ACCHSs and allows for the development and assessment of comprehensive PHC. This framework is applied to a case study of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) which is the major Aboriginal health service in central Australia. The case study illustrates increasing utilisation of PHC services by Aboriginal people, and the capacity of community controlled organisations to respond to demographic and health pattern changes in their client populations.

Beyond the rhetoric: how can non-government organisations contribute to reducing health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Wood ◽  
Trevor Shilton ◽  
Lyn Dimer ◽  
Julie Smith ◽  
Timothy Leahy
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Hospital System ◽  
Health Reforms ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Heart Foundation

The prevailing disparities in Aboriginal health in Australia are a sobering reminder of failed health reforms, compounded by inadequate attention to the social determinants shaping health and well-being. Discourse around health reform often focuses on the role of government, health professionals and health institutions. However, not-for-profit health organisations are also playing an increasing role in health policy, research and program delivery across the prevention to treatment spectrum. This paper describes the journey of the National Heart Foundation of Australia in West Australia (Heart Foundation WA hereafter) with Aboriginal employees and the Aboriginal community in taking a more proactive role in reducing Aboriginal health disparities, focusing in particular on lessons learnt that are applicable to other non-government organisations. Although the Heart Foundation WA has employed and worked with Aboriginal people and has long identified the Aboriginal community as a priority population, recent years have seen greater embedding of this within its organisational culture, governance, policies and programs. In turn, this has shaped the organisation’s response to external health reforms and issues. Responses have included the development of an action plan to eliminate disparities of cardiovascular care in the hospital system, and collaboration and engagement with health professional groups involved in delivery of care to Aboriginal people. Examples of governance measures are also described in this paper. Although strategies and the lessons learnt have been in the context of cardiovascular health disparities, they are applicable to other organisations across the health sector. Moreover, the most powerful lesson learnt is universal in its relevance; individual programs, policies and reforms are more likely to succeed when they are underpinned by whole of organisation ownership and internalisation of the need to redress disparities in health.

Food, food choice and nutrition promotion in a remote Australian Aboriginal community

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L. Colles ◽  
Elaine Maypilama ◽  
Julie Brimblecombe
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Food System ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Australian Aboriginal Community

Contemporary diets of Aboriginal people living in remote Australia are characterised by processed foods high in fat and sugar. Within the ‘new’ food system, evidence suggests many Aboriginal people understand food in their own terms but lack access to consumer information about store-purchased foods, and parents feel inadequate as role models. In a remote Australian Aboriginal community, purposive sampling identified adults who participated in semistructured interviews guided by food-based themes relating to the contemporary food system, parental guidance of children’s food choice and channels through which people learn. Interpretive content analysis was used to identify salient themes. In discussions, people identified more closely with dietary qualities or patterns than nutrients, and valued a balanced, fresh diet that made them feel ‘light’. People possessed basic knowledge of ‘good’ store foods, and wanted to increase familiarity and experience with foods in packets and cans through practical and social skills, especially cooking. Education about contemporary foods was obtained from key family role models and outside the home through community-based organisations, including school, rather than pamphlets and flip charts. Freedom of choice was a deeply held value; carers who challenged children’s autonomy used strategic distraction, or sought healthier alternatives that did not wholly deny the child. Culturally safe approaches to information sharing and capacity building that contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities requires collaboration and shared responsibility between policy makers, primary healthcare agencies, wider community-based organisations and families.

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