Seven phases to integrating loss and grief

This chapter describes an innovative and unique loss and grief model—the ‘Seven Phases to Integrating Loss and Grief ’—to ‘work with’ major challenges impacting on the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health in Aboriginal communities. Incorporating 25 years of personal and professional experiences, the Seven Phases model comprises a comprehensive process addressing many of […]
Inclusive language guide: Guide to using inclusive language

Flinders University is committed to providing a work and study environment that recognises and values the cultural diversity of its community. The use of inclusive language is an important part of creating that environment. Used constructively, language can reflect social and cultural diversity in a positive and accurate way rather than perpetuating negative stereotypes about […]
Making Tracks: A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Aboriginal Young People Leaving Care

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people leaving out-of-home care are even more likely to experience poor outcomes and with more serious consequences This framework is a trauma and attachment-informed approach embedded in a cultural, ecological and developmental perspective. It aims to help workers recognise and make sense of many of the young people’s behaviours, […]
Key Messages – Making Tracks: Trauma-Informed Practice Guide for Aboriginal Young People Leaving Care

This practice guide highlights key messages arising from the development of a trauma and attachment-informed framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people leaving care. The more detailed framework is described in the Making Tracks: A trauma-informed framework for supporting Aboriginal young people leaving care (Jackson, Waters, Meehan, Hunter & Corlett, 2013). This practice […]
Trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care for Indigenous Australian children

This report provides comprehensive information on trauma in Indigenous Australian children. It examines the effects of trauma while also providing an overview of recent government initiatives implemented to address the negative consequences of trauma exposure in childhood and adulthood. The report also describes the delivery of trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care. Complementing the information in […]
Our healing, our solutions: Volume 3

In May 2010, the Healing Foundation announced its first funding initiative aimed at acknowledging and addressing the pain and hurt caused by colonisation, forced removals and other past government policies. The primary purpose of the healing initiatives was to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous people and communities, focusing on the wellbeing of […]
Ten Suggested Approaches to Teaching Indigenous Students

The 10 Approaches suggested are selected from 15 ‘research-based exemplars for Indigenous teaching’ (available at indigenousteaching.com ). On the website each approach is illustrated with practical exemplars described in teachers own words.
Closing the gaps in and through Indigenous health research: guidelines, processes and practices

Research in Aboriginal contexts remains a vexed issue given the ongoing inequities and injustices in Indigenous health. It is widely accepted that good research providing a sound evidence base is critical to closing the gap in Aboriginal health and wellbeing outcomes. However, key contemporary research issues still remain regarding how that research is prioritised, carried […]
Creating the NACCHO Cultural Safety Training Standards and Assessment Process: A background paper.

The purpose of this paper is to provide the CST Standards Committee and Industry Reference Group with an overview of issues relevant to Cultural Safety and Cultural Safety Training. This will help guide CST Standards Committee decisions on what the Standards and the CST training program assessment process should be, and the Industry Reference Group […]
National Best Practice Framework for Indigenous Cultural Competency in Australian Universities

In April 2009, Universities Australia, in collaboration with the IHEAC, obtained support and grant funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to undertake a two year project on Indigenous Cultural Competency in Australian Universities. The ultimate aim of the project was to provide the Australian higher education sector with a best practice […]
The Boatshed Racism Roundtable Declaration

Over 40 leading researchers and academics from across Australia met at the University of Western Australia Boatshed in Perth, to discuss research concerning racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The two-day meeting significantly advanced the themes of social justice and reconciliation in Australian society and has culminated in the production of a detailed […]
National Indigenous Public Health Curriculum Framework

The six core Indigenous public health competencies at the focus of this document are those required of every Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate. This curriculum guide provides suggestions about the integration of these competencies across both disciplinary and practice areas of public health rather than as a component of a specific Indigenous public health […]
Towards a culturally appropriate mental health research process for Indigenous Australians

The aim of this paper is to consider culturally appropriate research methodologies for working with Indigenous Australians and to suggest some alternatives. The emphasis is on developing culturally sensitive approaches that are not culturally offensive or continue a colonial mentality (Smith, 1999). Historically, Australian Aboriginal cultures have been one of the most researched in the […]
Western psychotherapeutic practice: engaging Aboriginal people in culturally appropriate and respectful ways

Until recently the majority of psychologists in Australia have been confronted by the lack of information relating to culturally appropriate methods of engagement and therapy with Aboriginal clients. Findings from a qualitative study undertaken in Western Australia indicated that Aboriginal conceptualisations of mental health appear more holistic and contain elements that are both cultural and […]
Towards guidelines for survey research in remote Aboriginal communities

Based on our experience in developing and evaluating community-based health promotion programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, we offer guidelines to assist nonindigenous health and public policy professionals whose information gathering in these communities includes the use of unstructured interviewing or survey questionnaires. The guidelines primarily apply to research among mainland remote Aboriginal […]
National Best Practice Framework for Cultural Competency in Australian Universities

This website contains some of the information from the National Best Practice Framework for Cultural Competency in Australian Universities, as well information on the Pilot Activity Projects conducted as part of this initiative.
Institutional Indigenous Cultural Competency Program

The Indigenous Cultural Competency Program (ICCP) responds to a series of strategic priorities at CSU where we aim to improve the education and lives for Indigenous Australians. The entire Indigenous Cultural Competency Program has three components: Stage 1: The Individual Online Cultural Competency Program is available for all staff. This individual component of the journey […]
Addictions – Violence and Spirituality

We Al-li community and workplace workshops are an Indigenous therapeutic response to individual, family and community pain that many people carry as part of their life experience. For Aboriginal peoples this pain is more specifically defined as the traumatic impacts of the multiple intergenerational experiences of colonisation resulting in ill-health, individual, family and community dysfunction […]
Trauma and Recovery

We Al-li community and workplace workshops are an Indigenous therapeutic response to individual, family and community pain that many people carry as part of their life experience. For Aboriginal peoples this pain is more specifically defined as the traumatic impacts of the multiple intergenerational experiences of colonisation resulting in ill-health, individual, family and community dysfunction […]
Children at risk: Developmental trauma within a complex trauma environment

Patron of We Al-li, Judy Atkinson’s presentation on the multiple and complex experiences of trauma and loss that impact on Indigenous children and families and how to start healing.