Health services explore new technology to overcome language barriers in Indigenous healthcare
With a life expectancy gap of about 10 years and poor health outcomes, some health services are looking towards new forms of technology to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health services in Australia.
Racial Bias in Health Care and Health: Challenges and Opportunities
This Viewpoint describes the contribution of racial bias to disparities in health care and discusses the need to increase awareness of disparities and work toward eliminating discrimination and its adverse effects. A landmark report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2003 documented that from the simplest to the most technologically advanced diagnostic and therapeutic […]
Developing a best practice pathway to support improvements in Indigenous Australians’ mental health and well-being: a qualitative study
Objective There is a need to adapt pathways to care to promote access to mental health services for Indigenous people in Australia. This study explored Indigenous community and service provider perspectives of well-being and ways to promote access to care for Indigenous people at risk of depressive illness. Design A participatory action research framework was […]
Like drawing into sand’: acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of a new e-mental health resource for service providers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Cross-cultural considerations and difficulties recruiting and retaining skilled workers in rural and remote regions may contribute to poorer service use for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, electronic resources may provide the opportunity for remote workforces to deliver structured, evidence-based, culturally appropriate treatments with limited training burden. The aim was to develop and determine […]
Assessing the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous students
Indigenous people are a vulnerable and disadvantaged population whom collectively face much higher levels of health risks and challenges than non-Indigenous people. Indigenous youth in particular represent a population that are at even greater risk, as interaction between socio-economic, geographic, and cultural differences contributes to a lack of opportunity for youth to experience positive outcomes […]
A tertiary approach to improving equity in health: quantitative analysis of the Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) process, 2008–2012
Introduction Achieving health equity for indigenous and ethnic minority populations requires the development of an ethnically diverse health workforce. This study explores a tertiary admission programme targeting Māori and Pacific applicants to nursing, pharmacy and health sciences (a precursor to medicine) at the University of Auckland (UoA), Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Application of cognitive and […]
Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health
The Wharerātā Group of Indigenous mental health leaders from Canada, the United States, Australia, Samoa and New Zealand developed the Wharerātā Declaration in 2010.1 It comprises five themes on the importance of Indigenous leadership in addressing the common mental health challenges faced by Indigenous peoples around the world. Member countries of the International Initiative for […]
Cultural Responsiveness in Action – An IAHA Framework
The IAHA Cultural Responsiveness Framework provides information and support to prepare you to engage in a transformation so that, whatever your role, you can positively influence the health and wellbeing, quality of life, future aspirations, and prosperity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities.
Cultural respect strategies in Australian Aboriginal primary health care services: beyond education and training of practitioners
Objective: There is little literature on health-service-level strategies for culturally respectful care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We conducted two case studies, which involved one Aboriginal community controlled health care service and one state government-managed primary health care service, to examine cultural respect strategies, client experiences and barriers to cultural respect. Methods: Data […]
Harmful Substance Use and Mental Health
In this chapter, we briefly examine harmful substance use and mental health among Aboriginal Australians. We explore a range of issues including current substance use and related harms, social and emotional wellbeing and comorbidity, and the social determinants of mental health and harmful substance use. We examine the range of services that have been developed […]
Experiencing racism in health care: the mental health impacts for Victorian Aboriginal communities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health
Overview Supporting health professionals in improving knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health care to achieve better outcomes. Module 1: Interviewing an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient Engagement and communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a culturally appropriate and safe way. Module 2: Developing a mental health […]
Reframing Aboriginal family caregiving
This chapter describes the experiences of caregiving for Aboriginal families living with a serious mental illness. It highlights the disconnection with mental health providers and their lack of knowledge of Aboriginal concepts of caregiving. Indeed, there is limited knowledge of the complexity of caregiving across the mental health sector. This chapter explores Aboriginal caregiving through […]
Ngara…Deep Listening…Seeing ‘two ways’: What can Indigenous knowledge, mindfulness and observational skills training
The third Slice of LIME seminar was hosted by Flinders University SA on 12 September 2014. Presenters for this third Seminar include Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien (Kaurna Elder), Aunty Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Prof. L.C. Chan, Dr Heather Gaunt. Rapporteur for the session was Prof Lambert Schuwirht and it was facilitated by Prof. Dennis McDermott.
Interdisciplinary care to enhance mental health and social and emotional wellbeing
This chapter discusses and defines the difference between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary/interprofessional care with a focus on interdisciplinary care as a model of practice which supports equality and interconnectedness of responsibility amongst team members when working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts. The chapter describes the various professional and para professional practitioners that comprise interdisciplinary […]
Having the Hard Conversations
The second Slice of LIME Seminar was presented by Professor Dennis McDermott & Mr Dave Sjoberg from the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Well-Being at Flinders University South Australia, on 12th August 2014. It focused on cultural safety in health professions, & explored pedagogical methods for addressing issues such as racism, white privilege & […]
Communicating and engaging with diverse communities
This chapter focuses on the skills and understanding required for communicating and engaging effectively with Aboriginal people in diverse contexts, with particular attention to the urban setting. We briefly discuss concepts of community and culture, such as kinship affiliations, community obligations and values of Aboriginal people. The work of the late psychiatrist, Mark Sheldon, has […]
The Elders Report into preventing Indigenous self-harm and youth suicide
Interview excerpts of Elders featured in the Report. The Culture Is Life campaign aims to give a platform for Indigenous Elders and community leaders to influence public awareness, policy-making and service provision around Indigenous suicide prevention. One of the initial actions of the Culture Is Life campaign was the development of the’Elders Report on Preventing […]
Cultural competence: transforming policy, services, programs and practice
This chapter discusses some of the complex issues surrounding the notion of cultural competence—and the critical need for practitioners to develop knowledge, skills, understandings and attributes to be responsive in diverse cultural settings. The argument for culturally competent mental health practitioners and services is situated within a human rights framework which underpins the principles, standards […]
Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practices.
The Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice had its origins in the Australian Government’s commitment to improve mental health services nationally. The book was a key strategy to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific initiatives of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) mental health reform over five […]
A history of Indigenous psychology
This chapter discusses how the discipline and practice of psychology has been part of the colonising process influencing the mental health of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It outlines events where the discipline of psychology has been supportive of, and responsive to, the Aboriginal mental health movement, heralding the empowerment and inclusion of […]
Statement of Intention to Improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing
Twenty-four national allied health organisations became signatories to the Statement of Intention to Improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing, at Parliament House in March 2014.
Shifting gears in careers: Identifying drivers of career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in the health sector
This paper explores how the Australian health sector might improve opportunities for career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. It considers the current evidence surrounding career development in the health sector, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worker experiences, to develop a usable conceptual framework for change.
Aboriginal health promotion through addressing employment discrimination
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 […]
Attraction, recruitment and distribution of health professionals in rural and remote Australia: early results of the Rural Health Professionals Program
Abstract Background: Australians living in rural and remote communities experience relatively poor health status in comparison to the wider Australian population (Med J Aust 185:37-38, 2006). This can be attributed in part to issues of access to health services arising from difficulties in recruiting and retaining health professionals in these areas. The Rural Health Professionals […]