scholarly journals Making every Australian count: challenges for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the equal inclusion of homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with neurocognitive disability

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Townsend ◽  
Paul White ◽  
Jennifer Cullen ◽  
Courtney J. Wright ◽  
Heidi Zeeman
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Disability Insurance ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Insurance Scheme ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Commonwealth Government ◽  
Torres Strait

This article highlights the dearth of accurate evidence available to inform the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) regarding the extent and nature of neurocognitive disability amongst homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Without accurate prevalence rates of neurocognitive disability, homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are in danger of not being counted by the NDIS and not receiving supports to which they are entitled. Addressing this knowledge gap is challenged by a range of factors, including: (1) the long-term effect of profound intergenerational disenfranchisement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; (2) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural perspectives around disability; (3) the generally unrecognised and poorly understood nature of neurocognitive disability; (4) the use of research methods that are not culturally safe; (5) research logistics; and (6) the absence of culturally appropriate assessment tools to identify prevalence. It is argued that an accurate evidence base that is informed by culturally safe research methods and assessment tools is needed to accurately guide the Commonwealth government and the National Disability Insurance Agency about the expected level of need for the NDIS. Research within this framework will contribute to the realisation of a truly inclusive NDIS.

scholarly journals Developing best practice guidelines for the psychosocial assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 874-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Leckning ◽  
Tanja Hirvonen ◽  
Gregory Armstrong ◽  
Timothy A Carey ◽  
Mark Westby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Expert Panel ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Psychosocial Assessment ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Torres Strait

Objective: To develop guidelines for the culturally responsive psychosocial assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Method: The Delphi method was used to establish expert consensus. A systematic search and review of relevant research literature, existing guidelines and grey literature was undertaken to develop a 286-item questionnaire. The questionnaire contained best practice statements to guide clinicians undertaking psychosocial assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. An expert panel comprising 28 individuals with clinical, community-based and lived experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and/or suicide prevention were recruited and independently rated the items over three rounds. Statements endorsed as essential or important by 90% or more of the expert panel were then synthesised into recommendations for the best practice guideline document. Results: A total of 226 statements across all relevant areas of clinical practice were endorsed. No statements covering the use of structured assessment tools were endorsed. The endorsed statements informed the development of a set of underlying principles of culturally competent practice and recommendations for processes of effective and appropriate engagement; risks, needs and strengths to be assessed; formulation of psychosocial assessment; and recommendations specific to children and young people. Conclusion: The guidelines are based on recommendations endorsed across a range of expertise to address an important gap in the evidence-base for clinically effective and culturally responsive assessment of self-harm and suicidal thoughts by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in hospital settings. Further work is needed to develop an implementation strategy and evaluate the recommendations in practice.

Putting urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food insecurity on the agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Bramwell ◽  
Wendy Foley ◽  
Tanya Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Health Advice ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Primary Healthcare Providers

Food insecurity adversely affects diet quality, physical, mental and social wellbeing and the capacity to act on health advice recommended by primary healthcare providers. In this article, an overview of the neglected issue of food insecurity in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is provided. Policy and action on food security for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is reviewed, and it is argued that for primary health care to better address food insecurity, an evidence base is needed to understand the experiences of individuals and households and how to work effectively to support food insecure clients.

scholarly journals What Matters 2 Adults (WM2Adults): Understanding the Foundations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6193
Author(s):  
Gail Garvey ◽  
Kate Anderson ◽  
Alana Gall ◽  
Tamara L. Butler ◽  
Joan Cunningham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
And Control ◽  
Health Purpose

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a greater range of health and social disadvantages compared to other Australians. Wellbeing is a culturally-bound construct, and to date, a national evidence base around the components of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is lacking. Understanding and measurement of wellbeing for this population is critical in achieving health equity. This paper aims to identify and describe the foundations of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. This national qualitative study was underpinned by an Indigenist research approach which privileges the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were purposively recruited from around Australia between September 2017 and September 2018 to participate in Yarning Circles, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers. Yarning Circles were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed. A Collaborative Yarning Methodology was used, which incorporated reflexive thematic analysis to identify and describe the foundations of wellbeing reported by participants. A total of 359 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults participated. Our analysis revealed five foundations of wellbeing: belonging and connection; holistic health; purpose and control; dignity and respect; and basic needs. These foundations were deeply interwoven by three interconnected aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life: family, community and culture. The findings of this study will substantially aid our efforts to develop a new wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. The iterative Indigenist methods used in this study provide a robust research methodology for conducting large-scale, nationally-relevant qualitative research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Policies and practices that are informed by our results have the potential to address outcomes that are meaningful for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Considering the Impact of Social Media on Contemporary Improvement of Australian Aboriginal Health: Scoping Review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Troy Walker ◽  
Claire Palermo ◽  
Karen Klassen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Torres Strait Islander People ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Torres Strait

BACKGROUND Social media may have a significant role in influencing the present and future health implications among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet there has been no review of the role of social media in improving health. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities. METHODS A scoping review was conducted by systematically searching databases CINAHL Plus; PubMed; Scopus; Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE in June 2017 using the terms and their synonyms “Aboriginal” and “Social media.” In addition, reference lists of included studies and the Indigenous HealthInfonet gray literature were searched. Key information about the social media intervention and its impacts on health were extracted and data synthesized using narrative summaries. RESULTS Five papers met inclusion criteria. All included studies were published in the past 5 years and involved urban, rural, and remote Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged 12-60 years. No studies reported objective impacts on health. Three papers found that social media provided greater space for sharing health messages in a 2-way exchange. The negative portrayal of Aboriginal people and negative health impacts of social media were described in 2 papers. CONCLUSIONS Social media may be a useful strategy to provide health messages and sharing of content among Aboriginal people, but objective impacts on health remain unknown. More research is necessary on social media as a way to connect, communicate, and improve Aboriginal health with particular emphasis on community control, self-empowerment, and decolonization.

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