Health
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, ACT
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Almost 100 Indigenous people from the Australian Capital Territory shared their personal stories of illegal drug use as part of a project that identified how services could be improved to better address their needs. The research was conducted in response to high incidence of drug use in the local community, with Indigenous young people, in particular, effected. The research was carried out between 2001 and 2004 by staff from the Canberra-based Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service and the National Centre from Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH). The research was highly effective in identifying practical and culturally sensitive ways to reduce illegal drug use in the local Indigenous community.
Winnunga Nimmityjah Chief Executive Officer, Julie Tongs, said that the research project demonstrated how Aboriginal medical services could work in partnership with academic institutions to achieve positive results. She describes the process below:
When the project began, the Winnunga and NCEPH teams got together and worked out issues like how to approach disclosures of sexual abuse, and to learn about mental health first aid and appropriate interviewing techniques. It was a real two-way learning process…
The project was successful because it had strong backing and input from input from local people. We worked nard to build their awareness and trust. Counselling and referrals were always provided to participants after they shared their very personal stories with us.
We established strong local partnerships through the course of the project.
Dr Phyll Dance from the NCEPH agreed:
We had great support from a diverse, mainly Aboriginal, reference group, including Elders of the Ngunnawal Community who were involved right from the project’s inception.
We were able to ensure that Elders were always renumerated for their work; and we were able to support Winnunga when staff time was taken up with the research.
Image: Painting by Gerard Bennett.
The trunk represents partnerships and trust between Winnunga and the researchers, the root system – nurturing and building relationships and the branches and leaves show where growth can be seen.
More information about the partnership and more success stories in Indigenous health are available via the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation ‘Success Stories in Indigenous Health’ publication: http://www.antar.org.au/images/stories/PDFs/SuccessStories/success_stories_final.pdf
You can read about Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service here: www.winnunga.org.au/research.htm
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