Mental Health Report: Cultural Safety in Aboriginal & TSI Context

This report from a Diploma of Mental Health program delves into the critical aspects of mental health within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (TSI) communities. It begins with an introduction to the significance of culture and cultural safety in healthcare settings, emphasizing their impact on p...Read More

Diploma of Mental
Health

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................1
The Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community and cultural practices..................1
Importance of the law in the community................................................................................2
Importance of kinship.............................................................................................................2
Impact of European settlement...............................................................................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
TASK 5............................................................................................................................................8
TASK 6............................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Culture is very significant aspect within the organisation by which each and every people
either they are customer or employees can effectively survive and carry out their function at the
workplace. In the absence of appropriate culture and safety, every one can negatively affect. In a
simple word it can be said that culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group
of people. In this includes people languages, regions, social habits, music, arts, life style, their
value, beliefs etc. Cultural safety is another significant aspect to maintain an effective working
environment of the heath care organisation and deliver care services to them (Cultural
Safety ,2017). Culture of the organisation should be safe and effective so as organisation's
services provider can effectively carry out their roles and responsibility to meet expectation of
patient and attain the organisational goal. In the present report, the aboriginal and Torres Strait
islander cultural safety issue has been discussed and its appropriate strategies has been applied in
this mentioned culture. The significance of cultural safety within the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait island workplace has been also defined in this report.
MAIN BODY
Task 1
The Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community and cultural practices
In the context of Aboriginal and Torres Straits islander people they are those people, who
are first inhabitants of Australia. Basically there are more than 370 million indigenous people
spread across 70 countries worldwide who have unique tradition, social values, culture, political
and economical characteristics and these features are different from those of the dominant
society in which they live (Frieden, 2013). In the 2001, there are approximately 410003 people
are identified as indigenous under which 366429 are aboriginal and 26046 were Torres strait
islanders. In the June 2001 within the Australia, there are 2.2% of the total population are
indigenous. These kinds of people have different culture, region, social value, beliefs, society,
life style, custom, tradition etc compare to the native people. In the Australia, indigenous people
are two distinct cultural groups made up of aboriginal and Torres strait islander peoples. In these
two groups, there is huge issue related to the culture and diversity. In these groups have more
than 250 different languages has been used (Guzman and et.al., 2015). Aboriginal and Torres
Strait islander people have their won laws and customers which determine the membership of
their group. In the Australia, aboriginal and Torres strait people have major issue related to the
1

culture and diversity because each community in this section have their on language, culture,
belief, knowledge , material cultures etc.
Importance of the law in the community
In order to provide the safety and security to the aboriginal and Torres straits islander,
government has developed the legislation and regulation such as Aboriginal cultural heritage act
2003, aboriginal land act 1991, Torres strait islander cultural heritage act 2003.In this
community, there is huge significance of the law and legislation by which they can get
protection and security related to their rights (Hughes and Ferrett, 2011). Aboriginal law is
distinctive from the Australia law under which covers all aspects such as their culture, land and
law. With help of law and legislation, people of this mentioned community can able to get their
rights elated to health and safety.
Importance of kinship
In the aboriginal and Torres straits islander, there is huge importance of the kinship
which defines the features of the aboriginal social organisation and family relationship across the
central Australia. This defines that how they interact with each other and carry out their roles and
responsibilities in relation to other (R., Bluff and Clayton, 2012). In order to protect them and
provide effective environment of the aboriginal community, kinship is really very significant
aspect by which they can share their issue, feeling, emotion with each other at the workplace.
Impact of European settlement
The changes in policies sometimes brings various kind of issues in relation to
maintaining availability of western medical skills, technology and increase education. The issues
in relation to alcohol have devastating effect (Garling, 2013). The rule of tradition kinship is alos
getteing affected. The aborigines are taking various effective measure in order to maintain
provide good education to their children which leads to undermine traditional lifestyles and
social structures system. Due to this the tradition authority also affected in terms to alcohol,
material goods and other aboriginal customary law was another factor in regard to this. The
people who belongs to aboriginal have various kind of difficult choices in their lives.
Political issue
In this there are various kind of political issue which are referred as there are various
factors which are influencing racism in Australia. The people who resides there are grown up
with learning two kinds of histories such are as the kind of memories which are preserved in
2

them by families and another one is the textbook history which are telling very humiliating story
about each term (Skinner, 2013). This kind of factor effecting People mind at large manner. In
this kind of situation the reconciliation factor can only welcome with the recognisable of past
injustice, various cultural practices and property rights in regard to this.
Cultural factor-
The culture factor -plays very vital role in relation to maintain ingeniousness health and
social well-being of people. In this manner people require sustained commitment from
government bodies so that many kinds of thing can be improvise such are as early childhood,
health, schooling, economic participation and health homes. In this area major people are facing
health related issues. This kind of issues are coming due to various factors are as education,
employment, income, stress and social networks etc. this are affecting the health risk of
individual. People are belong to very backward society and dealing with various cultural issue.
The legal authorities should take various measure to overcome from it.
Economic and cultural issue
In the Australia, for the aboriginal and Torres straits islander people, another major issue
related to the economic issue. In this concern includes the inflation, interest rate, recession etc.
this kind of problem can negatively impact of these kinds of community as they have to face the
economical situation related issue in their daily life. Employment is one of the issue in the
economic factor which they faced in their daily life (Kane and Kane, 2013). Due to the different
culture, value, beliefs, customer and tradition many of the society has not accepted this kind of
community in the country. Due to which people may face the issue related to the
unemployment. In addition to this some time people may face the issue related to the culture.
This kind of people have different language, customer, value and beliefs which is differ from the
native people culture and region (Karjalainen, Blencowe and Lillsunde, 2012). Thus, it can be
said that their have major issue related to the culture and region because their language, life
style, background does not meet with the native people within the Australia.
Impact of discrimination
While in the Australia there is discrimination occurs with the aboriginal and Torres
straits islander, then they can affect in the negative manner. They can not feel comfortable in the
society while other people treats with them in the different manner like discriminate on the basis
of their rights, cultural program participation, education, employment etc (Kondo, South, and
3

Branas, 2015). In order to overcome the discrimination issue among the Aboriginal community,
government have developed various kinds of the regulation and legislation which help in
providing protection to them. Due to the discrimination this kind of people may feel very
uncomfortable and unsafe within the country.
Factor that contribute to their ill health
The major factor for the illness of that community is related to the environment.
Atmosphere is major component which affect their health. In order to protect their health issue,
government have imposed various kinds of heath and safety related rights to them.
TASK 2
Being the heath care service provider in the heath care organisation within the Australia,
my major objective is to deliver an effective care services to the patients. Within the hospital,
there are community of aboriginal and Torres straits islander people who have requirement of
the effective treatment and care services. Being a service provider I have not engaged with any
discrimination with these people (Lowes and Hulatt, 2013). I have delivered effective case
services and treatment to the aboriginal Torres people. I have considered them as a normal
people and delivered all relevant services and facilities to them which they needed. I have
followed all regulation, legislation and law which has imposed by the government in respect to
the rights of the aboriginal and Torres straits islander community.
While I dealt with the aboriginal and Torres straits islander community within the heath
and social care organisation, my background and culture has largely affected my working and
interaction with them. They have belonged from different culture, region and value but I have
always considered them as a normal people so I have used my best affords to deliver impressive
care services to them (Martin, Lippitt and Prothero, 2013). My communication and interaction
skill with them was also excellent as I treat them as a friend and family member while I interact
with them. However,i have faced some issue related to the language because their language is
different from mine language which created issue for me in understanding their meaning. In
order to overcome the issue related to the culture and language, I have learnt about the aboriginal
and Torres straits islander on the internet. With help of internet and books I have leant various
aspect like practices, value, customer, language, tradition of these people. In addition to this in
order to meet their expectation about the safety and security related to workplace I have also
considered the legislation and laws which government has imposed with respect of them. In
4

addition to this, I have also treated with them as a family member and friend through which I can
easily identify their actual requirement and needs related to their care services. I have used my
full knowledge, idea and efficiency to deliver an impressive care services to the aboriginal and
Torres straits islander community people. I have organised the activities and program at the
workplace so as I can more acknowledge about their value, culture, language etc.
TASK 3
About aboriginal & Torres strait community is based on the indigenous communities that
usually includes the Torres strait islands and the government are created an act or the
regulations for this community. This community was founded on the year of 1879. There
language is Queensland is based on the protection of the ancient culture of the ingenious peoples
& the Queenslanders.
The aboriginal & Torres strait community is the Australian community where the vision
is based on their fair world in which people control their own lives & fight for the basic rights of
the community that are achieved on their fair environment is sustainable in nature. The unique
status of this community as a first Australians. they have special relation between their
traditional land & waters, their diversity in culture, customs & their circumstances. They may
some protocols that are practically expressing with the basis of the human rights they have right
to own & control in there traditional cultures & intellectual properties. They have control over
their heritage & their right & interests they way the portrayed (in images, text or what they like)
is respected & protected. Respect over their communitarian nature there social culture, time
frames & their decision making process. There traditional couture is special that his about there
traditional custodians (McCarthy and Rose, 2010). These family is now accepting the illness
complications. There children are not well as for there health & welfare hospitals care are
particularly helping their mental illness. As a service provider we are giving the treatment of
their illness. A lot of community require the treatment which we are providing like taking with
them physiological, meditation treatment. we pushing them for long time meditations therapy
which helps them resolve there complications regarding there illness. There are some key
objectives & aims of the act 2013 for the people of this community as under this act this
community are the inhabitants of Australian country. As Parliament acknowledges as the
essential role of there working as a expert panel on their constitution recognition of his
community people & its propose with the constitutional changes. The engagement in this
5

community people & the other Australians are required to refine proposals that are build the
support for the changes in successful constitutional. The parliament is believes as act is a
significant steps that are:- Short tittle, Commencement, Recognition, Review to the support for
their referendum to amend the constitution, Sunset based provision.
While I was working in the heath and social care organisation, the patient was belonged
from the community of Aboriginal and Torres strait island people. These kinds of people have
different language, culture, region, value, beliefs etc. I have faced major issue related to the
culture and region (McKitterick, 2012). It is very difficult for me to understand their culture and
language because they belong from the different communities.
Identify and briefly describe any other piece of legislation you should comply with
to ensure Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety: The Australia
government provides the lows and policies for the aboriginal and Torres people. The act
provides the protection for the cultural safety. Some of the acts are as follows:
Aboriginal cultural heritage act 2003: The main goal of this act is to provide the safety,
identification and conservation of aboriginal cultural heritage.
Family responsibilities commission act 2008: The main objective of this act is help to the
people in campaign community area to resume original responsibilities for the well being in the
community.
Impact of trauma on decision making: Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like
accident, natural disaster etc. By this things people are not able to take decision in the difficult or
in normal situation. It takes more recovery to the people to manage the life and support them.
Medical training simulator is developed that will help in decision making (Munn-Giddings and
Winter, 2013).
Impact of trauma on communicating: Negative impact of trauma on communicating is that in
which people are not able to communicate with others. The recovery is needed in two ways one
is mentally and another one is emotionally. This will help to reduce the impact of trauma.
Impact of trauma on understanding: From trauma people has physical stresses like headaches
or nausea. Psychologists can help this personally find different ways to manage and understand
their emotions.
6

Impact of trauma retaining information: The people has more stress through trauma person
need more recovery from emotional response from terrible event and keep the information for
appropriate purpose (Herring, Spangaro, Lauw and McNamara, 2013).
TASK 4
As per the above discussion it has been analysed that aboriginal and Torres straits
islander community have different culture, regions, language etc. which affect them in the
Australia culture because in the Australia, there is western culture and structure. Due to the
diversity and cross culture, they have faced several kinds of issues within the country. In order
to provide the heath and cultural related benefit to these community such as aboriginal and
Torres straits islander community I am planning to develop the campaign related to the heath
education on substance (Ryan, 2012). This heath education on substance can beneficial for the
aboriginal and Torres straits islander community through which they can effectively know the
heath education and improve their heath issue and disability.
 The major objective of the health education on substance program is to provide the
education and knowledge to the aboriginal and Torres straits islander community people
so as they can able to know the heath related suggestion and improve their heath related
disabilities and issues (McNamara, 2014). In order to provide effective heath services
and program to the aboriginal and Torres straits islander community, health education
program have major aim is to acknowledge the people about their heath improvement
and also provide knowledgeable about how they can improve their heath and keep
secure from the heath issue and problems.
 In the Australia there are various Aboriginal community organizations such as national
aboriginal community controlled heath organization, secretariat of national aboriginal
and island child care and the Victorian aboriginal child care agency, aboriginal peak
organization northern territory etc. In order to implement the service program plan about
the heath education I will select mentioned organization such as national aboriginal
community controlled heath organization under which I will organize heath education
program by which their patient of Aboriginal community can able to know the health
related benefits, issue, precaution, prevention etc.
 In order to organism the service program about the health education to the Aboriginal
community in the national aboriginal community controlled heath organization, I will
7

develop an effective partnership with other staff members and subordinates. In this
manner, I will conduct the team working strategy and practices under which I will work
with the other staff members in the team (Tong, 2013). With help of team practices I can
effectively organism the service program about heath education for the Aboriginal
community and deliver effective services to them. Team working and flexible working
practice is effective strategies to promote the partnership between staff.
 Finance and human resource are two major resource in this mentioned service program
for heath education for Aboriginal community in the national aboriginal community
controlled heath organization. With help of finance, I will organize planning in an
effective manner and can purchase all required equipment and facilities which help in to
conduct the planning for education program (Fredericks, 2013). In addition to this,
human resource can also help in various activities of this service program like promotion,
implementation, advertisement, deliver of services etc.
 In order to organize service program for the aboriginal and Torres Strait people, human
resource and staff member is very significant resources by which various activities of the
program can conduct. In various activities like promotion, convince people, delivering
services, human resource will require in effective manner. In addition to this, finance is
another important resource to organize the heath education program for the aboriginal
and Torres Strait people (Parker and Milroy, 2014). In various activities like
transportation, printing document, internet cost, promotion, advertisement, workshop etc
required sufficient amount of the fund.
TASK 5
In order to implement the service or program for the aboriginal and Torres straits islander
community, being a service provider I required to focus on the cultural safety strategies so as
they can not feel uncomfortable within the workplace and effectively survive in the organisation.
These cultural safety areas follows- Clear value and open and respectful communication- This is one of the effective
strategy to engage with the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people. With help of this
strategy, I can easily identify their value, beliefs, culture and region. Communication is
best practices understanding any other feelings, value and effectiveness. In order to
organise the program and service for the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people I will
8

focus on the open communication and respectful communication by which they can feel
comfortable and happy within the workplace and share their issues and problem with the
management (Clough, 2012). Developing trust- Develop the trust is another effective strategy for implementation of
the program and services of the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people. This helps me
in understanding the actual issue of the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people related
to their heath, culture, region etc (Skinner, 2013).
 Engage with others- This strategy help me in providing an effective and fee working
environment to the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people. With help of this program,
I can easily understand the issue of the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people and
find out the best solution for them.
TASK 6
As per the previous discussion it has been analysed that in order to provide heath and
culture safety, there is systematic development of planning under which major objective is to
provide the cultural safety to the aboriginal and Torres Strait people. Another aim of this
mentioned planning is to deliver the effective heath system services and encourage the
participation of the aboriginal and Torres strait islander people in the region in the service and
program (Maclean, 2013). In addition to this, the planning for heath education program and
services for the Aboriginal and Torres strait island people have major objective is to provide the
education and knowledge to these community about the heath and safety so as they can improve
their heath within the workplace.
 While I have taken the feedback from the other staff member and community member I
have been identified that there are many community members have effectively got the
benefit of this organised health education program. However, some community member
has not well aware about the purpose and objective of heath education (Herring, 2013).
They have not taken the benefit of this program because its promotion and advertisement
is very weak. Some of the community member has said in the feedback that there is still
some requirement to improve this education program and there is need to enhance
promotion and advertisement.
9

 In order to overcome some weakness and issue in the organised heath education program,
I needed to focus on the strategies which help in overcome these issues. In order to make
more effective this organised heath education program, I will more advertise and promote
this program in the market so other people can able to know this program (Garling,
2013).
 In order to make more effective this heath education program I will also develop s
systematic document and send all aboriginal and Torres strait islander people so as they
can effectively know about the purpose and objective of this program. In addition to this,
I will mail to this document to each people in this aboriginal and Torres strait islander
community (Hyatt, 2013).
CONCLUSION
From this entire report it has been concluded that culture is very significant aspect in the
organisation. While within the company, if there is effective culture safety then employees and
patients can effectively survive. It has been also concluded that aboriginal and Torres Strait
people have faced issue elated to the different culture, language, region, custom, tradition etc.
While in the heath and care organisation service provider deal with the aboriginal and Torres
Strait people then they required to use open communication and develop trust with these people
so as they can effectively survive at the workplace. Service provider have developed the plan oif
health education program for the aboriginal and Torres Strait people so as they can improve
their knowledge and idea about the heath safety at workplace.
10

REFERENCES
Journal and Books
Altman, Jon C., and Sean Kerins. People on country: vital landscapes, Indigenous futures.
Sydney: Federation Press, 2012.
Clough, A.R., 2012. Knowledge and views about maternal tobacco smoking and barriers for
cessation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: a systematic review and meta-
ethnography. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.15(5). pp.863-874.
Fredericks, B., 2013. 'We don't leave our identities at the city limits': Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people living in urban localities. Australian Aboriginal Studies. (1). pp.4.
Frieden, T.R., 2013. Government's role in protecting health and safety. New England Journal of
Medicine, 368(20), pp.1857-1859.
Garling, S., 2013.Contested governance: culture, power and institutions in Indigenous Australia.
ANU Press.
Guzman, J. and et.al., 2015. Economic evaluation of occupational health and safety programmes
in health care. Occupational medicine, 65(7), pp.590-597.
Herring, S., 2013. The intersection of trauma, racism, and cultural competence in effective work
with aboriginal people: Waiting for trust.Australian Social Work. 66(1). pp.104-117.
Herring, S., Spangaro, J., Lauw, M. and McNamara, L., 2013. The intersection of trauma,
racism, and cultural competence in effective work with aboriginal people: Waiting for
trust. Australian Social Work. 66(1). pp.104-117.
Hughes, P. and Ferrett, E., 2011. Introduction to health and safety at work. Routledge.
Johnstone,
Hyatt, A.E., 2013. Healing through culture for incarcerated aboriginal people. First Peoples
Child & Family Review. 8(2). pp.40-53.
Kane, R. A. and Kane, R. L., 2013. Long-term care: Principles, programs, and policies.
Springer Publishing Company.
11

Karjalainen, K., Blencowe, T. and Lillsunde, P., 2012. Substance use and social, health and
safety-related factors among fatally injured drivers. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 45,
pp.731-736.
Kondo, M.C., South, E.C. and Branas, C.C., 2015. Nature-based strategies for improving urban
health and safety. Journal of Urban Health, 92(5), pp.800-814.
Leonard, S., 2013. The role of culture and traditional knowledge in climate change adaptation:
Insights from East Kimberley, Australia. Global Environmental Change. 23(3). pp.623-
632.
Lowes, L. and Hulatt, I., 2013. Involving service users in health and social care research.
Routledge.
Maclean, K., 2013. Healthy country, healthy people: An Australian Aboriginal organisation’s
adaptive governance to enhance its social–ecological system.Geoforum. 45. pp.94-105.
Martin, W.F., Lippitt, J.M. and Prothero, T.G., 2013. Hazardous waste handbook for health and
safety. Butterworth-Heinemann.
McCarthy, J. and Rose, P., 2010. Values-Based Health & Social Care: Beyond Evidence-Based
Practice. SAGE.
McKitterick, B., 2012. Recruiting, retaining and making the best use of social workers in adult social
care. Social Care and Neurodisability. 3(3). pp.116 – 121.
McNamara, B. J., 2014. Measuring psychological distress in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders Australians: a comparison of the K‐10 and K‐5.Australian and New Zealand
journal of public health. 38(6). pp.567-573.
Munn-Giddings, C. and Winter, R., 2013. A handbook for action research in health and social care.
Routledge.
Parker, R. and Milroy, H., 2014. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an
overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and
wellbeing principles and practice. 2. pp.25-38.
R., Bluff, E. and Clayton, A., 2012. Work Health and Safety Law and Policy. Thomson Reuters.
Ryan, L., 2012. Tasmanian Aborigines: a history since 1803.
12

Skinner, T.C., 2013. Comparative validation of self-report measures of negative attitudes
towards Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. Rural and remote health.
13(2). pp.1959-1.
Tong, A., 2013. Service providers’ perspectives, attitudes and beliefs on health services delivery
for Aboriginal people receiving haemodialysis in rural Australia: a qualitative study.
BMJ open. 3(10). pp. 358
Online
Cultural Safety ,2017. [Online].Available through:<http://www.vaccho.org.au/consultancy/cs/>.
[Accessed on 2 October 2017].
13