POCHE CENTRE FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, ADELAIDE

OVERVIEW, CURRENT WORK AND FUTURE

PLANS

DENNIS MCDERMOTT, WENDY EDMONDSON, MONICA LAWRENCE AND TAMARA MACKEAN

POCHE NETWORK MEETING 4TH – 5TH JULY 2013

 

WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?

• Build the health workforce participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Australians

• Strengthen the capability of both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous components of the Indigenous health workforce

• Increase Indigenous researcher capacity• Refine and pursue a strategic research agenda• Innovate in, and Indigenise, Indigenous mental

health and well-being research

WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?

• Further a decolonising scholarship based on Indigenous knowledge and perspectives

• Advocate for social justice, and• Through all the above, contribute significantly to

improved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, particularly to stronger social, spiritual and emotional well-being.

IN SHORT

• Selective, strategic research agenda, with a special focus on Mental health / social, spiritual and emotional well-being

• Building overall workforce capability • Recruiting, then supporting to graduation,

more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

• Enhancing Indigenous researcher capacity

WHO ARE WE?• Prof Dennis McDermott, Director • Associate Prof Wendy Edmondson, Deputy Director• Dr Tamara Mackean, Senior Research Fellow (0.6)• Monica Lawrence, Senior Lecturer• Courtney Ryder, Lecturer• Dave Sjoberg, Associate Lecturer • Bevin Wilson, Associate Lecturer• Dr Annabelle Wilson, Lowitja Institute Link Person /

Research Associate (0.2)• Dr Anthea Krieg, Adjunct Senior Lecturer• Di Autio, Administrative Officer (0.6)

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

• Maximise the intake of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into Faculty courses

• Devise and provide tailored support • Develop processes that work to retain those

students to successful graduation

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION – WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

• Spurred by NT Medical Programme collaboratively developed alternative entry – Indigenous Entry Stream (IES)

• Work to extend IES to all Faculty courses• Collaboratively improve selection/preparation

for medicine• Student-centred support including liaison with

Yunggorendi and Flinders and Adelaide Medical Mentoring (FAIMM)

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION – WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

• Poche Scholarships - $25,000 pa• Southern Adelaide Local Health Network

(SALHN) Bonded Sponsorships - $25,000 pa

• Additional Scholarship support (Ross Kalucy, Michael Kidd)

• Poche Emergency Fund

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES – SO FAR

• Collaborate to improve pathways into tertiary study (‘Jobs for Health’)

• New Topics developed: Public Health, Health Sciences, new Nursing curriculum

• Within the MD extend Indigenous Health teaching and deepen student engagement

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES – SO FAR

• Ensure Flinders is a culturally safe environment (four workshops run)

• Developed new model public workshop / professional development activity:

‘Cultural Safety in Practice’

RESEARCH – CORE CONSIDERATIONS

• Effective Aboriginal health translational research only occurs at the interface of Indigenous knowledge and western medical knowledge– mutual respect, shared benefits, human dignity and

discovery• The research process should demonstrate community

engagement, true reciprocity and capacity building at multiple levels

• Research outputs have dissemination strategies and gatherings of relevance to Aboriginal peoples

RESEARCH – CORE CONSIDERATIONS

• The research approach actively uses Aboriginal definitions and understanding of health and well-being

• There must be proper appreciation of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal health professionals and Aboriginal researchers in programme of research

KEY RESEARCH THEMES • Workforce development (WD)• Social and emotional well-being (SSEWB)• Health services research (HSR)• Social determinants of Indigenous health and

health policy (SD/HP)• Maternal and child health (MCH)• Chronic disease diagnosis and management

(CD)

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN 2013• Research Audit and Strategic Research Meetings• Research projects – NHMRC; ARC, Faculty, cardiac care, immunisation• Grant applications – NHMRC Project Grant; NHMRC ECR Fellowship;

Lowitja Institute EOI; NHMRC partnership grant• Advocacy and partnership building (Southgate Institute; SAHMRI;

AHCSA; SA Health)• Strategic approach to building Centre’s track record and publications • NHMRC Reviews/Assessments• Developing a contemporary literature base (covers both Indigenous and

non-Indigenous knowledge of health and healing)• Increase number of Aboriginal research scholars

OUR PLANS

Extend current informal connections to a more structured programme of Elders on Campus.

Extend 'AKA …' (Aboriginal Knowledge in the Academy) Seminar Series on Indigenous knowledge and perspectives to inform fresh approaches

OUR PLANS

Forum: Indigenous Hearing Loss, Incarceration and Mental health – early 2014

Follow-up seminar (to successful Feb, 2012, Alice Springs) on Conceptualising and Assessing Aboriginal ‘Well-Being” (CRH / Poche, Alice Springs / CRC-REP, Menzies)

OUR PLANS

Conduct Pan-Indigenous Symposium and Roundtable Health Services, Racism and Indigenous Health : Tackling organisational and systemic barriers to change (21st-22nd November, 2013)

Develop and conduct (2014) When Early Childhood is the Key and Social Determinants are the Lock: A Pan-Indigenous Symposium

REACHING OUT

• Web-site up and running• Build on that with distinct Centre identity

and awareness of what we do• Strategic use of media to help shift/reframe

discourses around Indigenous health and gain entree into policy debates