TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring self-determined solutions to service and system challenges to promote social and emotional wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
T2 - a qualitative study
AU - Dawson, Anna P.
AU - Warrior, Eugene
AU - Pearson, Odette
AU - Boyd, Mark A.
AU - Dwyer, Judith
AU - Morey, Kim
AU - Brodie, Tina
AU - Towers, Kurt
AU - Waters, Sonia
AU - Avila, Cynthia
AU - Hammond, Courtney
AU - Lake, Katherine J.
AU - Lampard, ‘Uncle’ Frank
AU - Wanganeen, ‘Uncle’ Frank
AU - Bennell, Olive
AU - Bromley, Darrien
AU - Shearing, Toni
AU - Rigney, Nathan
AU - Czygan, Schania
AU - Clinch, Nikki
AU - Pitson, Andrea
AU - Brown, Alex
AU - Howard, Natasha J.
PY - 2023/9/22
Y1 - 2023/9/22
N2 - Introduction: Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on Kaurna Country in northern Adelaide experience adverse health and social circumstances. The Taingiwilta Pirku Kawantila study sought to understand challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and identify solutions for the health and social service system to promote social and emotional wellbeing. Methods: This qualitative study applied Indigenous methodologies undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance and leadership. A respected local Aboriginal person engaged with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and service providers through semi-structured interviews and yarning circles that explored community needs and challenges, service gaps, access barriers, success stories, proposed strategies to address service and system challenges, and principles and values for service design. A content analysis identified the breadth of challenges in addition to describing key targets to empower and connect communities and optimize health and social services to strengthen individual and collective social and emotional wellbeing. Results: Eighty-three participants contributed to interviews and yarning circles including 17 Aboriginal community members, 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers, and 28 non-Indigenous service providers. They expressed the need for codesigned, strengths-based, accessible and flexible services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers with lived experience employed in organisations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and governance. Community hubs and cultural events in addition to one-stop-shop service centres and pre-crisis mental health, drug and alcohol and homelessness services were among many strategies identified. Conclusion: Holistic approaches to the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing are critical. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are calling for places in the community to connect and practice culture. They seek culturally safe systems that enable equitable access to and navigation of health and social services. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce leading engagement with clients is seen to safeguard against judgement and discrimination, rebuild community trust in the service system and promote streamlined access to crucial services.
AB - Introduction: Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on Kaurna Country in northern Adelaide experience adverse health and social circumstances. The Taingiwilta Pirku Kawantila study sought to understand challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and identify solutions for the health and social service system to promote social and emotional wellbeing. Methods: This qualitative study applied Indigenous methodologies undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance and leadership. A respected local Aboriginal person engaged with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and service providers through semi-structured interviews and yarning circles that explored community needs and challenges, service gaps, access barriers, success stories, proposed strategies to address service and system challenges, and principles and values for service design. A content analysis identified the breadth of challenges in addition to describing key targets to empower and connect communities and optimize health and social services to strengthen individual and collective social and emotional wellbeing. Results: Eighty-three participants contributed to interviews and yarning circles including 17 Aboriginal community members, 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers, and 28 non-Indigenous service providers. They expressed the need for codesigned, strengths-based, accessible and flexible services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers with lived experience employed in organisations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and governance. Community hubs and cultural events in addition to one-stop-shop service centres and pre-crisis mental health, drug and alcohol and homelessness services were among many strategies identified. Conclusion: Holistic approaches to the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing are critical. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are calling for places in the community to connect and practice culture. They seek culturally safe systems that enable equitable access to and navigation of health and social services. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce leading engagement with clients is seen to safeguard against judgement and discrimination, rebuild community trust in the service system and promote streamlined access to crucial services.
KW - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
KW - health and social services
KW - indigenous methodologies
KW - qualitative
KW - social and emotional wellbeing
KW - social determinants of health
KW - yarning circles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85173368617&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1165364
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1137563
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1206371
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1206371
M3 - Article
C2 - 37809004
AN - SCOPUS:85173368617
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 1206371
ER -