Section H
SUPPORTING ABORIGINAL WORKER WELLBEING

Employing and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in your organisation.

There are a number of frameworks that can be adapted to and/or have already been designed for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. This reference guide can be utilized to help build a specific mentoring program for individual organisations to help support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the workforce.

• an online mentoring training kit and is an independent self –paced learning program.
• links to other online resources about the mentoring process.
• an electronic mentoring forum in which members participating in the mentoring process can connect and discuss useful questions, scenarios or support each other.
• Where possible, some mentors and mentees may have an opportunity to meet face to face regularly or on occasions like the IAHA conference or AGM

This report explains a model for providing culturally appropriate supervision to the Aboriginal alcohol and other drug (AOD), and social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) workforce. The model is based on the needs of these workers who often face difficult situations in the community, such as working with their own family and friends.

The report includes information on:

• different types of supervision;
• results from consultations with workers;
• the supervision model;
• training options;
• resources and references.

This report is one of three key resources produced as part of the Our Healing Ways project. It was developed by the Victorian Dual Diagnosis Initiative (VDDI) Education and Training Unit and funded by the Mental Health, Drugs and Regions Division of the Department of Health Victoria.

These four TIP Sheets have been written specifically for Indigenous alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers to help them enhance their wellbeing and prevent stress and burnout. They can be used either as a package or individually.

The TIP sheets are part of the Feeling Deadly, Working Deadly: Indigenous AOD Worker Wellbeing suite of resources that have been produced by the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University to enhance Indigenous worker wellbeing and reduce work-related stress. The resources were developed following a review of relevant literature; and an extensive consultation process involving public submissions, a national on-line survey, interviews and focus groups.

This literature review was commissioned by the Director of Unifam, Clive Price, to inform the development of training courses for Aboriginal staff in Uniting Care Children, Young People & Families (UCCYPF) who have supervision roles; and to consider how all UCCYPF supervisors can provide effective support to Aboriginal staff.

This paper was written as a follow on from group discussions in the Western Sydney Aboriginal Women’s Leadership Program about social and professional issues and challenges faced by many Aboriginal workers in the community sector, and the support that is needed to address these issues.

This resource kit provides information for people who are working together to realise the goals established by the Improving Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients (ICAP) reform. They include hospital executives and managers with responsibility for, and interest in, improving Aboriginal health programs.

SECTION 3: ORIENTATION AND INFORMATION FOR HEALTH SERVICE MANAGERS at page 89 provides information on human resources management including information on supervision of Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers and cross cultural issues that may arise.