Engaging with a Local Aboriginal Community

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• Engaging with a Local Aboriginal Community
• Alex Swain
• Aboriginal Health Workshop - August 2009

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Ten steps to a successful mainstream/Indigenous
collaborative project

• Community initiated
• Identifying the partners and formalising
  partnerships
• Supportive work environments
• Cultural awareness

• A long time-frame
• Building trust
• Valuing each other
• Get educated
• Good planning
• Useful product

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Places to start..

• Aboriginal Health organisations
• Other Aboriginal organisations
• Area Health Service (Aboriginal Health Units)
• Local Elders / community member
• GP NSW

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Area Health Service Contacts
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Resources to Support Divisions

• NSW Health
• Communicating Positively
• Provides guidance on appropriate language to be
  used when working with Aboriginal people and
  communities or developing policies and programs.
• www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/abterminology.html
  

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Resources to Support Divisions
DoCS Working with Aboriginal Communities A
Practical Resource The resource was developed
to improve service delivery to Aboriginal people
by providing key facts and information relevant
to working with Aboriginal communities in NSW.
www.community.nsw.gov.au and search Aboriginal
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Resources to Support Divisions
Community Cultural Development NSW Respect
Acknowledge Listen Practical Protocols for
working with the Indigenous Community of Western
Sydney www.ccdnsw.org/ccdnsw/pdf/protocols.pdf
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Useful websites

• NSW Aboriginal Land Council www.alc.org.au
• Reconciliation Australia www.reconciliation.org.au
  

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• Questions?