Community control

Session Nr.1: "Redefining Aboriginal Community Control and shifting the power back into Aboriginal and Torres Starit"

Aboriginal Community Control has taken shape in Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in a way that excludes many communities, organisations, families and children.  The current definition originating from the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is proscriptive and used heavily by governments. 

The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak Limited (QATSICPP) consulted with its Member Organisations and community members in order to redefine Aboriginal Community Control in a more practical and holistic manner inclusive of everyone.  Additionally, the redefining of Aboriginal Community Control and the consultations sought to put the power back into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children to determine their futures and be recognised as being best placed to care, nurture and protect their children emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. 

This presentation will discuss and provide the findings and the proposed definition of Aboriginal Community Control, which both will be presented to Australian governments in order to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to both determine their futures and furthermore, access funding that is currently going to non-Aboriginal organisations that claim to service Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children.

Session Nr.2: "Conceptualization of Cultural Competence and family Involvement: comparing social work in indigenous communities"

We present a qualitative comparative study of social work in indigenous communities in Norway and Montana. A total of 39 social workers and stakeholders in Sami communities in Sápmi (the land of the Sami’s) in Norway and Native American communities in Montana participated. In Norway, we held six focus group interviews. In Montana, we held six focus group interviews and four individual interviews.

In the study we ask, 1) how social work professionals conceptualize family involvement and cultural competence? 2) What can we learn about cultural competence from professionals working outside mainstream social work?

Findings:

1) Both in Norway and Montana the social workers aim to involve families in their practice. They find closeness to community and culture significant for family involvement. Native American experience that historical trauma affects family life, and stress the need to address the trauma in social work practice. In social work in Sápmi, the correlation between history of assimilation and suppression and problems today are less articulated.

2) Social workers in Sámpi say that community knowledge is central in development of methods for involvements of families. They also describe that professionality is closeness. This might broaden our view of professional as being objective and keeping distance. In Montana, social workers stress that tribal tradition and historical trauma need to be central in development of methods for involvement of families. 

Session Nr.3: "What did the community say? Remote Aboriginal Organizations and student placements"

This presentation presents findings from a pilot project undertaken by RMIT Social Work, The Centre for Remote Health, Katherine, the Katherine NAIDOC Committee, Banatjarl Wumins Council and Mission Australia, Katherine in 2014. The pilot model was based on a model informed by reciprocity and community recruitment where local organisations identified strategic community projects without funding, that could be undertaken by final year social work students.

A qualitative methodology was chosen to facilitate the gathering of data from the key stakeholders in the pilot project. It was a small exploratory study to identify, from all stakeholders perspectives (community representatives participating in the student projects, the placement students, the universities and the organisational task supervisors) their different understandings and perspectives about the pilot project. An ethics application was granted (RMIT HREC 19654) and an RMIT small grant was successful to fund the employment of a local research assistant.

All stakeholders valued the opportunity to be a part of this pilot project and participate in the reciprocal learning that occurred.  From the analysis a number of themes were identified including:

1. Community control and contribution to community
2. The value of the project for student learning
3. The process of student recruitment

This presentation will provide an overview of the learning and the outcomes to the community of the student’s placements.