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48 JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 1 2017 Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology
Indigenous Australians, fosters an understanding of the
social determinants of health, and incorporates cultural
awareness training, cultural safety training including time
to reflect, and training in the use of linguistic and cultural
interpreters and in intercultural collaborative practice.
As clinicians and researchers we need to collaborate in
the development of culturally responsive assessment and
intervention tools, resources and service delivery models
that recognise and build on the strengths of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples. By challenging our own
assumptions about the world, we can celebrate how much
we can learn and benefit from our colleagues and clients
and be enriched through the insights they may share about
Indigenous ways of learning and being.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge: permission to access to
resources through Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA);
discussions and references provided by Anne Lowell
(Charles Darwin University), Amanda O’Keefe (Royal Darwin
Hospital) and Michelle Lincoln (University of Sydney). The
participation of all these professionals has richly added to
this conversation.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2011). Census of
population and housing: Characteristics of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Australians . 2076.0. Canberra:
ABS.
Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council NSW.
(2016). What we do. Retrieved from .
au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Ite
mid=2
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2013). Agency
multicultural plan 2013–15 Multicultural access and equity
policy: Respecting diversity, improving responsiveness .
Retrieved from
default/files/document/publication/commission_amp2013-
15.pdf
Australian Pschological Society. (2016). Australian
Psychological Association apologises to Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people. Retrieved from
releases/15September2016/
Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). (2014). Online
mentoring program. Canberra: Author.
Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). (2015). Cultural
responsiveness in action: An IAHA framework. Canberra:
Author.
Cooke, M. (Ed.). (1996). Contemporary uses of aboriginal
languages research project. Aboriginal languages in
contemporary contexts: Yolngu Matha at Galiwin’ku.
Batchelor, NT: Batchelor College.
Dew, A., Bulkeley, K., Veitch, C., Bundy, A., Gallego,
G., Lincoln, M., … Griffiths, S. (2012). The need for new
models for delivery of therapy intervention to people with a
disability in rural and remote areas of Australia. Journal of
Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 37(March), 50–53.
Dew, A., Bulkeley, K., Veitch, C., Bundy, A., Lincoln, M.,
Glenn, H., … Brentnall, J. (2014). Local therapy facilitators
working with children with developmental delay in rural and
remote areas of western New SouthWales, Australia: The
“Outback” service delivery model. Australian Journal of
Social Issues, 49(3), 310–328.
Lowell, Amanda O’Keefe personal communication). IAHA
highlights the importance of having both health workers and
health services available in rural and remote communities
(IAHA, 2015). Culturally responsive services and
interventions take time to design and implement.
Models of care
Increasingly, research has shown that Indigenous
Australians working within their own communities and
groups have the skills to bridge gaps and increase
successful outcomes. A number of strategies have been
suggested to improve the accessibility of services for
Australian Indigenous people (Australian Human Rights
Commission, 2013). Strategies include: embedding
services within local communities; employing Indigenous
staff; developing the cultural competency of non-Indigenous
staff; developing links and partnerships with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities and Indigenous
organizations; improving the availability, provision and
distribution of meaningful and relevant information;
providing culturally relevant practice especially in planning,
assessment and case management and support phases.
Many programs with Indigenous Australian liaison officers/
allied health professionals and training of Indigenous
Australian community members have produced sustainable
and ongoing successful outcomes for individuals and
groups (Dew et al., 2012; Dew et al., 2014). SLPs engaging
in “fly-in fly-out” or “drive-in drive-out” models of service
need to reflect carefully if considering engaging with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities briefly,
inconsistently and/or on a short-term basis on the balance
between “doing good” and the potential of “doing harm” if
these strategies are unable to be followed through.
Our challenge
What do SLPs, aspiring to build culturally responsive ethical
speech-language pathology services, need to consider?
Firstly, we need to acknowledge that we need to do more.
We should respect of Australia’s First Peoples history,
cultures, languages and beliefs and make the commitment
to collaboratively build culturally responsive speech-
language pathology services. This goal needs to come from
the levels of individuals, services and organisations.
As a professional association we should aspire to
proactive and collaborative planning with Indigenous
Australians, government planners and policy-makers in
a conscious effort to move towards more accessible,
culturally responsive speech-language pathology service
provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
wherever they are living in Australia. Increasing our own
self- awareness, respect and proactive work in this area
can pave the way for ongoing positive actions into the
future. We need to advocate for time and adequate funding
to build consistent collaborative, respectful, trusting
relationships and negotiate culturally competent service
delivery.
Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Speech Pathology
Australia, and many other organisations have made this
commitment and continue to agitate for action. A recent
example of “saying it out loud” at an organisational level
is the University of Sydney’s commitment to incorporating
cultural competence at a whole-of-university level, and
within their strategic plan (University of Sydney, 2016).
In-depth and specific training is needed for SLPs across
Australia that acknowledges the historical context for