Promising Practice Programs

Aboriginal Healing Project

Agency Department of Health WA
GPO box 134
Subiaco, WA 6904
Contact Dorinda Cox, Manager
Phone: 08 9340 2825
Fax: 08 9340 1068
Email: dorinda.cox@health.wa.gov.au
Funding source Funded through the Family Violence Partnership Programme (FVPP) which is a Family and Community Services Indigenous Affairs (FACSIA) programme.
Start date January 2006
End date January 2008
Program intention It is not intended to run this program again. The program has not been run previously.
Program description The two-year project, utilising combined State and Australian Government funds, will provide healing services to Indigenous individuals and families affected by family and domestic violence, and sexual violence, with the goal of measurably increasing safety and reducing harm within families.

The goals of this project include: increased sense of group cohesion, value and worth, identifying and agreeing collective actions which will heal the effects past suffering and harm; increased sense of safety in family and community groups; reduction in the incidence and experience of violence; and particularly - increased safety of children and women, and ultimately of all group members.
Program type
  • Community awareness, promotion, advocacy programs
  • Service delivery and therapeutic responses to victims/survivors
  • Indigenous service provision and training
Geographical area
  • Regional centre or town
  • Region - inner metropolitan
  • Rural
  • Region - outer metropolitan
Target group
  • Women victim/survivors of adult sexual assault
  • Adult survivors of child sexual abuse
  • Young people
  • Indigenous communities
  • School community
  • Children
Focus

What need in the community does the program meet?
Support and complement state and territory government initiatives addressing Indigenous family violence;
Build on the Australian Government’s commitment to tackling family violence in Indigenous communities;
Develop local solutions to issues that contribute to violence, such as alcohol and drug use, and address casual factors to family violence, particularly socio-economic and participatory issues, to effect sustainable change.

How did the program originate?
The project idea came from literature about healing, that if you commence healing in an Indigenous community it reduces the level of violence.
Development and innovation

Key resources informing the project include:

Atkinson, J. (2002). Trauma trails, recreating song lines : the transgenerational effects of trauma in Indigenous Australia. North Melbourne: Spinifex Press.

Breton, M. (1985). Reaching and engaging people: Issues and practice principles. Social Work with Groups, 8(3), 7-21.

Cunneen, C. & Libesman, T. (2000). Postcolonial trauma: The contemporary removal of Indigenous children and young people from their families in Australia. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 35(2), 99-115.

The project was also informed by reports such as ‘The Gordon Report’ (Gordon, S., Hallahan, K. & Henry, D. (2002). Putting the picture together: Inquiry into Response by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal Communities. WA Department of Premier and Cabinet, Perth), Breaking the silence: Creating the future, addressing child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities in NSW (NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce. (2006). Sydney: NSW Attorney General’s Department), and The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Task Force on Violence Report (Robertson, B. (2000). Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development, Queensland).

This is a new program.
Access and diversity

Has the program been diagnosed with a specific community in mind?
Indigenous women and children

What strategies have been attempted or have been successful in making the program accessible to this group?
Community consultation to develop the healing activities and the mapping of services in the planning stages have prevented the duplication of sevices.

Does the program engage with other agencies/services/individuals that respond to sexual assault? If so, how are they involved?
With the referrals to other agencies, the Project officers are able to create partnerships and promote AHP in their local area. This encourages the relationship and/or shared arrangements for servicing of clients.

Has the program been evaluated?
The mid project evaluation is finished (as at October, 2007). The templates aid us to compile both qualitative and quantitative data for the Project, and have shown that the Project is satisfying the key performance indicators. 

If the program has been designed for a particular group or community,  could it be replicated or useful for other groups or communities in responding to sexual assault? Briefly explain how.
This program could be replicated for any particular group of people or community, by consulting with the target group and planning the activities (as governed by the group) to heal the effects of trauma.

Concept - Historical and contemporary aspects of trauma must be taken in to context

  • One size doesn’t fit all for Indigenous sexual assault survivors
  • Encourage the use of alternative ways of servicing and working with survivors
  • Allow the power balance to be equal between all parties
  • Undertake evaluation of your service for Indigenous people
  • Engage Indigenous communities in the processes for service change
Program outcomes This program has not generated any publications.
This is a pilot program and is not available for others to use.

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