Family Relationships Quarterly No.17

Introduction

Welcome to this special edition of Family Relationships Quarterly, focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.¹ This edition is one of the outcomes of a collaborative project between the Australian Family Relationship Clearinghouse and the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC), the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Two lead articles refer to the importance of healing to assist recovery from individual and collective trauma. Catherine Caruana summarises the literature on healing and healing services, and current Australian approaches to recognising and effecting personal, family and community healing. Steve Larkins, Chairperson of SNAICC, makes a case for the importance of cultural healing and cultural strength in promoting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Two program spotlights focus on the Healthy Family Circle Program and Yorgum Aboriginal Family Counselling Service as practice examples of social and emotional wellbeing services.

In other articles, Stephen Ralph explores key issues in providing family dispute resolution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Our Trends and Statistics article in this edition looks at indicators of socio-economic resources for Indigenous mothers compared to non-Indigenous mothers, and considers the limitations of demographic data in reflecting the lived experience of Indigenous families.

Resource reviews focus on SNAICC's new Working and Walking Together resource, which provides support for non-Indigenous family relationship services to work in culturally appropriate ways, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hub on the website of the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network (ACATLGN). Notes on the 2nd National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family and Community Strengths Conference look at some of the key presentations, and literature highlights focus on service responses to Indigenous healing.

We'd like to formally thank Mark Lawrence, Catriona Elek, Steve Larkins and the many other service providers and practitioners who were instrumental in helping us develop this special newsletter.

We hope you enjoy this edition. Feedback is always encouraged and very welcome, please contact AFRC

Elly Robinson, Manager AFRC

 

1     The terms "Aboriginal", "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander" and "Indigenous" are used throughout this edition, reflecting their use in associated literature, practices and services.