ID: HR19-59
Presenting author: Gaby Bruning
Gaby Bruning
Issue-
Colonisation, dispossession of land, massacres, and forced removal policies, has had a grave and lasting negative effect on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This has been compounded by racism which itself has been shown to be a determinant of health and a risk factor for illness. The interconnected issues of cultural dislocation, personal trauma and the ongoing stresses of disadvantage, racism, alienation and exclusion can all contribute to a heightened risk of mental health problems, harmful AOD use and suicide.
Setting & Project-
I am the Aboriginal Alcohol & Other Drug Clinician for the Aboriginal Health Team. My service includes counselling, crisis management, and referral pathways. The aims of my work is to create smooth pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to comfortably, and confidently access mainstream health services in relation to substance use, and mental health.
I am based in Healesville which is a small semi-rural town outside of Melbourne, Australia. In the 2016 Census, the population was recorded as 7461, with 274 being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is 3.7% of the Healesville population.
Alcohol, and other substances are rife within Aboriginal community. The client’s that I see use predominantly alcohol, or methamphetamines (Ice). Ice use within Aboriginal is prevalent, and problematic given the effects it has on the brain, and compounds any mental illness they may have.
Outcomes and Implications-
Barriers I face is that even though I am an Aboriginal woman, working within community I have to be mindful that this is not my community and there are unspoken values that I must respect. Another barrier is that due to men’s and women’s business, there are at times where it is inappropriate for me to work with males.