Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities

Project report

Ward, Raelene. 2009. Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities. Cairns, Australia. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Title

Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities

Report TypeProject report
Authors
AuthorWard, Raelene
EditorsWard, Raelene
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Page Range1-36
Number of Pages36
Year2009
PublisherAustralian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Place of PublicationCairns, Australia
Web Address (URL)http://www.crrmhq.com.au/pdfs/CRRMHQ%20NSPS%20Report%20for%20web.pdf
Abstract

The Building Bridges: Learning from the Experts report describes the implementation and findings of a community based suicide prevention initiative. The project aimed to use the experience and knowledge of the Yarrabah community as a model for other Indigenous communities for the establishment of effective and sustainable community-based approaches to building resilience, reducing suicide risk exposure and reducing self-harm. Several empowerment strategies had been developed in Yarrabah following a cluster of suicides in the 1990s (the Yaba Bimbie Men's Group, the Family Well Being Empowerment program and the Life Promotion Officer). Under the Building Bridges Project these strategies were employed within the communities of Hope Vale, Kowanyama and Dalby. Sharing of knowledge through formal events and informal communication provided a means by which the knowledge, skills and experience of each community was strengthened.
In order to enhance the understanding that informed these actions, an accompanying series of in depth interviews were undertaken which canvassed community members' perspectives and views about suicide. An Innovative IT/multimedia program, which was also grounded in community empowerment processes, complemented and provided a record of community experience which helped to inform community understandings of suicide and recovery.
In addition to documenting the implementation of this project, it also discusses the various challenges encountered which have valuable implications for future Indigenous community based suicide prevention programs that use an empowerment approach.

Keywordssuicide prevention; aboriginal men; indigenous health workers; self-harm; community empowerment
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020450499. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing not elsewhere classified
420603. Health promotion
420313. Mental health services
Public Notes

Raelene Ward received the Suicide Prevention Australia 2009 Life Award for her work on this project.
Also called : Learning from the experts: Building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities

Byline AffiliationsCentre for Rural and Remote Area Health
Book TitleBuilding Bridges
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q0v94/building-bridges-learning-from-the-experts-building-bridges-to-implement-successful-life-promotion-and-suicide-prevention-expertise-across-aboriginal-communities

Log in to edit

Download files

Published Version
Buildingbridges_2009_PV.pdf
File access level: Anyone

  • 2169
    total views
  • 456
    total downloads
  • 3
    views this month
  • 3
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

A low-cost, antimicrobial aloe-alginate hydrogel film containing Australian First Nations remedy ‘lemon myrtle oil’ (Backhousia citriodora) – Potential for incorporation into wound dressings
Seneviratne, Dinuki M., Raphael, Brooke, Whiteside, Eliza J., Windus, Louisa C.E., Kauter, Kate, Dearnaley, John D.W., Annamalai, Pratheep K., Ward, Raelene, Song, Pingan and Burey, Paulomi (Polly). 2024. " A low-cost, antimicrobial aloe-alginate hydrogel film containing Australian First Nations remedy ‘lemon myrtle oil’ (Backhousia citriodora) – Potential for incorporation into wound dressings." Heliyon. 10 (18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37516
Perspectives on improving wound care for Aboriginal health workers in rural and remote communities in Queensland, Australia
King, Helena, Whiteside, Eliza, Ward, Raelene, Kauter, Kate, Byrne, Martin, Horner, Vicki, Nutter, Helen and Lea, Jackie. 2024. "Perspectives on improving wound care for Aboriginal health workers in rural and remote communities in Queensland, Australia." BMC Health Services Research. 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11490-2
Exploring what GP registrars consider distinctive to consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: A mixed-methods study
Brumpton, Kay, Woodall, Hannah, Evans, Rebecca, Neill, Henry, Sen Gupta, Tarun, McArthur, Lawrie and Ward, Raelene. 2024. "Exploring what GP registrars consider distinctive to consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: A mixed-methods study." BMJ Open. 14 (5). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082137
Exploring how Australian general practice registrars define cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: a mixed method study
Brumpton, Kay, Woodall, Hannah, Evans, Rebecca, Neill, Henry, Sen Gupta, Tarun, McArthur, Lawrie and Ward, Raelene. 2024. "Exploring how Australian general practice registrars define cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients: a mixed method study." BMC Primary Care. 25 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02422-4
Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients: protocol for a mixed methods sequential embedded design study
Brumpton, Kay, Ward, Raelene, Evans, Rebecca, Neill, Henry, Woodall, Hannah, McArthur, Lawrie and Sen Gupta, Tarun. 2023. "Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Indigenous patients: protocol for a mixed methods sequential embedded design study." BMC Medical Education. 23 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04249-6
Embedding Authentic First Nations Content within Biomedical Science Curriculum
Myer, Sarah, Fossey, Uncle Wayne, Ward, Raelene and Whiteside, Eliza J.. 2022. "Embedding Authentic First Nations Content within Biomedical Science Curriculum." Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (2022). Perth, Australia Sydney, Australia.
A consistent definition of cultural safety within Australian health professional education: a scoping review
Brumpton, Kay, Evans, Rebecca, Ward, Raelene and Sen Gupta, Tarun. 2022. "A consistent definition of cultural safety within Australian health professional education: a scoping review." AlterNative: an international journal of indigenous peoples. 18 (3), pp. 436-444. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801221118950
The research higher degree journey for Aboriginal students
Best, Odette, Ward, Raelene, Johnston, Elizabeth and Easton, Caitlin. 2020. "The research higher degree journey for Aboriginal students." Trimmer, Karen, Hoven, Deborah and Keskitalo, Pigga (ed.) Indigenous postgraduate education: intercultural perspectives. Charlotte, United States. Information Age Publishing. pp. 179-189
Suicide prevention: exploring Aboriginal understandings of suicides from a social and emotional wellbeing framework
Ward, Raelene Marie. 2019. Suicide prevention: exploring Aboriginal understandings of suicides from a social and emotional wellbeing framework. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Southern Queensland. https://doi.org/10.26192/fabw-ct74
Retention of Indigenous pre-service teachers enrolled in an Australian regional university
Trimmer, Karen, Ward, Raelene and Wondunna-Foley, Linda. 2018. "Retention of Indigenous pre-service teachers enrolled in an Australian regional university." Teaching and Teacher Education. 76 (Special Issue), pp. 58-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.08.006
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emergency department utilisation in south-east Queensland
King, Helena, Ward, Raelene, King, Alexander B, Rahman, Muntasirur and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas. 2019. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emergency department utilisation in south-east Queensland ." King, H. (ed.) 15th National Rural Health Conference . Hobart, Australia 24 - 27 Mar 2019 15th National Rural Health Conference Proceedings .
Community controlled health services: what they are and how they work
Ward, Raelene, Fredericks, Bronwyn and Best, Odette. 2014. "Community controlled health services: what they are and how they work." Best, Odette and Fredericks, Bronwyn (ed.) Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care. Australia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 87-100
Racism, discrimination and health services to aboriginal people in South West Queensland
Ward, Raelene and Gorman, Don. 2010. "Racism, discrimination and health services to aboriginal people in South West Queensland." Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal. 34 (6), pp. 3-5.
Developing suicide prevention expertise with Aboriginal communities
Gorman, Don and Ward, Raelene. 2008. "Developing suicide prevention expertise with Aboriginal communities." Mental Health Nursing – A Broad Canvas: The Art of Mental Health Nursing in the Age of Technology and Science (2008). Melbourne, Australia 06 - 10 Oct 2008 Canberra, Australia. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00563.x