title: 'Talk, talk, cry, laugh': learning, healing and building an Aboriginal workforce to address family violence.
abstract: Sexual abuse and family violence are widespread and under-reported phenomena for which Aboriginal victims face even greater barriers to asking for and receiving assistance than do others in the community. There is a need for strategies to address abuse without disempowering and alienating Aboriginal people. A program developed by the New South Wales Health Education Centre Against Violence is addressing this issue at the same time as contributing towards a strengthened Aboriginal health workforce. The training program which is a 1-year qualification course has grown from a 52% rate of graduation in its first 6 years to 92%. Three practices in the classroom have contributed to this success. These are: (i) recognition of the emotional impact of the training and its links to participants own histories; (ii) providing space to address participants negative prior educational experiences; and (iii) further developing content on the recent sociopolitical history of Aboriginal people. These practices have strengthened this successful course, which is building a skilled workforce to provide accessible, culturally sensitive services for Aboriginal people experiencing abuse.
authors.affiliation: NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence, Locked Bag 7118, Parramatta BC, NSW 2150, Australia. marlene.lauw@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Marlene L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lauw
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spangaro
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.forename: Lorna D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: McNamara
mesh_terms: D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D054521:Cultural Competency; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000078329:Workforce