Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T02:26:16.371Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

TeaH (Turn ‘em around Healing): a therapeutic model for working with traumatised children on Aboriginal communities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2019

Michelle Moss Open the ORCID record for Michelle Moss [Opens in a new window]  and
Anthony Duwun Lee
Michelle Moss*
Affiliation:
Health Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Northern Territory, Australia
Anthony Duwun Lee
Affiliation:
Flinders University CDU Campus, College of Health and Human Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Michelle Moss, Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Aboriginal children in Australia are over-represented in both the child protection and juvenile justice systems. Using Western therapeutic models of practice with Aboriginal people who live in remote communities can be highly problematic. Moreover, the historical legacy of past and present legislation, government interventions and racist service provision needs to be acknowledged and addressed prior to any service implementation. This paper presents a therapeutic model of practice that incorporates Aboriginal concepts of healing and spirit within a creative therapeutic framework. It will demonstrate how the model works through principles of community engagement and capacity building, enabling the provision of a culturally derived therapeutic intervention that involves a synergy of both Aboriginal- and Western-based healing practices. The findings from the implementation of the TeaH model affirm the need to incorporate Aboriginal concepts of healing, spirit and creative therapies into mainstream practice with Aboriginal people.

Keywords

Traumahealingtherapeutic servicesremote communitiesmedical modelspirit
Type
AFC Conference Paper
Information
Children Australia , Volume 44 , Issue 2: Special Conference Issue – The Neuroscience of Trauma and Development in The Everyday , June 2019 , pp. 55 - 59
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atkinson, J. (2013). Trauma-informed services and trauma-specific care for indigenous Australian children (Resource Sheet no. 21). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/e322914f-ac63-44f1-8c2f-4d84938fcd41/ctg-rs21.pdf.aspx?inline=true.Google Scholar
Attorney-General for Australia. (2016). Royal commission into the protection and detention of children in the Northern Territory. Canberra: Government of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Government, Department of Health. (2013). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy. Canberra: Australian Government.Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2015). Australia’s welfare 2015 (Australia’s Welfare Series no. 12, cat. no. AUS189). Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/692fd1d4-0e81-41da-82af-be623a4e00ae/18960-aw15.pdf.aspx?inline=true.Google Scholar
Bowen, D. (2016). In People Culture Environment (Ed.), The Elders report into preventing indigenous self-harm and youth suicide (pp. 28–29). Retrieved from http://www.cultureislife.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Elders-Report.pdf.Google Scholar
Brady, K., Killeen, K., Brewerton, T., & Lucerini, S. (2000). Comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 61(Suppl. 7), 22–32.Google ScholarPubMed
Burnie, R. (2019). Aboriginal healers treat patients alongside doctors and nurses at Lyell McEwin Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-20/aboriginal-healers-treat-patients-alongside-doctors-and-nurses/10826666.Google Scholar
Carroll, W., & Greano, M. (2013). Neoliberal hegemony and the organisation of consent. In Fisher, R. (Ed.), Capitalism, democracy and the organisation of consent (pp. 121–134). London: Corporate Watch.Google Scholar
Case, C., & Dalley, T. (1992). The handbook of art therapy. London: Tavistock/Routledge.Google Scholar
Clarke, S. (2005). The neoliberal theory of society. In Saad-Filho, A., & Johnston, D. (Eds.), Neoliberalism: A critical reader (pp. 50–59). London: Pluto Press.Google Scholar
Coburn, D. (2000). Income inequality, social cohesion and the health status of populations: The role of neo-liberalism. Social Science & Medicine, 51(1), 135–146. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00445-1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Commonwealth of Australia. (2017). National strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health and social and emotional wellbeing, 2017–2023. Retrieved from https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/mhsewb-framework_0.pdf.Google Scholar
Crime and Misconduct Commission. (2004). Protecting children: An inquiry into abuse of children in foster care. Brisbane: CMC.Google Scholar
Dawes, D. (2007). Risks of reintergration: Young offenders perceptions of making the transition back to their communities, overcoming violence and poverty. Paper presented at the CROCCS 5th International Conference, Airlie Beach.Google Scholar
Dudgeon, P. (2015). Introduction. In People Culture Environment (Ed.), The Elders report into preventing Indigenous self-harm and youth suicide (pp. 6–7). Retrieved from http://www.cultureislife.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Elders-Report.pdf.Google Scholar
Garond, L. (2014). The meaningful difference of ‘Aboriginal dysfunction’ and the neoliberal ‘mainstream’. eTropic, 13(2), 7–19.Google Scholar
Gatekeeper. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gatekeeper.Google Scholar
Guthridge, S., He, V., & Silburn, S. (2017). A statistical overview of children’s involvement with the NT child protection system. Darwin, NT: Centre for Child Development and Education, Menzies School of Health Research.Google Scholar
Harvey, D. (2007). A brief history of neoliberalism. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Healing Foundation. (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healing programs: A literature review. Retrieved from http://healingfoundation.org.au/wordpress/wpcontent/files_mf/1392087179ATSIHFLitreview.pdf.Google Scholar
Kazi, M. A. F. (Ed.) (2003). Realist evaluation in practice. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781849209762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malchiodi, C. (1999). Medical art therapy with children. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Marsh, T., Cote-Meek, S., Young, N., Najavits, L., & Toulouse, P. (2016). Indigenous healing and seeking safety: A blended implementation project for intergenerational trauma and substance use disorders. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 7(2), 2–12. doi: 10.18584/iipj.2016.7.2.3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCallum, S. (2010). Annual report on SARC MOS child and family forums and community practice forums. Unpublished report for the Federal Governement, Canberra.Google Scholar
Mental Health Council of Australia. (2014). Submission to the National Mental Health Commission’s review of mental health programs and services. Retrieved from https://mhaustralia.org/sites/default/files/docs/mhca_submission_to_the_nmhcs_review_of_existing_mental_health_programs_and_services_june_2014.pdf.Google Scholar
Moss, M., Faulkner, K., & Horwood, K. (2009). Mobile outreach service report to the Australian Government of Health and Aging, Annual report 2008–2009. Unpublished report for the Federal Government, Canberra.Google Scholar
Moss, M., & Lee, A. (2017). Turn ‘em around good way: TeaH a therapeutic model for working with traumatised children from Indigenous communities. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 20(3), 15–26.Google Scholar
Northern Territory Government. (2007). Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle: Little children are sacred—Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. Retrieved from http://www.inquirysaac.nt.gov.au/pdf/bipacsa_final_report.pdf.Google Scholar
Office of Children and Families. (2013). Responding to childhood trauma in remote Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory: An internal evaluation of the Mobile Outreach Service Plus. Retrieved from https://childdetentionnt.royalcommission.gov.au/NT-public-hearings/Documents/evidence-2017/evidence30june/Exh-662-047.pdf.Google Scholar
Perry, B. D. (2006). Applying principles of neurodevelopment to clinical work with maltreated and traumatized children: The neurosequential model of therapeutics. In Webb, N. B. (Ed.), Working with traumatized youth in child welfare (pp. 27–52). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Peters, R., Tjilari, A., & Ginger, T. (2010). Healing-traditional healing in Central Australia: Ngangkari work-Anangu way. Paper presented at the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care National Conference Healing in Practice, Alice Springs.Google Scholar
Price-Robertson, R., & McDonald, M. (2011). Working with Indigenous children, families, and communities: Lessons from practice (Child and Family Community Australia Practice Sheet). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Family Studies https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/ps6.pdf.Google Scholar
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision. (2014). Overcoming indigenous disadvantage: Key indicators 2014. Canberra: Productivity Commission.Google Scholar
SuccessWorks. (2011). Evaluation of the NT MOS projects: Final evaluation report. Retrieved from https://childdetentionnt.royalcommission.gov.au/NT-public-hearings/Documents/evidence-2017/evidence30june/Exh-662-043.pdfGoogle Scholar
Tilley, N. (2000). Realistic evaluation: An overview. Paper presented at the Founding Conference of the Danish Evaluation Society.Google Scholar
Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Mind, brain and body in the treatment of trauma. New York: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Wolfe, P. (2006). Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native. Journal of Genocide Research, 8(4), 387–409. doi: 10.1080/14623520601056240CrossRefGoogle Scholar