Improving the Service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through Innovative Practices Between Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers and Social Workers in Hospitals in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have suffered violence and extreme prejudice in every walk of life as a result of the European colonisation of Australia. We acknowledge the ongoing colonial legacy to this suffering and discuss how cultural safety is a solution to overcoming some elements of the disadvantages that still beset Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in terms of accessing health care. Accessible and culturally safe health services are critical in reducing health inequalities for First Nations’ people because of the burden of ill-health they experience. ‘Cultural safety’ in this context refers to approaches that strengthen and respectfully engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in mainstream services. Alongside holistic Indigenous health and primary prevention approaches, a broad range of medical, socio-cultural and allied health support is needed to alleviate these inequalities. In this article, we describe how the working relationship between Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers and Social Workers in public hospitals in Victoria, Australia, contributes to cultural safety, and thereby improves the quality of care and a reduction in discharges against medical advice by Aboriginal patients. We conclude that elements of this model may be applicable to improving care for First Nation peoples in other countries.