Access to health services is vital to the well-being of our communities and for future generations.

Aboriginal health research capacity building projectBila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation Health Service and University of Technology Sydney

6th WHRN Symposium Dubbo on 19th June 2019Wellbeing in the West: Growing research from the ground up

What happens here ….. doesn’t always happen there

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this presentation may contain images of people who have passed away.

Yiradhu MarangYuwindhu DyawaadiNgadhu banhigu gulbarraWiradjuri mainygalang nganguNgurambangga nginha ngangirradhurinya gayiMandaang guwuWudhagabinya

Translation“Good day, I am named Josie, I’d like to acknowledgeWiradjuri people whose specialCountry this meeting Is being held onThank You for listening”

I would also like to pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging, traditional custodians here today and our Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal colleagues.The acknowledgement of Country in Wiradjuri was taught to me byAuntie Iris Reid, Elder and Wiradjuri teacher, NSWTAFE here in Dubbo

as part of the Wiradjuri Language for Personal Use Level 1 Certificate Course.

Gulbarra Ngurambang-gu (Acknowledgement of Country) and Introductions

Bila Muuji Bila Muuji in Wiradjuri language means ‘River Friends’.

Girra Maa in Wiradjuri language means ‘to be lively, active’. Girra Maa is the Indigenous Health Discipline in the Graduate School of Health

Partnership formed in 2018 with a vision to inspire more ethical, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led research in the future

The partnership

Bila Wambuul, Dubbo NSW Photo: J Newton 2019

1. “being better skilled in designing, conducting and conveying research may lead to

stronger evidence about the effectiveness of ACCHOs operations. This may contribute to

greater community control of health, as well as strategic partnerships to improve health”

2. ‘partnerships that comprise a ‘two-way street’, allowing ACCHS staff the opportunity to

gain practical research skills…… constitutes an achievable strategy to boost Aboriginal

research capacity in the sector, and with research institutions‘ (this quote from Young et al 2018)

Background

Bila Wambuul, Dubbo NSW Photo: J Newton 2019

Consider……If Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) people set priorities and direct research …..

end-users are engaged in research processes;

partnerships between stakeholders are established;

the capacity of Aboriginal people to direct and manage research and of non-Aboriginal

people to work with Aboriginal people is strengthened;

and there are clear strategies for research transfer, which will result in

more useful research, more ethical practice, and the utilisation of research to produce

improvements in Aboriginal health and wellbeing (Laycock et al. 2011).

What we did

Gathered information to inform project

activities

Developed Activities

Transferred knowledge

1. To help demonstrate what Bila Muuji’s role is in longer-term research

development, and why; and

2. To demonstrate the uniqueness of Bila Muuji’s regional model and

framework to strengthen its research position.

Aims of the project

Wiradjuri Dreaming Place, Forbes NSW Photo: J Newton 2019

Key guidelines and resources

Gathering information

to inform project

activities

1. Engaged with CEO Bila Muuji

2. Reviewed Lowitja Institute Material

3. Aligned with AHMRC

4. Held informal yarns with staff

5. Audit of research underway

6. Needs assessment of research requirements for

member organisations underway

7. Outcomes of the engagement

What we did

1. ‘Research is critical to our service and leading the way’2. ‘We need to be able to say why we need to do research –

our people don’t know’3. ‘There needs to be consistency on positions’4. ‘Knowledge translation capability and capacity should be

seen as an organisational activity’5. ‘we have been used’ (…to facilitate academic career

progression), ‘research has stigmatised the community’6. ‘lack of benefit on the ground’

What they said - Informal yarns with stakeholders regarding the value of research and its purpose – on an organisational and individual level –

1. Review literature and programs on research capacity building

2. Look at other workforce development initiatives

3. Look at key steps in research capacity building activities and develop an online resource – an educational research primer

4. Keeping the UTS and Bila Muuji Board up to date on progress of the project

Developed Activities

1. Review literature and programs on Aboriginal health research capacity building

“I used to think that research was bad and it’s still considered a dirty word to many Aboriginal people. Too much research in the past was done ‘on’ Aboriginal people that didn’t benefit people at all. Usually the only benefits went to the non-Aboriginal researchers and academics. Aboriginal people received very little in return for their time, knowledge and valuable contribution to the research”.

“When you are interviewing people you get a lot of questions not just answers. One of the highlights is that we had a lot of the knowledge to be able to answer the questions at the time of the interview. This was really important as it was a way of giving back straight away, a way of being able to provide immediate action or advice”

Comments from Community researchers and Aboriginal Health Worker researchers (Kelly et. al, 2012)

Sharing for the future

1. Currently devising a strategy for developing and receiving feedback of products based on the literature, experience and meetings

2. Outputs may be:. Research register – maintained by Bila Muuji . Research proposal assessment suite consisting of :. Guideline, Proposal Form, Internal assessment checklist, Research Policy and Position Statement

3. Successful research partnerships; and4. Look at what skills broadly need developing.

What’s next for us

Mandaang guwu – Thank you

Coonamble Aboriginal Health ServiceDubbo Aboriginal Medical ServiceOrange Aboriginal Medical ServiceWalgett Aboriginal Medical ServiceBrewarrina Aboriginal Medical ServiceYoorana Gunya Family Healing Centre Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation Bila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation Health Service

Special thanks to members of Bila Muuji, member services and their staff

and Dr Alice Munro, and members of the Western Health Research Network (WHRN)for allowing us the opportunity to share our work with you today

For more information please contact:Josie NewtonProject Manager and Research AssociateBila Muuji Aboriginal Health Corporation ServicesJosie.newton@uts.edu.au

Dr Megan WilliamsHead, Indigenous Studies, Girra Maa, UTSMegan.Williams@uts.edu.au

For more information please contact:

This public artwork is by Matt Adnate– located just up the road on the corner of Church and Talbragar Streets, Dubbo. To find out more go to:* https://boomdubboart.wordpress.com/

Will my appeal for practical humanity be in vain?