Developing a culturally safe and responsive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduate pathway
Corrine Butler1, Paul Gibson2, Liza-Jane McBride1, Rachel Doolan2, Sadhana Seriamlu2 1Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia2Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Abstract
Introduction:
First Nations people remain underrepresented across all allied health professions collectively representing less than 1.2% of Queensland’s allied health workforce*. Recruiting and retaining a First Nations health workforce continues to be a significant challenge due to known barriers such as culturally unsafe workplaces and systemic racism. A collaboration between the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer and the First Nations Health Division within Queensland Health, and Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), has developed an Allied Health First Nations Graduate Pathway to create a supportive pathway for transition to practice within Queensland Health, with a focus on rural and remote services.
Methods:
A codesign approach utilising semi-structured yarning, one on one interviews and interactive feedback sessions was undertaken with stakeholders to identify the barriers and enablers to achieving First Nations allied health workforce growth, understand the necessary cultural supports required, and establish the core elements of the Pathway to create a comprehensive workforce and service support model that builds individual and organisational cultural capability and responsiveness.
Results:
Core components of the Pathway include program guidelines regarding organisational cultural safety and readiness, a structured training and development plan that leverages existing workforce development strategies including the IAHA Leadership Program and the Allied Health Rural Generalist Pathway, and culturally responsive mentoring and cohort support structures.
Summary:
This presentation will provide reflections on the approach, key learnings and considerations in the establishment of a pipeline model of workforce growth for early career First Nations allied health clinicians.
References:
*Department of Health and Ageing. (2020). National Health Workforce Data Set- Australian Born Indigenous and Professions by Year by Workforce Status [dataset]. Retrieved from: https://hwd.health.gov.au/
Biography
Corrine is a proud Aboriginal woman. She has over 13 years experience delivering occupational therapy services and is currently an Advanced Workforce Officer for the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer, Queensland Health.
Paul is a non-Indigenous man who has lived and worked on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country for over two decades. With a public health background, Paul is currently the Executive Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Indigenous Allied Health Australia and has a developed a strong track record in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and education policy and programmes.