Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellyinformed choice themselves. I invited her to participate and add culturalperspectives during the contraception discussion, so that we could have anopen and frank discussion. She found my suggestions acceptable, and thesession progressed with her input.In mid 2002, I was invited to return to Gilles Plains to provide a “Just Chillin”holistic comprehensive primary health care stress reduction and well-beingprogram for the group. I encouraged the women to brainstorm what they wouldlike to do and together we developed a program for the following three months.The women chose aromatherapy, bush walking, sewing and craft work as wellas women’s health and parenting information. The resulting combination ofhealth promotion information and relaxing and productive activities were verywell received (Just Chillin Report, 2002).Learning about each other through Family Well-beingA Family Well-being course was planned for 2003. Family Well-being is a lifeskills capacity building and counselling course developed in conjunction withAboriginal communities. It focuses on recognising the effects of colonisation,conflict, violence and abuse, and aims to move participants from positions ofanger and conflict to negotiation and heart centred spirituality (Family WellBeing Group 1998). I indicated an interest in attending a Family Well-beingcourse, having heard about how positive and successful they were inaddressing deeper issues related to colonisation, grief and loss and communitydisharmony. The Aboriginal women and workers invited me to attend.When we returned the next year, the women and I discovered that unrelated butconcurrent health service and staff changes had resulted in the withdrawal ofsupport and resources for the women’s group by all three health agenciesinvolved. Child and youth health services had moved away from supportgroups to universal home visiting, the Aboriginal health team had centralisedand were increasingly focused on chronic conditions, and the Gilles Plainscommunity health experienced staff changes and a move away from supportingAboriginal parenting programs in anticipation of the new AboriginalNeighbourhood House opening on campus. The result was that only the fewwomen whose children still attended the local school and kindergarten, and/or164