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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellyto just provide community development, clinical health is needed too. (AHMg Int.4)When asked if there was a community development worker and she replied;At present there is no one in that role, so it is about clinical people havingcommunity development skills. The APHCAP funding brings with it acertain mandate and this has been explained to that community group acouple of times but, they don’t really understand it. APHCAP was basedon the under-utilisation of Medicare. Specific funds are allocated topopulation health by the commonwealth, every thing we do, has to beabout increased access to health services, which is predominantlyclinical. It is very specific (AH Mg Int.4).One of the original Aboriginal health staff members offered another viewpointin an interview, saying;We are not equipped to handle the primary health care aspect. Under themedical, there are lots of social things that come up, but we can’t dealwith them, we have to refer them out. People come in and ask and we gono you have to go over here or there, and they get angry (AH Hp Int.3).Community anger and back lash was interpreted differently again by otherAboriginal health staff member who joined the service some time later. Shesaid;The community doesn’t like the change. I’d say this place started wrongby calling it a Neighbourhood house. Now it is turning more clinicalinstead of a Neighbourhood house and the community doesn’t like it. Asfar as they were concerned, they owned this place; they owned thisbuilding for years. So they are putting the word out, making it look bad.Now the health service is making rules.The community abuse the place; leave dirty dishes, food all over theplace. They abuse it. So the health service is really standing up for theirrights. They can still do their arts and craft here but one of the rules isthat they can’t use the conference room anymore, because the conferenceroom has material chairs and they are getting absolutely filthy. So theywill just use the kitchen (AH Hp Int.4).220