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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellygovernment funded community health service. Employees within mixedfunding programs often found conflicting agendas, and two bosses telling us todo two different things (AH Hp Int.2). Occasionally project funding would bestalled while ‘the state and federal government worked out how to worktogether’ as one employees described it (AH FG3).Developing health services within such a constantly changing healthenvironment, with few referral pathways and minimal support was challenging.Most staff members had not worked together before and were in the beginningstages of building effective working relationships with each other. With eachstaff change, this relationship building began again.Fears about workplace safety; how safe is this building and health service?In addition to the constant changes, staff members were also concerned abouttheir own physical health. As well as two managers becoming ill, three otheremployees were diagnosed with life threatening illnesses including cancers.Remaining staff members grieved and struggled to cope with the loss whilewondering if there was something wrong with the work place, if there was aphysical problem such as an unknown toxicity, or if a disgruntled communitymember had placed a curse on the health service (AH D3). This concernaffected their mental health and ability to function efficiently. With the highturn over of managers there was no one to monitor or nurture staff morale (AHD3).It’s been like trying to run before we can crawlAs evident from the vision statements, most staff members supported andrecognised a holistic view of women’s health, but their capacity to provide itwithin Gilles Plains and the wider health system was limited, leading tofeelings of frustration and unease.One participant said it’s been like trying to run before we can crawl, strugglingto meet clients’ very complex needs with only limited resources (AH M3). Oneof the original staff members expanded on this saying;Once we opened the doors it was like opening the flood gates. Peoplecame in expecting services. We were (and still are) short on staff,222