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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyOrganisation 1978, 1986). Clients who had experienced and enjoyedcomprehensive care in the past were confused about why such services werenot continuing. Deeper discussion and reflection identified that a majordifference between community development and holistic primary health caremodels and clinical/primary care models involved the level of clientparticipation in their own health care, and continuation of client contact. Incommunity development models, staff members engage with the samecommunity members and groups over a longer period of time, building (andsharing) skills and capacity, which can then be shared wider in community. Inclinical models there is a higher turn over of clients as they receive a serviceand then move on. One of the tensions at Gilles Plains was that clients whowere seeking ongoing contact and support (such as the women in Focus GroupOne) kept on returning to the clinic for repeated visits. This was viewed asmonopolising services and over servicing (AH Int. 3) by some healthprofessionals. Through our conversations, collaborative interpretations andanalysis, staff members began to recognise that the community women’sbehaviours may have been linked to seeking ongoing contact rather thanpurposefully ‘taking more than their share of services’ (AH Int. 3). Thisrealisation helped to defuse some of the antagonism toward local communitywomen, opening the way for new ways of working together.Busy complex clinics, very ill clients & vicarious traumaThe medical clinic was very successful but incredibly busy. Drop inappointments were soon changed to an appointment system and a seconddoctor was employed. A system where Aboriginal health workers saw andscreened all clients was established to help ensure more Adult Health Checks,Child Health Checks and chronic conditions monitoring were achieved. Manyclients to the health service were acutely ill and it was not unusual for thereceptionist to observe we had to call the ambulance again this week, forsomeone in clinic. They were that sick we sent them straight to hospital (AHD3). Most clinic clients had social, emotional and mental health concernsalongside acute and/or chronic illnesses. One staff member observed we don’thave any straight forward consults in this clinic; they are all really complex,needing lots of referrals and follow up (AH D6). The clinic was meeting client225