HLTAWOR002 — Work in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care

Elements & performance criteria

Performance evidence

• source information about: • two different definitions or explanations for each of the following: • health in general and for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health in particular • primary health care • principles of primary health care in general, and for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander care in particular • self-determination • cultural safety • one Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) and: • the range of primary health care services it provides • how the service collaborates with other health service providers to support its clients • two issues of significance in the post-colonisation history of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people that have impacted tradition, cultural practices and social structures • two historical or current government policies that have impacted Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people • key health statistics (national, or local state or territory) for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people covering three health conditions and comparison statistics for the non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population
• identify how this information can assist an understanding of community health issues and needs, and delivery of culturally safe health care, health education, advocacy and community development services
• during three work shifts, work within the scope of the job role in an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health service or centre and consistently: • work according to the principles of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care • show respect for local community values, beliefs and gender roles • communicate in culturally appropriate and safe ways • work according to organisational policies, regulatory requirements and community protocols • maintain confidentiality of client information.

Knowledge evidence

• definitions of health: • Aboriginal health as defined by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation • World Health Organization (WHO)
• for primary health care (PHC): • how this is defined for mainstream PHC services • how this is defined for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander PHC services including the definition expressed by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
• the role of AMS and Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Services, and why these services were initiated
• general scope and key aspects of AMS services provided including treatment and clinical care for illnesses, preventative care (population health), referral and support services, health education and promotion, advocacy and community development
• the role of other general medical practices and allied health service providers, and how networks operate between these and AMS to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care
• principles that underpin effective service: equity, access, empowerment, community self-determination and inter-sectoral collaboration
• meaning of the key rights expressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and relevance to health service provision: • self-determination • participation in decision-making • respect for and protection of culture • equality and non-discrimination
• overview knowledge of national and local historical factors that have impacted the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples: • impact of colonisation as experienced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people • impact of historical and current government policies and legislation on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, families and individuals and their ongoing legacy on social and economic disadvantage • other historical issues faced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people: • dilemmas about acknowledging or denying Aboriginality • institutionalised racism in the health system • breakdown of social structures that support health
• evolution and scope of the role of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners up to the contemporary context, and how these have impacted on health service provision and community health
• key aspects of the social structures, beliefs and values of the traditional and contemporary local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community
• traditional and contemporary gender roles and the changing nature of these
• the importance to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people’s health of: • land, tradition and cultural practices and lifestyle • personal achievement, education and supportive family and social networks
• social, economic and environmental factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health: • environmental conditions: • access to services and utilities • clean water availability • community hygiene • food security and affordability • housing inadequacies including design, construction, services and overcrowding • national and local socio-economic and political factors that perpetuate disadvantage
• specific health concerns and issues for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and community, including: • community perceptions of major health issues affecting them and underlying causes • key health statistics (national, and local state or territory) for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people compared to those of the non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population including life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate and age-standardised mortality ratios for selected health conditions • the prevalence of chronic illnesses impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people at national, and local state or territory levels, compared to other Australian populations
• overview of content in current national framework documents that promote cultural respect in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health including aims, guiding principles, domains and key focus areas
• the importance of cultural safety in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health service provision, community interactions, and when collecting and using community information, and: • definitions of cultural safety including definitions expressed by current national, and local state or territory Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety strategies including government and non-government • cultural safety protocols that apply generally and within the local community • practical ways that cultural safety can be provided • cultural protocols for written and oral communications with individuals and community groups, generally and within the local community • how communication protocols vary according to circumstances
• ways that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health workers can assist with access and equity issues: • providing information and support to navigate health systems and services • advocacy on behalf of individuals and communities • providing information on Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and other schemes and programs specifically available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• types of organisational policies that support compliance with regulatory requirements for the delivery of primary health care services and how to access these
• ethical, legal and cultural obligations to protect the privacy of client and community information, and the contents of organisational policies and procedures for maintaining confidentiality.

Foundation skills

• Reading skills: interpret and evaluate sometimes unfamiliar documents of varying complexity interpret detailed familiar organisational policies which include information on potentially complex regulatory requirements.
• Writing skills: produce client based documents that use culturally appropriate and safe terms.
• Oral communication skills: adhere to cultural protocols to deliver client information and ask questions clearly and safely interpret and respond appropriately to common cultural non-verbal cues.
• Learning skills: use opportunities to extend knowledge of factors affecting community health.

Unit content sourced from training.gov.au — © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Auditori is not affiliated with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Questions about assessing HLTAWOR002