Poster Presentation Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2016

Implementing the wellbeing framework into practice and policy (#315)

Carol Davy 1 , Timena Ahmat 2 , Gary Brahim 3 , Alex Brown 1 , Anna Dowling 1 , Shaun Jacobson 4 , Tania Kelly 3 , Kaylene Kemp 5 , Elaine Kite 1 , Fiona Mitchell 5 , Tina Newman 6 , Margaret O'Brien 7 , Jason Pitt 6 , Bernadette Rickards 8 , Kesha Roesch 4 , Christine Saddler 9 , Leda Sivak 1 , Maida Stewart 7 , Tiana Thomas 2
  1. South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  2. Wuchopperen Health Service Ltd, Cairns, Qld, Australia
  3. Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, South Hedland, WA, Australia
  4. Nunkawarrin Yunti of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  5. Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, Broken Hill, NSW, Australia
  6. Tharwal Aboriginal Corporation, Airds, NSW, Australia
  7. Danila Dilba Health Service, Darwin, NT, Australia
  8. Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  9. Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, Narrabundah, ACT, Australia

Re-defining the way in which care is delivered, to reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ needs and values, is essential for improving the accessibility of primary healthcare. A team of researchers, including 13 experienced Aboriginal health care professionals, came together to develop a Wellbeing Framework which articulates how Aboriginal Health Services supports their clients. The final Wellbeing Framework consists of two core values and four elements, each supported by four principles.

One of the key strengths of this Wellbeing Framework is that rather than defining what wellbeing is, or rigidly determining how care should be provided, the outcome of this collaborative effort is a Framework that allows for more locally relevant, flexible approaches by identifying key principles necessary for supporting health care services to respond to a community’s and individual members’ understandings of wellbeing. Importantly, the Wellbeing Model also includes practical examples of how the principles could be applied based on the work of other researchers as well as experiences of community members and health care providers that participated in this study. This presentation will discuss how the Framework is already being implemented into health services across Australia and the plans for a broader formal implementation approach.