Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2015

Course Code: EMPL5933C

Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

School: 365T Global, Urban & Social Studies

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5330 - Diploma of Community Services Work

Course Contact : Zaina Nehme

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4552

Course Contact Email:zainaindira.nehme@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Anne Fitzpatrick: +61 3 9925 0329

anne.fitzpatrick@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 20

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Course Description

This course describes the communication and work practice skills and knowledge required to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health industry context. It deals specifically with cross-cultural awareness and issues involving working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, organisations and communities. The course applies equally to those operating in health care policy or program planning, development and evaluation contexts or in direct service delivery contexts. Application of this course should be contextualised to reflect any requirements, issues and practices specific to each workplace and/or local community.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTHIR404D Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Element:

1. Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work practices

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Acknowledge and respect the impact of events and issues in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander history during service delivery
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of and respect for the diversity of culture, skin and language groups, family structures, art and religion in Indigenous cultures as part of service delivery

Element:

2. Reflect an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify the potential impact of cultural factors on service delivery to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients
2.2 Address cultural realities in order to facilitate full participation in service delivery by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
2.3 Negotiate appropriate strategies to effectively accommodate cultural differences in the workplace
2.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective service delivery in a cross cultural context
2.5 Ensure work practices used in a cross cultural context are grounded in an awareness of one's own culture and the cultural realities of others

Element:

3. Communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Identify communication issues and ensure they are addressed to develop and maintain effective relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
3.2 Employ appropriate communication strategies to support a culturally safe environment for delivery of health services
3.3 Identify ineffective and/or inappropriate communication strategies and remodel them to support delivery of health services
3.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective communication within the workplace
3.5 Engage the services of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreters, health workers and colleagues as cultural brokers as required to meet duty of care

Element:

4. Reflect cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Ensure workplace and professional relationships are based on mutual respect, tolerance of diversity and a shared understanding of cultural safety
4.2 Identify critical issues influencing workplace and professional relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients
4.3 Identify and utilise effective strategies to develop and maintain effective relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients as appropriate
4.4 Take responsibility for revisiting strategies to assist in the resolution of any difficulties, differences or misunderstandings that may occur

Element:

5. Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Develop and implement strategies to increase participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health service delivery
5.2 Ensure delivery of health care, services and programs reflect culturally safe and appropriate practice
5.3 Ensure health care, services and programs encourage self-determination and community control to ensure improved health outcomes
5.4 Identify and utilise resources to promote effective partnerships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities
5.5 Support the development of effective partnerships between staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities to facilitate accessibility, affordability, accountability, acceptability of appropriate healthcare and workplace services


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements.


Details of Learning Activities

This courses learning activities will be supported and complemented by RMIT’s learning management tool "Blackboard". Other essential learning activities will take place during the workshops, and you will also be required to undertake independent studies. Some of the learning activities that you will undertake are:
• Class discussion
• Documentary viewing and discussion
• Questioning
 


Teaching Schedule

This course will be delivered over four full day session. The delivery schedule is below:

Class Topic Content
1 Reflect and awareness of ATSI history and culture in community work practices
  • Kanyini video – loss of land, culture, language.
  • Strength of culture
  • Strengths of the Aboriginal and TI community today
  • Colonisation and history (protection, assimilation, self-determination)
  • Grief and loss
  • Stolen generation
  • Social determinants of health
  • Impacts of history of history and colonisation today
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled organisation -
  • How are you going to work effectively with the community, recognising strengths and cultural identity in order to address social issues?
  • Koorie Heritage Trust visit
2  Cultural Realities
  • Reflect on your own cultural reality and the cultural reality of others
  • Our generation video
  • Social determinants, race based discrimination, Close the gap figures as a result of colonisation
3 Excursion
  • Visit to the Bunjalak Gallery a at Melbourne Museum
4  Communicating with ATSI People
  • Communicate effectively with ATSI people
  • Respect, support community initiatives and strength based approach
5 Cultural Safety
  • Defining cultural safety
  • Aboriginal community controlled organisations – why were they established and how do they ensure cultural safety for Aboriginal people?
  • Video: VAYSAR Anne - Grampians Indigenous Family Violence: Regional Action Group
6 Cultural Safety (continuation)
  • Michelle SVHM – Koorie heritage walk
  • Work in partnership of ATSI community – why? And how?
  • Partnerships, relationships – two cultures


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

No prescribed textbook required.


References


Other Resources

You will be provided with the resources and tools for learning in this course. These resources will also be available through Blackboard. You will also have access to the resources in the library.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is based on responding to written questions about the strengths of Aboriginal culture, the impacts of colonisation and Stolen Generations on ATSI communities; culturally respectful ways of working effectively with the ATSI community.


Assessment Tasks

For this course you will be required to complete three assessment tasks:

Assessment task 1- Written Response on the Aboriginal Culture:  for this task you will be required to respond to written questions about the strengths of Aboriginal culture, and the impacts of colonisation and stolen generations on the community today.

Assessment task 2 - Working in culturally appropriate manner with the ATSI Community: for this task you will be required to respond to written questions about the differences in service delivery approaches between mainstream and Aboriginal community services organisations, and to develop ways to work in a culturally appropriate manner with the Aboriginal community.

Assessment task 3 - Working with interpreters: this task will take place in class.  You will be required to participate in classroom activities that will allow you to acquire the skills needed to work effectively with interpreters.



Assessment Matrix

This course is delivered in accordance with competency-based assessment, grades include:

CA: Competency Achieved
NYC: Not Yet Competent
DNS: Did Not Submit for assessment

Other Information

Assessment Tasks Submission Cover Sheet
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work, including online submissions. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.

Attendance
It is strongly advised that you attend all workshops in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.

Feedback
You will receive verbal and written feedback by teacher on your work. This feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your competency. Information regarding student feedback can be found at: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=9pp3ic9obks7

Student Progress
Monitoring academic progress is an important enabling and proactive strategy to assist you to achieve your learning potential. The Student progress policy can be found at:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1

Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level. If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension. Information regarding application for special consideration can be found at: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=g43abm17hc9w

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. For more information on this policy go to Academic Integrity Web site: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kw02ylsd8z3n

Course Overview: Access Course Overview