The EP Network

Rural and Remote

Resources

– Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) website

-Cultural responsiveness in action
framework
o IAHA is a national, member-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health
organisation. IAHA leads sector workforce development and support to improve the
health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

– Charlie’s country (movie on iView)
o Charlie’s Country” is a poignant Australian drama centered on Charlie, an Aboriginal man portrayed by David Gulpilil, navigating the complexities of modern Aboriginal life. Frustrated with the restrictions imposed on his community, Charlie retreats to the bush in an attempt to reconnect with traditional ways. However, he encounters numerous challenges such as hunger and illness, and faces clashes with authorities enforcing government policies. The film poignantly captures Charlie’s struggle to reconcile his identity and heritage in a rapidly changing world, offering a powerful commentary on the enduring impact of colonization and the resilience of Aboriginal culture. David Gulpilil’s performance is particularly compelling, showcasing his profound understanding of the character’s internal conflicts and external challenges.

– ‘Yarn with me’: applying clinical yarning to improve clinician–patient communication in
Aboriginal health care.
o Although successful communication is at the heart of the clinical consultation,
communication between Aboriginal patients and practitioners such as doctors,
nurses and allied health professionals, continues to be problematic and is arguably
the biggest barrier to the delivery of successful health care to Aboriginal people. This
paper presents an overarching framework for practitioners to help them reorientate
their communication with Aboriginal patients using clinical yarning. Clinical yarning
is a patient-centred approach that marries Aboriginal cultural communication
preferences with biomedical understandings of health and disease. Clinical yarning
consists of three interrelated areas: the social yarn, in which the practitioner aims to
find common ground and develop the interpersonal relationship; the diagnostic
yarn, in which the practitioner facilitates the patient’s health story while interpreting
it through a biomedical or scientific lens; and the management yarn, that employs
stories and metaphors as tools for patients to help them understand a health issue
so a collaborative management approach can be adopted. There is cultural and
research evidence that supports this approach. Clinical yarning has the potential to
improve outcomes for patients and practitioners.

Clinician support
– Services for Australian Rural & Remote Allied Health (SARRAH)

o SARRAH is nationally recognised as the peak body representing rural and remote
allied health professionals (AHPs) working in the public, private and community
sectors. SARRAH exists to support equitable and sustainable health and well-being
across regional, rural and remote Australia.

– National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA)
o The NRHA provides a united voice for people and health professionals living and
working in rural communities and advocates for sustainable and affordable health
services. Our most important role, underpinned by our broad representative base, is
listening to the people of rural, regional and remote Australia and taking their views
to government.
CRANA Plus Bush Services Support
o 1800 805 391. Speak with an experienced physiologist anytime in the rur­al and
remote sector. When you call, you will receive a non-judgemental, respectful, ethical
and culturally safe service.

– The Extra Mile
o Full of Practical tips to help you: Adapt your professional skills to the rural/remote
workplace, remain energised and enthusiastic at work, stay healthy and happy at
home, recognise your leadership potential, and avoid the risks of professional burn-
out.

– Find a mentor: ESSA website.

– Exercise is Medicine
o Action guide for health care providers
o Conditions fact sheets
– Journal of Rural and Remote Health
o Rural and Remote Health is an open-access international academic journal serving
rural and remote communities and publishing articles by rural health practitioners,
educators, researchers, and policy makers.

– Fostering community engagement, participation, and empowerment for mental health of
adults living in rural communities; A Systematic Review
o Community participation guides people living in rural communities to be aware of
and take responsibility for community mental health. Community engagement and
participation foster empowerment. This review examines how community
engagement, participation and empowerment were used in the development and
implementation of interventions aimed at improving mental health of adults
residing in rural communities.

– Physical activity to address mental health in a remote Australian community: community
readiness assessment.
o This study aims to use the community readiness model (CRM) to explore community
readiness in a remote Australian community to address mental health through
leisure time physical activity.

Ms Asher Williamson 

asher@enhancefunction.com.au

Ms Kirsten Russell

kirsten.russell1@jcu.edu.au