Evaluation of the Bringing them home and Indigenous mental health programs
11.3.5 Improving the operation of SEWB RCs
Table of contents
- Acknowledgements
- Study Team
- Glossary
- Executive Summary
1. Introduction- 2. Methodology
- 3 Overview of the four programs
- 4 Literature review
- 5 Key outcomes and achievements of the programs
- 6 Key limitations of the programs
- 7 Management and administrative issues
- 8. Workforce issues
- 9. Issues related to the four programs
- 10. Likely future demand
11. Conclusions and suggested future directions- 11.1 Key findings of the evaluation against the Terms of Reference
- 11.2 Good practice principles
- 11.3 Recommendations for suggested future directions
- 11.3.1 Ensuring Link-Up and BTH services have a stronger focus on first generation Stolen Generations members
- 11.3.2 Actions to address workforce issues
- 11.3.3 Develop national guidelines for all four programs
- 11.3.4 Extending the geographical reach of the programs
- 11.3.5 Improving the operation of SEWB RCs
- 11.3.6 Encouraging evaluation and good practice activities
- 11.3.7 Provide additional funding for complementary programs
- 11.3.8 Enhancing coordination between Link-Up and BTH services
- 11.3.9 Improve processes for accessing records
- 11.3.10 Research
- Appendix A: Stakeholders consulted
- Appendix B: Literature review
- References
The operation of the SEWB RCs could be improved by:
- OATSIH developing detailed national guidelines for the Centres (see previous text), incorporating some key aspects into the standard funding contract for the Centres and requiring some indicators to be reported on an annual basis to OATSIH eg conducting training needs assessments of the Aboriginal SEWB workforce in their catchment area on at least an annual basis.
- OATSIH requiring all SEWB RCs to be accredited (see previous text).
- Requiring the Centres to better meet the needs of Aboriginal SEWB workers in locations further away from the Centres through strategies such as:
- providing more training on an outreach basis (as with Nunkuwarrin Yunti in SA)
- alternative cost-effective methods for SEWB RCs to provide training eg teleconferencing, web-based methods
- providing workers with as much notice as possible of training opportunities
- providing professional supervision to Link-Up and BTH workers where the services cannot provide this themselves, or facilitating access to this through brokerage
- Retaining one Centre in each of Victoria, NSW, SA and the ACT, and two each for WA, NT and Queensland.
It should be noted that not all SEWB RCs are based in ACCHSs, and this may have implications for the implementation of the above.