Evaluation of the NT MOS projects
Staffing
Up to Closing the Gap: Northern Territory
Many stakeholders supported the basis of the MOS Plus staffing model - comprising a mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff working together and spoke of the importance of also maintaining a gender mix in the staff team. This was discussed in terms of engagement in community and the sensitivity of the issues of abuse and neglect, and also in terms of building community capacity in relation to child and family safe environments.
Some spoke of the benefits of the 'dual team', particularly if the ATRO was a local person, as one of the pathways to acceptance by the community and by the service system.
There is potential for the ATRO to work more closely with the local Aboriginal community workers - enhancing local cultural competence and engagement for MOS Plus, and increasing knowledge and understanding of the service in community. The local Aboriginal Liaison Workers can facilitate engagement with community leaders and families in the most culturally appropriate way, and have the potential to become key locally-based 'link' people for the MOS Plus service, between regular visits.
Others spoke of some of the challenges of this service profile, as Indigenous staff being both the strength and the threat of the staffing model. There can be chaotic extended kinship ties involved; post traumatic stress; and Indigenous staff can have different boundaries to a non-Indigenous person. Others considered the potential role conflicts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers can be resolved if the focus is on the service to the client.
While most of the research literature agrees that Aboriginal communities would prefer to use services provided by Aboriginal workers, there are some reservations about Aboriginal community controlled family services as these are sometimes seen as being owned and run by one family within the community.18 For counselling and support services, privacy can be a concern. In remote communities especially, some literature suggest than when non-Indigenous providers have gained community trust, a non-Indigenous worker may be preferred for these reasons. Many community members and local organisations interviewed considered the outreach mode of the service assisted in addressing issues of privacy and kinship ties. Wherever possible, Aboriginal clients should be offered the choice of an Aboriginal or non-Indigenous worker.
Both the counsellor and ATRO roles were considered equally important to the service, and some stakeholders discussed the importance of recognising this through the opportunity for the ATROs to gain qualifications recognising their skill, experience and pivotal role in the service.
Literature researched also notes the importance of having Aboriginal workers as part of the team to enhance the cultural safety of the service and to encourage local community participation in services and programs, and therefore the importance of providing employment conditions which help retain Aboriginal workers. Flaxman et al (2009) notes that: offering flexible employment conditions; training Aboriginal people to increase their capacity as mentors in the community, creating Aboriginal support roles to work with employees with professional qualifications; and offering traineeships helped increase the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal workers.19
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To ensure knowledge and understanding of the MOS Plus services in community, requires greater clarity in relation to the distinct roles of the counsellor and the ATROs. Counselling in this service requires significant work to engage with local organisations and the community and to gain trust - to enable the therapeutic relationship to develop. That is, community engagement is not solely the role of the ATRO.
"...Sit down with families and tell them. Not everyone can read. You need to walk around " it's word-of-mouth. 'This is what I can do for you.' Talk about your job description, and give the family the 'phone number. You need to get out of your comfort zone. Walk around, have a chat. English is often the second language..." (Traditional Owner)
ATROs are making connections with key community leaders. With 90 diverse communities there is the potential for this role to provide guidance to the service and its staff in relation to 'local' cultural competence. Where the service was not clearly understood in community, connections were made but further work in passing on knowledge about the MOS Plus service and what it offers is required. That is, promoting understanding and acceptance in community of the MOS counselling and support services is not solely the role of the Counsellor.
Similarly, some counsellors may be known in community due to past roles in the NT, but not necessarily as counsellors in the relatively new MOS Plus service. Working more collaboratively in community engagement, albeit from the perspective of their distinct roles, should enable greater clarity in terms of their roles within the service, and greater understanding of the service in community.
Findings
- There is support by service providers for the primary characteristics and principles of the MOS Projects staffing model: as a specialist service which aligns Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers; and which has a gender mix in the staff team. Importantly, this support was also articulated by the local organisations and community members (who were not familiar with the service at the time of the consultation), during the discussion of MOS Plus service focus and scope, and the needs of their respective communities.
- Alongside consistency of service provision, development of a relationship and trust with the MOS Plus staff (the ATRO and the counsellor) providing the service was highlighted. This can be enhanced by ensuring there is a clear shared understanding of the core services by the MOS Plus team members, and that the relationship developed between the MOS Plus staff member and community and clients is within the context of the service.
Footnotes
18 Coorey, 2001; Flaxman et al, 2009. Appendix D: Literature Review
19 Appendix D: Literature Review