PSY1024 · Psychology: Allies in Indigenous health

Overview

In this unit, you will have the opportunity to develop skills required to improve Indigenous mental health equity and cultural safety in healthcare. Based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework, you will undertake five modules covering the domains of respect, reflection, communication, safety and quality, and advocacy. You will learn the importance of cultural humility, how culture relates to wellbeing and how worldview influences in guiding thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The unit facilitates your understanding of the impacts of implicit bias, stigma and racism and the influence of your own culture when working with culturally diverse others. Such an understanding provides the context for self-reflective practice, cultivating respect in order to relate to clients as a whole person, rather than merely focusing on symptoms and diagnosis of disorders. You will learn to integrate an awareness of lived experiences, and how to communicate in a culturally safe manner. Grounded in a strengths-based approach, you will learn about principles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Psychology, as well as other the psychology of indigenous peoples.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Reflect on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ ways of knowing, being and doing, in the context of history, culture and diversity.
2. Analyse how one’s own culture and dominant cultural paradigms influence perceptions of and interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
3. Examine culturally appropriate, safe and sensitive communication that facilitates trust and builds respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
4. Reflect and apply evidence and strength-based best practice approaches in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care.
5. Reflect on and discuss advocacy for equitable outcomes and social justice in regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
6. Demonstrate adaptability in interpersonal communication, rapport building and empathic responding for cultural responsiveness and reflexivity in health care

Workload

Two hours of tutorials ten times per semester. A one hour unit induction tutorial in week 1. 123 hours guided online and self-directed learning Attendance at tutorials is recommended in order to successfully complete in-class activities and related assessment tasks.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.