Research Archives - ...metaphorically speaking

‘Decolonising Our Selves and Our Work’ with Dr. Antonia Hendrick

December 19, 2018

by metaphor with No Comment Academia Colonisation Community Work Cross Cultural practice Culturally Fit Social Workers Decolonising social work practice Podcast Reflective social work practice Research Social work curriculum Social Work with Indigenous communities White privilege

Whatever context you work in, this conversation will get you thinking about how you really engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people in your community.

Dr Antonia Hendrick is a full time Lecturer in the School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology at Curtin University. She is not your average academic. Behind the qualifications, the accolades and the numerous published articles, lies an authentic human being, who is prepared to share her vulnerabilities in front of her students. Antonia’s current passion is ‘Reaching Across the Divide: Aboriginal Elders and Academics Working Together’, a project that is changing the way the social work curriculum is developed and implemented across the school. For Antonia, it is a professional as well as very personal journey, working with Aboriginal Elders to develop staff and student cultural responsiveness.

There are lessons for us all about de-colonising our selves and our work, as Antonia takes us on a reflective journey into her White Privilege.

In episode 28 of Talk the Walk, we explore:

the precursors to Curtin University taking real action to decolonise the social work curriculum in 2014 using the ‘Getting It Right’ teaching and learning framework
The two key imperatives for working together with Elders as a political action of social work
What is meant by ‘becoming an Ally?’ in decolonising social work practice
The outcomes that are starting to emerge for social work students and staff engaging in yarning processes at the university
The impact of the project on Antonia’s relational self
The challenges of being an academic in the work of institutional decolonisation and the personal impact on Antonia as a practitioner and human being
A personal family story of white privilege and it’s impact on Antonia’s values and belief system
The inspiring others behind Antonia’s passion for this work
The movement of decolonisation that is occurring across social work and other professions in Australia
What the future holds for Curtain University in their partnership with the Elders Group
The outcomes for students’ social work practice frameworks after completing a decolonised version of the social work curriculum
A final reflection for all social workers on the transferable skills across population groups in ‘becoming an ally’

To listen, simply click on the Play button below or listen via the Stitcher App for iOS, Android, Nook and iPad.

You can subscribe to future podcast episodes from our Subscription page.

Don’t forget, if you or someone you know would make a great interview on ‘Talk the Walk’, send us an email from the Contact Page.

Things to follow up after the episode

‘Looking Forward Aboriginal Mental Health Project’, Final Report (2011-2015)

Published works by Associate Profession Michael Wright

Hendrick, A. (2015). ‘Working with Nyoongar Elders to decolonise the social work curriculum’, New Community Quarterly.

Hendrick, A. & Young, S. (2017). ‘Decolonising the Curriculum, Decolonising Ourselves: Experiences of Teaching in and from the ‘Third Space’

Hendrick, A., & Young, S. (2018). Teaching about Decoloniality: The Experience of Non-Indigenous Social Work Educators. American Journal of Community Psychology, 62(3-4), 306-318.

Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression (2nd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Land, C. (2015). Decolonizing solidarity. Dilemmas and directions for supporters of Indigenous struggles. London, UK: Zed Books.

Singleton, G., & Hays, C. (2008). Beginning courageous conversations about race. In M. Pollack (Ed.), Everyday antiracism: Getting real about race in school (pp. 18–23). New York, NYW. W. Norton & Co.

Contact Dr Antonia Hendrick at Curtin University

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‘Facing the Realities of the History of Social Work in Australia and Getting Over Yourself’ with Emma Searle

September 19, 2018

by metaphor with No Comment Challenges and struggles Child Protection Child Removal Colonisation Cross Cultural practice Culturally Fit Social Workers Decolonising social work practice Government; social work in Hospital social work Maternal Health Social Work Podcast Reflective social work practice Research Shame Social Work with Indigenous communities Talk the Walk podcast White privilege

In the yarning chair on ‘Talk the Walk’ this week is Emma Searle, a senior social worker at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney. Emma works within a continuity of care model of maternal health social work, where Aboriginal women can meet the same group of midwives from pregnancy to follow up post-natal care.

There is more to this interview than just reflecting on the daily challenges of working with vulnerable Indigenous women. Emma invites us to enter into a conversation about the uncomfortable realities of being a non-Indigenous social worker, in a world where Indigenous child removal is high and white professionals make the decisions about what is best for Indigenous families. Working within a system with a history of oppression and racism, Emma set out to investigate how other countries were doing culturally competent practice.

On episode 25 of ‘Talk the Walk’ we explore:

The incredibly busy role of a social worker in a maternal and infant health service
The factors that impact on the likelihood of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women reaching out for support, where they have Child Protection closely scrutinising them
The stigma that comes with being a social worker; the challenge this poses for engaging vulnerable Aboriginal women; and how Emma overcomes these hurdles
Addressing the over representation of non-Indigenous health and welfare professionals making decisions about Indigenous people’s lives and the alarming rate of children removal
Emma’s key findings from her Churchill Fellowship exploring the needs and experiences of Indigenous women in Canada, the USA and New Zealand
What a difference it can make to Aboriginal families by acknowledging and celebrating language and culture
Best practice success stories in maternal social work overseas including ‘bicultural practice’ in New Zealand
How Emma is using her learnings to improve services for Aboriginal women here in Australia
The essential skill of being able to have ‘difficult conversations’
Visiting the early influences on Emma’s life and the values and beliefs that she connected with in the profession of social work
What Emma’s thinks is the superpower unique to social work
The people and movements that have shaped Emma’s social work practice
Emma’s sparkling moments in maternal health social work since returning to Australia
Emma’s interest in Brene Brown’s work on shame and vulnerability
An invitation to join the conversation on culturally competent practice

To listen to this episode simply click on the Play button below or listen via the Stitcher App for iOS, Android, Nook and iPad.

You can also subscribe to podcast and blog updates via email from the Menu on the Home Page.

Don’t forget, if you or someone you know would make a great interview on ‘Talk the Walk’, send us an email from the Contact Page.

Things to follow up after the episode

Read another great story about the Malabar Midwives service as featured in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Bi-cultural practice as it relates to Social Work – A summary by the ANZASW

To explore Bi-Cultural practice and the concepts of White shame and guilt read, A Pākehā journey towards bicultural practice
through guilt, shame, identity and hope

Emma’s favourite video from Reconciliation Australia that references our shared story and the importance of acknowledging the past as part of building a future together.

Brene Brown – TED talks, books and writings

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Anni presenting in Lisbon at the Contemporary Drug Problems Conference 2015

‘Acknowledging the suitcases that Aboriginal women carry’ with Anni Hine Moana

October 11, 2017

by metaphor with No Comment Alcohol and drugs Counselling Healing from Trauma Healing Our Long-grassers Listening Narrative therapy Narrative work with Aboriginal communities Podcast Racism Research Shame Social Work with Indigenous communities Talk the Walk podcast White privilege

Anni Hine Moana, my guest this week on ‘Talk the Walk’ has over 40 years of experience from counselling in alcohol, drugs, gambling and mental health to supervision, lecturing and curriculum development. This is a fascinating conversation with a researcher whose passion is to see tangible outcomes for Aboriginal people accessing appropriate counselling services.

Anni completed a Masters of Counselling in 2011 exploring the case for the inclusion of Narrative Therapy in counselling for Indigenous AOD clients. Anni is now undertaking her phD on the ‘relationship between the self-conscious emotion of shame and alcohol, experienced by Australian Aboriginal women living in urban and regional areas’. In this episode, Anni talks about her early research findings and the implications for social workers and other allied health professionals in their clinical work.

In episode 12 of ‘Talk the Walk’, we explore:

Anni’s emerging themes of the impact of shame and the ‘white gaze’ on Aboriginal women’s lived experience
How shame presents itself in the counselling room
The one basic skill every therapist can do to be respectful and develop a meaningful therapeutic relationship with Aboriginal women
The relationship between Aboriginal women’s shame and alcohol use; and the stigma associated with drinking
How Anni’s Maori culture has influenced her research; and the connection to experiences of shame within her own family
Key findings from Anni’s research and support for a narrative therapeutic approach to practice
The importance of listening for the ‘injustice part’ of women’s stories, the effects of racism on Aboriginal women’s lives and the role for counsellors in naming this
looking at your own ‘history book’
Challenges Anni has found in her work and research, how this impacts on her and what inspires her about the future