Aboriginal Wellbeing

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to contribute to addressing the gap between policy and practice for the development and implementation of accessible health and wellbeing organizations and practices from a culturally safe, trauma-informed approach. The objective is to increase use of services early on by Aboriginal people and ultimately to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. A targeted literature search identifies the main features of cultural safety and trauma-informed approaches followed by the presentation of a culturally safe, trauma-informed framework, and implementation plan. The literature on organizations is predominantly from Australia with the work of Michael Yellow Bird in the United States relied upon for the discussion of decolonization. For improved health and wellbeing outcomes with Aboriginal people, historical and contemporary political, economic, and social contextual factors relating to colonization must be acknowledged, and in the Australian context, particular attention must be given to the stolen generations.