Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clients

Historically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been subjected to systematic abuse and racism, including the forced dispossession of their land, genocide, the destruction of their culture, black deaths in custody, and the forced removal of their children. One of the effects of this history is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have good reason to fear that:

• their children will be taken away
• workers will not understand or accept/acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customs and ways of supporting each other (For example, frequent absences from school to attend ceremonies or funerals; aunties/ grandmothers visiting children in hospital for the child's mother)
• they will be judged according to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values
• they will not be respected
• they will lose power and control over their lives
• they will be punished for things they have little or no control over (For example, poor housing, low income, lack of transport).

There is a deep fear that the experience of the stolen generation will be repeated. No matter how well intentioned workers in health services may be, any intervention will carry with it the risk of continuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dispossession and disempowerment.
Child protection intervention with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families must acknowledge the strength and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement in decision making to ensure the child's welfare and demonstrate a commitment to the reconciliation process.