Strategies to support Aboriginal AOD workers and enhance worker wellbeing

April 2019

Using the highly successful Feeling Deadly/Working Deadly: Indigenous AOD Worker Wellbeing Kit as a basis, NCETA staff member Allan Trifonoff recently conducted an interactive workshop for Aboriginal AOD and Social and Emotional Wellbeing Workers on strategies to support them do their job.

The workshop organised by the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Nukuwarrin Yunti was conducted on 5 March 2019 in Berri (regional South Australia). It formed part of an extensive 2-day AOD Network meeting.

During the workshop participants were asked to consider the following:

  • What can organisations like http://essaysinformation.info/ / agencies / services do to support workers? The discussion focused on successful recruitment and retention strategies that are currently being used or have been used in the past e.g. role clarity, salary, career pathways, mentoring, clinical supervision.
  • What can workers do to support each other? Participants shared examples of positive strategies that they have used e.g., family /community bonds, work/life balance, humour, enjoying the successes.

The workshop was extremely well received with participants commenting that they found the content to be informative, highly relevant and extremely valuable whist also encouraging them to think about their own and other workers’ wellbeing.

Following the workshop, Allan Trifonoff was invited by Nunkuwarrin Yunti staff to participate in a round table discussion reviewing the structure and content of the organisation’s accredited Cultural Safety training program.