A dialogue between mainstream knowledge and local wisdom, to join with ,

1. “Walking the Talk”Developing an Aboriginal Family & Domestic Violence Programme.Vickie Hovane & Damian HartDepartment of Justice A dialogue between mainstream knowledge and local wisdom, to join with, to create together.

2. A plethora of theories, approaches & sensitivities!!! • Community engagement • Capacity building • Community development • “Ground-up” approach • Partnership • Throughcare • Indigenous ways of working • Cuturally appropriate practice • Holistic approach • Strengths-based

3. Current situation • These often sit over to one side – on the shelf; • They are often misunderstood and are seen as nice in theory but too hard to put into practice; • When it comes to service/programme provision, they get forgotten; Resulting in • Examples such as non-Indigenous staff “Aboriginalising” mainstream programmes.

4. Current mainstream approaches to programme provision for Aboriginal people OFTEN EQUALS “Business as usual” with a sprinkling of Aboriginal words and pictures.

5. An authentic partnership approach EQUALS Client Mainstream approaches Local Aboriginal community

6. The literature…… An extensive literature search revealed: • A paucity of information about “what works”; • What not to do; • What to do in theory; But • Not how to put those theories into practice in the justice context.

7. Joining the Dots! This project is an attempt to put those theories into practice to: • Create a rehabilitation programme for Aboriginal men who perpetrate FDV; • Research a “culturally appropriate process” to create an Aboriginal programme.

8. The Aboriginal FDV Project- An Authentic Process Allows the framing of FDV and programming within the local community’s frame of reference. This means that we’re guided by the community as to “… the parameters, about what is in the foreground, what is in the background, and what shadings or complexities exist within the frame.” (Smith, 1999, p.153).

9. An authentic consultation process EQUALS sharing of power, with the destination not being pre-determined; • It tries to assume as little as possible e.g. Consult with community on how to consult;

10. The Process • Consultations in Broome-town; • Consultations in outlying remote communities; • Workshop to synthesize feedback (included Aboriginal male representatives from Broome); • Draft Programme framework; • Programme development - drafting sessions; • Workshop the Draft Programme with stakeholders in Broome; • Pilot the Programme; • Evaluate the Pilot.

11. Aboriginal Programmes- Current context • In our infancy; • Literature is limited; • Don’t know “what works”; • Evaluation of existing services – We don’t ask the question;

12. Aboriginal Programmes- Where to from here? • Core business; • Be real – Aboriginal way; • Aboriginal involvement the norm, not the exception; • Research; • Development; • Evaluation – Ask the question; • Adequately resourced.

13. Process! Process! Process! The process is as important as the outcome!