Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs
Objective: To identify Aboriginal people's perceptions of residential alcohol (and other drug) intervention programs. Method: Part of a wider Aboriginal-initiated study into Aboriginal perceptions of alcohol misuse and intervention, using adescriptive, grounded theory, participatory action desi...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4485 |
| _version_ | 1848744529229774848 |
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| author | Nichols, Fiona |
| author_facet | Nichols, Fiona |
| author_sort | Nichols, Fiona |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Objective: To identify Aboriginal people's perceptions of residential alcohol (and other drug) intervention programs. Method: Part of a wider Aboriginal-initiated study into Aboriginal perceptions of alcohol misuse and intervention, using adescriptive, grounded theory, participatory action design. Of 100 participants in individual and focus group interviews, only 22 people had personal or family experience of residential alcohol intervention programs. This paper presents the collated responses of this small group to qualitative, semistructured interview questions regarding their perceptions of intervention programs - and compares them to the literature and to the wider study's findings. Results: Positively evaluated components included 'time out', personal health gains, substance use education, life-skills training, support, socialising and - on dry communities - peace in 'country'. Criticisms focused largely on perceived long-term ineffectiveness, lack of skills development, culturally inappropriate environment and teaching style, accessibility to substances, separation from family, and staff skill/experience issues. Conclusions and Implications: Among the small group of remote area Aboriginal people participating in this aspect of the study, recommendations for substance misuse intervention programs suggested the need for programs significantly different from those generally available. In comparison with the substance-misuse orientation of many available intervention programs - and consistent with themes emerging in the literature and in other aspects of the wider study - participants' responses implied the need fora priority expansion of intervention focus onto the teaching and strengthening of skills required for self-determination. Co-operative inter-agency contributions to existing programs may be one means to achieving this. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:02:55Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-4485 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:02:55Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-44852017-01-30T10:39:31Z Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs Nichols, Fiona self-esteem Aboriginal/Indigenous model vocational skills support program evaluation life skills substance use self-determination education social determinants capacity building Objective: To identify Aboriginal people's perceptions of residential alcohol (and other drug) intervention programs. Method: Part of a wider Aboriginal-initiated study into Aboriginal perceptions of alcohol misuse and intervention, using adescriptive, grounded theory, participatory action design. Of 100 participants in individual and focus group interviews, only 22 people had personal or family experience of residential alcohol intervention programs. This paper presents the collated responses of this small group to qualitative, semistructured interview questions regarding their perceptions of intervention programs - and compares them to the literature and to the wider study's findings. Results: Positively evaluated components included 'time out', personal health gains, substance use education, life-skills training, support, socialising and - on dry communities - peace in 'country'. Criticisms focused largely on perceived long-term ineffectiveness, lack of skills development, culturally inappropriate environment and teaching style, accessibility to substances, separation from family, and staff skill/experience issues. Conclusions and Implications: Among the small group of remote area Aboriginal people participating in this aspect of the study, recommendations for substance misuse intervention programs suggested the need for programs significantly different from those generally available. In comparison with the substance-misuse orientation of many available intervention programs - and consistent with themes emerging in the literature and in other aspects of the wider study - participants' responses implied the need fora priority expansion of intervention focus onto the teaching and strengthening of skills required for self-determination. Co-operative inter-agency contributions to existing programs may be one means to achieving this. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4485 Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal fulltext |
| spellingShingle | self-esteem Aboriginal/Indigenous model vocational skills support program evaluation life skills substance use self-determination education social determinants capacity building Nichols, Fiona Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title | Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title_full | Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title_fullStr | Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title_short | Aboriginal Recommendations for Substance Use Intervention Programs |
| title_sort | aboriginal recommendations for substance use intervention programs |
| topic | self-esteem Aboriginal/Indigenous model vocational skills support program evaluation life skills substance use self-determination education social determinants capacity building |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4485 |