Empowerment Research Program THE CAIRNS INSTITUTE Enhancing life in the tropics Through research excellence Roxanne Bainbridge

Contributions: Creating an environment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander control  Showing how researchers’ expertise can be relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community priorities  Making social research relevant to people’s daily lives, needs and aspirations  Highlighting the importance of strengths-based approaches to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people  Developing models of research capacity building and partnerships

Why Empowerment?  The evidence-base: Interventions that empower socially excluded populations across psychological, organisational and community levels have achieved improved health outcomes and quality of life (Wallerstein, 2006). What Is Empowerment?  “a social action process by which individuals, communities, and organizations gain mastery over their lives in the context of changing their social and political environment to improve equity and quality of life” (Minkler and Wallerstein, 2005, p. 34).  Contributes to the capacity of individuals to differ from, rather than replicate social discourses and engage as significant actors in social processes.

Relationship of empowerment to health:  Outcomes improved by addressing the underlying socio-economic disadvantage - attention to community-based education and care; and promoting empowerment and social and emotional wellbeing Program Objective:  Operationalise Aboriginal-developed empowerment initiatives to reveal the role and contributions that concepts of empowerment and control can make towards better understanding and addressing the social determinants of health and wellbeing

How?  Participatory Action Research  Family Wellbeing Program: An Aboriginal-developed social and emotional wellbeing program  Community-led initiatives such as Men’s Groups

Universities James Cook University University of Queensland University of Papua New Guinea Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education [NT] Indigenous communities Yarrabah Council [QLD] Kowanyama Aboriginal Council [QLD] Hope Vale Queensland Health Indigenous community-controlled organisations Apunipima Cape York Health Council {QLD] Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corp [QLD] Wu Chopperen Health Service [QLD] Goondir Health Service [QLD] Durri Health service [NSW] NGOs Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health [QLD] RFDS [QLD] Government services Queensland Health Qld Department of Communities and Child Safety

The Empowerment Research Program:  Sustained for 10 years  Employs community- based researchers - Many have taken up further education  Contributed substantially to the literature base on empowerment - A grounded theory of Aboriginal empowerment and Aboriginal women’s agency; and adaptation and transferability of FWB and men’s groups across contexts

Research empowerment program:  Benefits qualitatively established  Reports, Papers and a Book  ‘Narratives of change’ (qualitative data) used to develop a quantitative tool (Growth and Empowerment Measure) to measure processes and outcomes of psychological and social empowerment

Next steps:  Strengthen the current evidence base with quantitative outcome measures  No longer a need for stand-alone investigator-driven research Thank you