Page 1957 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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This is not to say that the years since the purchase of the land have been idle. In 2010 the first phase of a model of care was developed and endorsed, as I previously mentioned. In 2011 a principal consultant began work on design. In 2012 final sketch plans were completed. In 2013 a crown lease DA was approved. In 2014 we procured a head contractor. In 2015 there was a smoking ceremony and construction began. In late 2016 we completed the building. They are some of the quick highlights.
We are now waiting for work to be completed on an access road, but I fully expect that the bush healing farm will have a phased opening by around August of this year. Given how close we are to having services provided at the bush healing farm, it remains a priority for me. It is important to detail the service model to members and the kinds of activities that will occur there.
As I have said, it has never been the intention of the bush healing farm to be an alcohol or other drug rehabilitation centre. Some of this comes down to specific definitions. The bush healing farm is designed to address root-cause issues that lead to substance abuse and treatment relapses, with services revolving around reconnecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to land and culture with the aim of assisting them to better respond to life's challenges.
Ultimately, the purpose of the bush healing farm is to provide a place of healing whereby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will feel safe and supported by the traditional custodians, community leaders and elders, respected role models as well as cultural healers to make ongoing and meaningful change in their lives, and to break the cycle of drug and alcohol dependency.
As I mentioned earlier, this model of care is what is known as a therapeutic community, albeit one adapted to the unique circumstances of the ACT. A therapeutic community is one in which the residential community itself through self-help, targeted services and mutual support is the principal means for promoting personal change. The focus is on the behaviour that drives addictions, not on the clinical care of addictions.
It will be a significant new resource in the ACT for assisting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to help the healing journey of individuals and the development of attitudes and values that are the foundation of healthy living. There is growing evidence both within Australia and internationally that different approaches like this are successful in breaking the cycles that lead to addiction and in supporting individuals to recover from the underlying trauma and social problems that cause them to turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place.
The model seeks to understand the unique spiritual, physical, cultural, social, emotional and economic needs of people accessing the service. This is a fundamental shift in thinking in how to address alcohol and drug problems amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Indeed, it has been noted in other contexts that this community-based healing approach is in contrast to the western approach to medicine which is focused on an individual and their disease.
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