Gail Whiteford

Occupation-focussed practice in justice health and forensic mental health: Using a practice-based enquiry approach

Abstract Providing occupational therapy services in secure settings can be challenging due to a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the limitations of the physical environment. Maintaining an occupation focus in such environments can also be difficult, especially if there are competing institutional philosophies. In this article, we describe a project undertaken by a group of occupational therapists in NSW, Australia which focuses on centralising occupation in the programmes they provide in a number of units within state funded Justice and Forensic Mental Health Services. The project utilises a practice-based enquiry approach through which the practitioners engage in a reflective analysis of their everyday practices and the artefacts produced in practice. Collectively, the group of practitioners together with an academic have formed a community of practice scholars who both critique and support each others enquiry processes and actions aimed at transforming practice. Whilst the project is only in its early stages at the time of writing, it is hoped that the findings will inform other occupational therapists hoping to ‘reclaim occupation’ in their practice setting.

Participation in higher education as social inclusion: An occupational perspective

ABSTRACT This article discusses access to, and participation in, higher education as a form of social inclusion. Globally, what is known as the Widening Participation Agenda has focussed attention and effort towards initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of disadvantaged groups in higher education. Such participation, it is argued, enhances social inclusion through economic, social and civil means. From an occupational perspective, participation in higher education may be understood as enabling a transformation of identity and socio-economic status through the transitional occupation of student, to become a worker and professional. To highlight what can be achieved within a national policy framework and with dedicated resources, a case study of Australia’s Bridges to Higher Education is presented. The article concludes with considerations of why this is an area deserving of greater attention by occupational science scholars in the future.

Entendiendo la justicia ocupacional desde el concepto de territorio, una propuesta para la ciencia de la ocupación

RESUMEN Este artículo se desarrolló a partir del diálogo y la reflexión surgidos en el marco del I Seminario de Justicia Ocupacional e Inclusión Social realizado en Chile, en 2016. Este artículo se propone como una invitación a discutir la relación entre territorio y justicia ocupacional. En un primer momento se revisa el concepto de justicia ocupacional y las formas de injusticia ocupacional descritas hasta el momento. Luego se exploran cuatro elementos del concepto de territorio planteado por Gilberto Giménez (1996, 1999, 2005) y su posible aplicación para la ciencia de la ocupación, desde la perspectiva de Justicia Ocupacional. Sobre esta base se propone una nueva forma de injusticia ocupacional, que hemos denominado dislocación ocupacional. Proponemos, además, una posible aplicación de este concepto a la situación de los campamentos en Chile. Consideramos que la comprensión de la base territorial de la ocupación permite profundizar en los fenómenos que sustentan numerosas situaciones de injusticia ocupacional.

El Marco de Justicia Ocupacional Participativa como herramienta de cambio: Descripción y contraste de tres casos

RESUMEN El Marco de Justicia Ocupacional Participativa (POJF, por sus siglas en inglés) fue creado y publicado en 2005 como resultado de la colaboración académica de Townsend y Whiteford, y desde entonces, ha transitado por diversas iteraciones. Más que como una receta de intervenciones, se elaboró para sentar las bases de medidas reflexivas y colaborativas destinadas a abordar instancias de injusticia ocupacional. Más importante todavía, este Marco identifica la inclusión social como el resultado o los “fines” del proceso identificado. Un aspecto fundamental del Marco POJF es su epistemología crítica cuyo objetivo es velar por que aquellos que lo usan estén conscientes de las relaciones de poder que siempre existen en los entornos complejos y de múltiples niveles en los que se adoptan medidas para enfrentar las injusticias ocupacionales. En este artículo, los autores discuten temas clave y procesos básicos, y describen las bases epistémicas fundamentales que sustentan el Marco. Luego, se pormenorizan tres casos de contextos muy diferentes para ilustrar su poder como herramienta para hacer cambios transformadores en distintos niveles estructurales de la sociedad.

Understanding occupational justice from the concept of territory: A proposal for occupational science

ABSTRACT This article was developed based on dialogue and reflections during the First Occupational Justice and Social Inclusion Symposium in Chile, in 2016. It is intended as an invitation to discuss the relationship between territory and occupational justice. As a first step we review the concept of occupational justice and the forms of occupational injustice described to date. Subsequently, four elements of Gilberto Giménez’s (1996, 1999, 2005) concept of territory are introduced and their potential application in occupational science are explored from an occupational justice perspective. Building upon this, we propose a new form of occupational injustice, which we have named occupational displacement. Additionally, we suggest a potential use for this concept in the situation of campamentos or squatter settlements in Chile. In our opinion, an understanding of the situational basis of occupation can help delve deeper into the phenomena that underlie numerous situations of occupational injustice.

Creating Alternate Futures Through Higher Education: The Refugee Mentoring Program

Abstract The transition from high school to university can be challenging and demanding for both young people and their families when even the most supportive conditions exist. For young people who have been through the refugee process, it can be particularly fraught for a number of reasons. These may include, e.g., challenges associated with the development of language competence, coping with posttraumatic stress disorder and its various manifestations, and dealing with significant differences in cultural expectations between family and school. In this chapter we present a case study of a university/school collaborative mentoring program that targeted young people from refugee backgrounds in Western Sydney, Australia. Issues associated with development and implementation of the program are presented and discussed, along with evaluative data on program effectiveness.

Supporting Indigenous Students Through the University Journey: The Elder in Residence Program

Abstract The rates of participation of indigenous students in higher education in Australia is lower than that of nonindigenous students due to a number of complex and intersecting factors. Whilst a range of programs have been introduced aimed at reaching indigenous students, raising their aspirations towards higher education and building pathways for entry, attention has also been required to ensure that adequate support is provided once indigenous students actually commence university. In Australia, an Elder in Residence program was developed at Macquarie University and was specifically aimed at providing cultural support for indigenous students in their journey through university—and the many attendant challenges that the journey entails. This chapter charts the development of the position from the perspective of the incumbent(s) of the Elder, from the senior manager responsible for creating and funding the position and from indigenous students who interacted with the Elder over time. It concludes with recommendations for the future for such positions in Australia and overseas.

The River of learning: building relationships in a university, school and community Indigenous widening participation collaboration

ABSTRACT In this article, findings of a qualitative study of an Indigenous widening participation program are presented. The program, River of Learning, has been in existence since 2010 and represents a powerful collaboration between a rural high school in New South Wales (NSW) Australia, a metropolitan university, Indigenous Elders and non-Indigenous community members. An analysis of the narrative data generated through individual and group interviews with stakeholders provided findings with respect to the program including how it has contributed to the building and strengthening of university and community relationships and how important the interaction with Indigenous Elders and school and university staff is in development of confidence to engage in higher education in the Indigenous students. These findings are discussed and the article concludes with reflections on the learnings generated through such university, school and community collaborations and what these may mean in ensuring greater Indigenous representation in higher education in Australia in the future.

Building Bridges: The Story Behind Australia’s Largest Widening Participation Collaboration

Abstract The story of Bridges to Higher Education , in which a consortium of five large Australian universities joined together in collaboration with numerous stakeholder groups to offer a comprehensive suite of programs aimed at widening the participation of those groups underrepresented in higher education in Australia, is one with many salient lessons. In the first section of this chapter, we chart the story “behind the scenes” of the Bridges phenomenon, its purpose and governance arrangements. In the following section we present data as to reach and impact of Bridges based on a 3-year multimethod evaluation. In closing, we reflect on the lessons learned through the development and implementation of Bridges programs and consider future directions.