The experience of isolated practice for Indigenous mental health and addictions workers

Background: In Australia, the gap in mental health and addictions outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is well documented. The integration of Indigenous mental health and addictions (IMHA) workers into mainstream mental health services has been adopted to provide more culturally appropriate services, and address health disparities. However, processes for utilizing the role and strategies for supporting this workforce are unclear. This study aimed to understand the experiences of IMHA workers in two Metropolitan Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) to assist in the development of policy and workforce support strategies. Methodology: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with IMHA workers (n = 17) and analyzed thematically. Results: The IMHA workforce is extremely valuable, but complex, and confronted by challenging systemic barriers. Experiences of isolation, lack of cultural safety, and limits on practice are common. This situation creates difficulty for the IMHA workers and undermines their effectiveness to work in ways preferred by the IMHA workers. Conclusion: Enhancing cultural safety for the IMHA workforce is a crucial precursor to achieving culturally appropriate service provision for Indigenous consumers. The interaction of cultural safety for IMHA workers with consumer outcomes and experiences is an important area for future research.