Transcultural Issues When Assessing Indigenous ...

Transcultural Issues When Assessing Indigenous Individuals As A Non-Indigenous Psychologist

Dr. Chris Richardson Ph.D.

Abstract When assessing Indigenous individuals, particularly in remote communities, it can be difficult for transcultural issues to be considered by a non-Indigenous psychologist trained in Western psychological theory.

However, with the disparity between life in isolated Indigenous communities and what are considered ‘normal’ behaviours and which is generally linked to American individuals in a psychological sense, it is of paramount importance that transcultural issues are considered by the assessing psychologist.

Discussed in this presentation are the difficulties experienced at initial contact with those who live in isolated communities, in the context of writing reports for Courts which expect objective measures to be used (i.e., Western psychometric tests) when assessing individuals in all areas of law. Mechanisms developed over the past nine years of practice and which allow a more global assessment of Indigenous individuals in remote communities are also discussed.

5 communities

8 communities 5 communities

Contact With Communities • Extraordinarily Isolated – at least 2 hour flight or a day travel in 4wd • West Coast -based in Weipa for a week and fly to communities every day or

• Fly to Mt. Isa and bunny hop up the West Coast to

visit communities in a charter plane – again for 7-10 days

• East Coast – based in Cooktown for three days and drive to communities every day • Long days/weeks

• Away approximately two weeks out of every month

Issues of Personal Wellbeing as a Therapist Whilst Travelling • Effect on psychological wellbeing – tiredness,

inability to focus, feelings of apprehension etc • Effect on social/family/business as a result of being away so often • Effect of travelling with a group of other professionals – limited personal space • Living out of a suitcase – personal and file management difficulties

Lack of Experience in Communities • Unfamiliar environment • Limited knowledge of communities • Limited knowledge of cultural issues and

protocols in communities • Limited knowledge of life in communities • Limited knowledge of the complexity of issues in communities – effects of Colonisation & enculturation • Fly-in Fly-out mentality

Flow-on Effect on the Therapeutic Process • Difficulty engaging with client • Limited time in communities • Unless there is a sound understanding of the issues an appropriate assessment of the ‘matter’ can not be made

Types of Assessments • Three types of assessments done for Courts including:-

– Victim of Crime Compensation Claims – Pre Sentence Reports for offenders who are pleading ‘guilty’ to an offence – Social Assessments/Family Court Assessments

Victim of Crime Compensation Claims • 3 major players – Tharpuntoo/ILS – Legal Aid Queensland – Solicitor

• Assessing PTSD and Depression associated with an offence – victims • Implications of alcohol and drug use of victims (discrimination by Department – urine tests)

Assessment Tools for PTSD & Depression • • • •

Trauma Symptom Inventory – TSI Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children - TSCC Beck Depression Inventory - BDI Personality Assessment Screener – PAS

All devised by American Psychologists Only one assessment tool for Indigenous individuals and that’s only for kids at this point in time!!!!! Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist - Youth

Trauma Symptom Inventory

Anxious Arousal Questions • • • • • • • •

Periods of trembling or shaking Feeling tense and on edge Worrying about things Feeling jumpy High anxiety Nervousness Being startled or frightened by sudden noises Feeling afraid you might die or be injured

Impaired Self Reference Questions • • • • • •

Feeling empty inside Feeling like you don’t know who you really are Not understanding why you did something Not being sure of what you want in life Needing other people to tell you what to do

Getting confused about what you thought or believed • Getting your own feelings mixed up with some one else’s

• Your thoughts or feelings changing when you are with other people

Tension Reducing Behaviour Questions • Threatening or attempting suicide • Starting arguments or picking fights to get your anger out • Yelling or telling people off when you felt you shouldn’t have • Intentionally hurting yourself even though you weren’t trying to commit suicide • Trying to keep from being alone - yarning

Other Example Problematic Survey Questions In A Cultural Sense • Wishing you had more money • Feeling like you are living in a dream • Seeing people from the spirit world

Pre-Sentence Reports • In isolated communities a greater percentage of people come into contact with the legal system/police than in urban communities whether as a perpetrator or victim (=%of Indigenous individuals in the jail setting).

• Offenders are being held in custody on remand for up to 600 days

• They are not able to access any of the custodial programs whilst on remand

• By the time a pre sentence report has been ordered,

offenders are often in custody for as long as the head sentence ultimately ordered by the Courts – no chance

• Difficulties assessing individuals in the custodial setting

– Lack of privacy – In some settings therapist and offender are separated by glass – Difficulty engaging with client – Clients away from supporting friends and family and experiencing distress associated with such separation

Family & Social Assessments • Another Stolen Generation? • Often as a result of violence in the family,

alcohol and less often drug use and abuse the Department of Child Safety remove children from families in Indigenous communities • As a result of the distances the children are removed from their culture and their family

• When assessing the risk to the child the following matters must be considered:-

– Are there other members of family or community who are able to ‘grow the child up’? – What support systems are there in the community (?qualifications/skills of workers in the communities) – If the child is being cared for out of their community is there regular access to their family and community – i.e., does the wet season impact on travel?

– Is there a possibility of keeping the child safe on the homeland? – How does removing the child influence the rest of the family, particularly their siblings? – How are the child’s cultural needs being met whilst in the urban community in care – Problems with boredom when returned to their community after being in an urban community for extended periods can lead to acting out and substance abuse when returned to their community

These are not issues that are generally relevant to children in urban communities

Mechanisms Developed • First and foremost, having people in the

communities with whom you connect… I was lucky!!!! • Become aware of the differences and similarities in each community • Live in the communities – try not to fly-in fly-out all the time (difficult with distances and travel constraints but necessary!!!)

• Listen to the client, learn their language and

hear their story without the filter of your own culture…. Hear the words, see the behaviour without Western ideology • Gain an understanding of the culture through experience and discussion with elders and others in the communities • When using assessment tools, clarify any question that might be culturally biased so that the ‘answer’ is ‘correct’. This involves a sound knowledge of the assessment tool and the statistical relevance of each question

Above all, be compassionate, be aware of where your thoughts and feelings are at all times, be safe and be healthy and happy…… You can not help others if you yourself are not ‘together’ Professionally ● Personally ● Physically ●

If you cant advocate for yourself, you cant advocate for others.

Thank You For Listening!!! Chris