The National Aboriginal and Islander Organisation (NAIHO, 1982, p. 2) has stated that health is: ‘not just the physical well-being of the individual but the social, emotional and cultural well-being...

The National Aboriginal and Islander Organisation (NAIHO, 1982, p. 2) has stated that health is: ‘not just the physical well-being of the individual but the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community. This is a whole-of-life view... Health care services should strive to achieve the state where every individual is able to achieve their full potential as human beings, and thus bring about the total well-being of the community…’ In this assessment task you are required to prepare a 1,200 word reflective essay. This assessment task requires you to reflect upon and discuss your position in relation to the above statement as you see it relates to health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There are four required components to the task: Describe a potential health strategy that could be used to achieve the health services envisioned in the NAIHO statement above. Discuss the implications of participating in the potential health strategy for your own health care practice, including an explanation about how you would interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff. Describe how the potential health strategy would contribute towards ‘closing the gap’. Demonstrate your understanding of the concepts of cultural safety, self-determination and collaboration in components 1, 2, and 3. Reflective writing should demonstrate critical reading and thinking skills. The use of ‘I’ is expected in this assessment task (‘I think, I do not agree, I agree’, etc). You are expected to undertake research beyond the unit materials, and use a range of books and journal articles. A recommended list that provides a useful starting point can be found at the end of this unit outline. You are required to support your reflective essay with a minimum of 6 scholarly references.