Njernda Social Work Mentoring Project

St Luke’s is involved in a 12-month project in partnership with Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca.

The project contains 2 main components:

1. Building the capacity of Njernda Family Services staff to meet increasingly complex service issues through mentoring, training and policy development support.
2. Building the capacity of Njernda and St Luke’s to work together by increasing two way learning and shared experiences.

The project acknowledges that mainstream agencies and workers may not recognise the systemic relationship they hold with Aboriginal communities as ‘dominant culture’.

A challenge facing mainstream and Aboriginal organisations is having adequate resources and confidence for genuine 2 way learning and addressing issues of culturally ‘safe’ or ‘appropriate’ practice. This model ensures that 2-way learning for both Njernda and St Luke’s staff is facilitated to occur.

Links:

Njernda and St Lukes Mentor Project

Njernda Report November 2004