This resource was developed to support and strengthen public health practice in community settings.
Participants in the Health Promotion Principles and Practice Training Program had identified the lack of knowledge about "what to do" and the skills to "do it" as barriers to doing more health promotion activities in their everyday work. Producing a resource to support public health training and provide guidance to staff to achieve better health outcomes in Aboriginal communities was one response to that need.
Megan Smith was the first Project Officer from February 1996 to June 1997. She consulted with over 60 managers and key public health professionals in Territory Health Service about overall content and approach. She facilitated workshops and meetings involving over 100 operational staff to discuss specific topic areas and tease out the complexities and realities of doing prevention and health promotion work in remote areas. Megan did the initial drafting of the chapters.
An Advisory Group provided guidance on content areas and processes for gathering information. Its members were:
Penny Kenchington, Acting Co-ordinator, Sexual Health Unit, Alice Springs; Sally Anne King, Assistant Aboriginal Health Worker Manager, Darwin; Sabina Knight, Manager, Remote Health Education Program, Alice Springs; Peter Pangquee, Aboriginal Health Worker Manager, Gove; Melanie van Haaren, Director of Nursing, Remote Area Services, Alice Springs; Gwen Walley, Training Development Co-ordinator, Aboriginal Living with Alcohol Program, Alice Springs; Tarun Weeramanthri, Community Physician, Darwin; Jo Wright, DMO Darwin.
Allison Adams, project officer from February 1997 to April 19999 continued researching and drafting the ‘Environmental Health’ chapter. She then took the resource through the next stage of editing, referencing and updating to incorporate new directions and approaches that were developing at the time.
Ray Smith compiled the chapter ‘Planning and Evaluating a Health Promotion Project’, based on materials developed for the Health Promotion Principles and Practice Training Program and materials drafted by Megan Smith.
The work was completed by a core editorial group, consisting of Nea Harrison, Alison Laycock and Carol Watson, with further editorial advice provided by Louise Clark, Sue Earle, Gloria Markey, Joe Martin-Jard, Annie Villesèche and Peter Zeroni.
The Librarians of Territory Health Service Library Services, Anne Alderslade, Sally Bailey and staff, in Darwin and Alice Springs provided reference material and suggested other useful references.
Dot Morrison finalised the bibliographies.
Public Affairs and Social Services provided invaluable specialist publishing advice and support to finalise the publication.
Many people, within Territory Health Services and from other organisations, contributed their ideas at workshops. Many others wrote or told their stories, drafted material, commented on numerous drafts of the various chapters and provided unflagging support for this project. Their names appear inside the front cover.
We thank you one and all.
We hope that the Public Health Bush Book will occupy a special place, as a practical friend, in your ‘toolkit’ of resources for working in community settings in the Northern Territory.
Public Health Strategy Unit