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<p>Social work practice in rural and remote First Nations communities in Australia occurs within a complex intersection of structural inequality, historical and ongoing colonisation, and chronic service delivery constraints. Despite national commitments to reconciliation, Closing the Gap, and culturally safe practice, First Nations peoples living outside metropolitan centres continue to experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, chronic disease, housing insecurity, educational disengagement, child removal, and incarceration. These inequities are most acute in the Northern Territory, where most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in remote or very remote locations. This paper critically examines social work practice in marginalised rural and remote First Nations communities, with particular attention to how policy-driven service models interact with Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing frameworks. Drawing on contemporary literature and practice-based experience, the paper analyses the structural determinants shaping Indigenous wellbeing, limitations in social work’s professional response, and the tensions inherent in externally designed interventions. A detailed programme profile of the Remote Family Support Services (RFSS) program operating in the Barkly and West Arnhem regions illustrates both the possibilities and constraints of culturally responsive, trauma-informed practice embedded within government funding frameworks. The analysis demonstrates that, while relational, strengths-based approaches grounded in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCHO) partnerships can produce meaningful short-term improvements in family wellbeing, sustainable change remains constrained by workforce instability, short-term funding, and unresolved structural inequities. The paper argues that advancing social justice in remote contexts requires not only individual practitioner competence but also a fundamental shift towards Indigenous self-determination in programme design, governance, and evaluation.</p>

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Social Work in Rural and Remote First Nations Communities in Australia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

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  • Mutsa Murenje,
  • Mel Gray

摘要

Social work practice in rural and remote First Nations communities in Australia occurs within a complex intersection of structural inequality, historical and ongoing colonisation, and chronic service delivery constraints. Despite national commitments to reconciliation, Closing the Gap, and culturally safe practice, First Nations peoples living outside metropolitan centres continue to experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, chronic disease, housing insecurity, educational disengagement, child removal, and incarceration. These inequities are most acute in the Northern Territory, where most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in remote or very remote locations. This paper critically examines social work practice in marginalised rural and remote First Nations communities, with particular attention to how policy-driven service models interact with Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing frameworks. Drawing on contemporary literature and practice-based experience, the paper analyses the structural determinants shaping Indigenous wellbeing, limitations in social work’s professional response, and the tensions inherent in externally designed interventions. A detailed programme profile of the Remote Family Support Services (RFSS) program operating in the Barkly and West Arnhem regions illustrates both the possibilities and constraints of culturally responsive, trauma-informed practice embedded within government funding frameworks. The analysis demonstrates that, while relational, strengths-based approaches grounded in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCHO) partnerships can produce meaningful short-term improvements in family wellbeing, sustainable change remains constrained by workforce instability, short-term funding, and unresolved structural inequities. The paper argues that advancing social justice in remote contexts requires not only individual practitioner competence but also a fundamental shift towards Indigenous self-determination in programme design, governance, and evaluation.