How prepared is Australian occupational therapy to decolonise its practice?

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy education
• Indigenous health and wellbeing
• Cultural competency standards

Background:

• Cultural security, respect, and responsiveness are vital for occupational therapists to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health.
• New accreditation standards offer a chance to decolonize occupational therapy and boost graduate cultural capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the preparedness of Australian occupational therapy programs for implementing new cultural competency standards.
• To explore challenges and opportunities in decolonizing occupational therapy education.

Main Methods:

• Participatory action research principles were employed.
• A survey of academic staff informed semi-structured interviews with 10 academics and accreditors.
• Thematic analysis was used for interview data.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: profession drivers, leadership, community/Elder involvement, and course design.
• Occupational therapy needs better preparation to decolonize within Australia.
• Community and Elder engagement is crucial for building cultural capabilities.

Conclusions:

• New standards are a positive step, but decolonization requires further action.
• Engaging Elders and community members enhances cultural capability for students and practitioners.
• Non-Indigenous leadership is essential for building trust and supporting knowledge exchange to decolonize the profession.