What is Shift? 

 #Shift is a new Six Week Health Promotion Program purpose built by Spark for delivery within a corrections environment. 

It's six weeks of health education including topics such as goal setting, mental health, physical activity and nutrition, and getting moving with Traditional Aboriginal Game based workouts.

 

Hear what our Shift participants are saying...

 #Shift takes a strength based cultural determinants approach to Aboriginal health, wellbeing and safety.  A cultural determinants approach is an effective way to improve the social determinants of health, wellbeing and safety, recognising that cultural factors positively influence the lives of Aboriginal people^[3]. This approach is aligned with the Aboriginal Community’s holistic understanding of health^[4] and recognises that health promotion programs are most effective when Aboriginal people and Communities are engaged in culturally relevant prevention and health promotion actions^[5]. 

#Shift focuses on creating a culturally welcoming and safe space for Aboriginal people to come together in and participate in physical activity sessions. 

We are so stoked that the program design has culture at its core and that the physical activity sessions will comprise of the delivery of Yulunga (Traditional Indigenous Games^[9]).  The team at #Spark are trained Yulunga facilitators and will play a selection of traditional games and activities from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities from all around Australia. It provides an opportunity to learn about, appreciate, strengthen and experience aspects of Indigenous culture and identity whist getting our recommended daily activity.

So why #Shift?

Prisons and juvenile detainees in Australia experience profound disadvantage in health compared to the wider community[1]. 

The prison and custody setting provides a unique opportunity to deliver preventive care and early intervention to marginalised (often unhealthy) groups who would otherwise be classified as ‘hard to reach’ a population^[2] 

The team are really excited about the opportunity to deliver meaningful and engaging health promotion where it is needed most and are hoping to see the #Shift in health and wellbeing in these groups. 

Stay tuned for more updates about #Shift as we get in to the delivery phase of this project! 

 

Get your own Shift Chart here. 

 

Want to know more?

For more information about #Shift please contact the team at Spark Health by emailing hello@sparkheatlh.com.au. We'd love to hear from you!

Curious about where we'll be hanging out? You can see more about the new facilities at Ravenhall here. 

 

References

^[1] Australian Medical Association: Position statement on health and the criminal justice system, (2012) <https://ama.com.au/position-statement/health-and-criminal-justice-system-2012>

^[2] Australian Medical Association: Position statement on health and the criminal justice system, 2012 <https://ama.com.au/position-statement/health-and-criminal-justice-system-2012>

^[3] State of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health and Human Services, August, (2017), Korin Korin Balit-Djak: Aboriginal Health, Wellbeing and Safety Strategic plan 2017–2027, p.10.

^[4] Aboriginal health” means not just the physical well-being of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole Community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total well-being of their Community. It is a whole of life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life (NACCHO) http://www.naccho.org.au/about/aboriginal-health/definitions/

^[5] State of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health and Human Services, August, (2017), Korin Korin Balit-Djak: Aboriginal Health, Wellbeing and Safety Strategic plan 2017–2027, p.68.