Research as Respect: Elevating the Knowledge and Stories of Men at an Aboriginal-Controlled Residential Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service

Authors

Mark J. Hammersley, Dardi Munwurro, Victoria, AustraliaFollow
Uncle Les Stanley, Community Elder, Melbourne, AustraliaFollow
Greg J. Smith Dr, The University of MelbourneFollow

Abstract

This conversation between an Aboriginal Elder, an Aboriginal senior manager/practitioner, and a non-Aboriginal narrative therapist/groupworker centres on a social research project they undertook with men residing in an Aboriginal men’s alcohol and other drug recovery service in Melbourne, Australia. The men were invited to contribute accounts of what was important in their lives and the practices that supported positive developments in their time at the facility. The men, manager, and a community Elder directed a research process that prioritised the use of these accounts to contribute to the lives of other men. The men resident at the facility provided access to transcripts of narrative therapy counselling and groupwork sessions, which were then examined using a narrative inquiry methodology. The men described the importance to them of identities as Aboriginal men, fathers, and family and community members. They gave accounts of how the service had contributed to significant developments in these identities. Key themes included the Aboriginal-managed nature of the service, providing an environment free from judgment, supporting recovery, healing, and re-connection with culture. Relationships with staff differed from those experienced by the men in other services: including respect for culture, being “on the same level,” sharing of experiences, and different approaches to role boundaries. As an outcome of the research, training materials were produced from the words of participants to promote respectful support and therapeutic practices. The project also illuminated the contributions that people subject to therapy, casework, and research make to the professional and personal lives of practitioners and researchers. In the words of Elder Les Stanley, “In a research project like this, everyone changes.”

Keywords

Aboriginal, First Nations, narrative therapy, qualitative research, relational research

Author Bio(s)

Mark Hammersley is an Aboriginal practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working with Aboriginal and other men in service delivery, senior management, and 12-Step programs. Mark has a particular interest in narrative groupwork and has a Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. Mark is also a practicing artist with qualifications in art therapy. He is currently a healing and behavioural change facilitator southern coordinator and family centred practitioner at Dardi Munwurro, based in Victoria, Australia. Please direct correspondence to mark.hammersley@dardimunwurro.com.au

Uncle Les Stanley is a Murri/Aboriginal community Elder from the Winton/Longreach/Barcaldine area in the Central West of Queensland. Les lived on the streets of St. Kilda before, as Les describes it, “I got my shit together and got sober.” Les is an accomplished artist and respected community Elder in the St. Kilda area. Please direct correspondence to lesliemurristanley@gmail.com

Dr. Greg Smith is of Irish and English lineage, with extensive experience in casework, community projects, and training roles. He has facilitated training and narrative counselling at Aboriginal-controlled services for the last 24 years. Greg’s qualifications include degrees in science, social work, and narrative therapy and community work. Greg drew on the project described in this paper to complete a PhD at The University of Melbourne (G. Smith, 2023). Please direct correspondence to gregsmith.melbourne@gmail.com

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the men who contributed accounts of their lives to this project, their ancestors and supports. The project would not have been possible without the active involvement of Dr. Marnie Sather.

Publication Date

12-30-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7809

Recommended APA Citation

Hammersley, M., Stanley, L., & Smith, G. (2024). Research as respect: Elevating the knowledge and stories of men at an Aboriginal-controlled residential alcohol and drug recovery service. The Qualitative Report, 29(12), 169-189. https://doi.org/ 10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7809