Cultural Advisor
What is a cultural advisor in health services and what do they do?
Cultural advisors promote and enhance the well being of Māori and Pacific using health services. They do this by encouraging staff within the services they work to use cultural best practise models, by supporting, facilitating, promoting and coordinating positive outcomes for those using services, and by regularly meeting with community groups with similar ethnic backgrounds. Cultural Advisors are, ideally, qualified in an area of health, or are working towards a health qualification.
What do Child and Adolescent Mental Health and AOD Cultural Advisors do?
- work with children, young people and their families/whānau to assess their cultural needs and provide appropriate support
- support clinical staff to deliver culturally appropriate care
- work with children, young people and their families/whānau to provide quality care which is clearly understood and acceptable
- develop relationships with children, young people and their whānau to encourage involvement in their care
- participate in the education and training of children, young people and their families/whānau
- look for opportunities to increase staff understanding of tikanga/cultural best practice
- identify and reduce barriers to health care e.g. transportation, accommodation, as well as social and cultural barriers
What's great about this job?
- working with people of your own culture
- making a difference to someone’s life
- there is a great sense of personal satisfaction
- you will be able to apply your cultural knowledge in your work
"I love the work... helping other people, helping families, helping young people….making changes in their lives." Heemi Witehira, Whirinaki CAMHS, Counties Manukau DHB, Auckland
What personal qualities do you need?
A Cultural Worker needs to be:
- mature and have plenty of life experience
- able to work co-operatively and efficiently
- able to work with a high level of professionalism
- organised
- a positive role model for young people and their families
- a good communicator
- able to find humour in challenging situations
- analytical
- knowledgeable of own culture and preferably language
Who could you work with?
Cultural Advisors work alongside other mental health workers as part of a multi-disciplinary team. A key focus of this role is the children and youth using mental health and AOD services and their families/whānau and wider community support networks.
What kind of places could you work in?
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Cultural Advisors can work in various settings. These can include; hospitals, GPs, schools, marae, churches, people's homes and community centres. A large part of a Cultural Advisor’s day can involve working ‘off site’. Psychiatrists can also work as a Consultant across several Services.
