1. Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015 1
Connect Physiotherapy Conference 2015
Closing the Gap
Delivering service to Aboriginal people – stories from the streets
Presenter
Brendan Phillips, BAppSc(Physio), MBA, GradDip(Chaplaincy)
6 October 2015

2. 2
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Australian demographic statistics, March quarter 2012. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

3. “Don’t just read about the gaps”
“When you read a report, a report tells you
there’s a gap but when you see it for yourself,
firsthand, it is very real and tangible, and you
can taste it and smell it.”…
Ken Wyatt - NITV News 30 September 2015
Australia’s first indigenous minister
3Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

4. 4
“Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you
grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the
repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with
mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible
effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across
a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high
levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and
lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to
confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_tr
auma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en (Sourced: 30
September, 2015)
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health
Across a Lifetime
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

5. “We are all spiritual creatures with a
strong spiritual instinct.”*
5
Like all others
Like some others
Like no other
*Dr Charles Topper in ‘Spirituality in Pastoral Counseling and the Community Helping Professions.’
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

6. Listening to people’s stories
• Loss (especially death)
• Violence/trauma
• Compulsive ways of coping
• Identity
• Belonging
• Fear/distrust
• Hope
• Shame
• Anger/resentment
• Despair
• Personal worth/dignity
6
“Listen with an intensity that most
people save for talking.”
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

7. Spiritual needs and distress
• meaning and purpose
• give love
• receive love
• forgiveness, hope and creativity
• deepening connections with self, others,
God/higher power, creation
» See Highfield and Cason (1983), ‘Spiritual needs of
patients: are they recognised?’, Cancer Nursing.
7Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

8. 8
Biopsychosocial-spiritual model of ‘whole person care’
“A human person is a being in
relationship—biologically, psychologically,
socially, and transcendently. The patient is
a human person. Illness disrupts all of the
dimensions of relationship that constitute
the patient as a human person, and there-
fore only a biopsychosocial-spiritual model
can pro- vide a foundation for treating
patients holistically.”
Daniel P. Sulmasy, OFM, MD, PhD The
Gerontologist 2002. Vol. 42, Special Issue III, 24–33
*Source: Hatala, R., (2013), Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 15 (4)
*
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

9. ‘WUNGEN KARTUP’ meaning ‘place of healthy minds’
(SAMHS Metropolitan)
9
‘Dance of Life’
“When all the dimensions are in balance,
within the universe, we can break free
of our shackles and truly dance through life.”
--Dr Helen Milroy
‘Whole of Life’
Dimensions
1. Cultural
2. Spiritual
3. Social
4. Emotional
5. Physical
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

10. 10
Source: the mooditj marmun book: services for aboriginal men. (Man: Healthier directions for males)
‘Whole of Life’ Approach to Well-being
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

11. 11
Source: the mooditj marmun book: services for aboriginal men. (Man: Healthier directions for males)
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

12. Spiritual care training
Nurse Educ Today. 1996 Feb;16(1):38-43.
Teaching spiritual care to nurses.
Ross, L.A.
Abstract
In this paper a number of issues related to the teaching of spiritual
care to nurses are considered. The spiritual dimension influences
health and well-being. Research shows that patients considered their
spiritual needs of importance. Nurses held a similar view but felt the
need for further education to help them give spiritual care. The
nursing literature suggests that spiritual care is part of the nurse's role
and guidelines for nurse education state that it should be taught to
nurses. It is not clear, however, if or how the subject is taught or how
effective such teaching is in helping nurses to give spiritual care. The
ways in which spiritual care could be taught are explored.
12Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

13. Some spiritual concepts in health
• Spiritual assessment
• Spiritual diagnosis/domain
• Spiritual health
• Spiritual awareness/understanding
• Spiritual sensitivity
• Spiritual empathy
• Spiritual certitude
• Spiritual identity
• Spiritual support/eco-gram
• Spiritual integrity
• Spiritual meaning/significance
• Spiritual connection/disconnection
• Spiritual openness/intolerance
• Spiritual exploration
• Spiritual self-assurance
• Spiritual insight/revelation
• Spiritual shift
• Spiritual needs
• Spiritual distress/crisis
• Spiritual care/pastoral care
• Spiritual competencies/skills
• Spiritual guidance/direction
• Spiritual experience
• Spiritual beliefs
• Spiritual practices/rituals
• Spiritual formation/growth
• Spiritual sacredness/holiness
• Functional spirituality
• Substantive spirituality
• Spiritual maturity
• Spiritual praxis
• Clinical pastoral education (CPE)
13Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

14. 14
• Journal of religion, spirituality & aging [electronic resource]
• Journal of religion & spirituality in social work [electronic resource]
• Journal of management, spirituality & religion [electronic resource] : an
international refereed journal
• Earthsong journal [electronic resource] : perspectives in ecology,
spirituality and education
• Spiritus [electronic resource] : a journal of Christian spirituality
• Spirituality & health [electronic resource]
• Magistra [electronic resource] : a journal of women's spirituality in
history
• Via spiritus [electronic resource]
• Journal of spirituality in mental health [electronic resource]
• Interbeing [electronic resource]
• International journal of children's spirituality [electronic resource]
• Psychology of religion and spirituality [electronic resource]
• Science & spirit [electronic resource]
• Performance and spirituality [electronic resource]
• Search [electronic resource]
• Journal of men, masculinities and spirituality [electronic resource]
Spirituality’s rise in interest, research and praxis
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

15. Search item Google Scholar hits (1 Oct. 2015)
Social work and spirituality 445,000
Religion and spirituality 434,000
Psychology and spirituality 234,000
Management and spirituality 193,000
Medicine and spirituality 182,000
Nursing and spirituality 91,400
Pastoral care and spirituality 52,300
Psychiatry and spirituality 50,600
Speech therapy and spirituality 39,800
Nutrition and spirituality 33,600
Occupational therapy and spirituality 25,400
Massage and spirituality 16,700
Dentistry and spirituality 3,890
Physiotherapy and spirituality 2,810
Osteopathy and spirituality 1,170
15Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

16. Spiritual Care Competency in Nursing
16
Ross, L., et. al., (2014), ‘Student nurses perceptions of spirituality and competence in delivering
spiritual care: A European pilot study.’ Vol. 34, Issue 5.
Background
Spiritual care is expected of nurses, but it is not clear how undergraduates can
achieve competency in spiritual care at point of registration as required by
nursing/midwifery regulatory bodies.
Conclusions
The following are worthy of further investigation: whether the pilot
study findings hold in student samples from more diverse cultural
backgrounds; whether students' perceptions of spirituality can be
broadened to include the full range of spiritual needs patients may
encounter and whether their competence can be enhanced by
education to better equip them to deliver spiritual care; identification of
factors contributing to acquisition of spiritual caring skills and spiritual
care competency.
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

17. Spiritual Care Competency in Physiotherapy
17
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore physical therapist students'
perceptions of spirituality and religion relative to patient care and to
identify their comfort level in addressing these issues with patients.
Conclusion
The percentage of students who were unsure of their comfort level in
some aspects of spiritual care suggested that they may not have the
knowledge to apply these beliefs to patient care at this time. Students
in the older cohort reported increased comfort in talking with patients
about hope and in accepting beliefs different from their own compared
to the youngest cohort. The results of this study seem to indicate that
students may require formal training in recognizing and addressing the
spiritual needs of patients and clients.
Sargeant, D.M., & Newsham, K.R, (2012) Physical Therapist Students' Perceptions of Spirituality
and Religion in Patient Care, Journal of Physical Therapy Education, Vol. 26 (2)
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

18. Spirituality and Coping Strategies in
Physiotherapy
18
Conclusion
The male and female students had a significant difference
in negative religious coping and internal locus of control of the spirituality,
and in problem focused engagement and emotion focused disengagement
of the coping strategies. Especially the female students had more spirituality
and coping strategies except problem focused engagement when compared
to the male paramedical students.
Samuel, A.R., & Kannappan, R. (2011) ‘Spirituality and Coping Strategies of
Physiotherapy Students,’ Journal of Psychosocial Research.
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

19. Call for hope within Physiotherapy
“the findings of this review highlight that physiotherapists
need to give more explicit consideration to the role of
hope in recovery following SCI. Physiotherapists may
inadvertently impact hope through the course of
rehabilitation, for better or for worse. As such, a greater
awareness of the role of hope and factors that may help
or hinder hope, along with the adoption of related
strategies, is likely to optimise the potentially beneficial
effects of hope for people following SCI.”*
*Amber Van Lit and Nicola Hays (2014) NZ Journal of Physiotherapy
19Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

20. Service marketing insights for design
20
Perceived Value = (Perceived Benefits – Perceived Burdens)
Insight: Understand how your service is perceived by target consumers.
Then design delivery to maximise benefits and minimise burdens.
Benefits
Spiritual
Psychic
Social
Time
Physical
Aesthetics
Money
Sensory
Burdens
Spiritual
Psychic
Social
Time
Physical
Aesthetics
Money
Sensory
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

21. Closing the Gaps Together
21Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015

22. Healing and Thriving Together
22
“Healing is not just about recovering
what has been lost or repairing what
has been broken. It is about embracing
our life force to create a new and
vibrant fabric that keeps us grounded
and connected, wraps us in warmth
and love and gives us the joy of seeing
what we have created.”
Prof Helen Milroy (2013) ‘The Nature
of Healing.’ Recovery Stories.
Brendan Phillips – Physiotherapy Conference 2015