Familiarity with health education competencies and ethical approaches
The proposed workshop plan will be aligned with the Global Competency Domain 3, which is about communication used as a tool to inform the public on health issues for better health outcomes. Competency domain number three refers to providing information and resources to public for the community health and well-being through health campaigns (WHO, 2024). This workshop also aims to improve public mental health outcomes by providing useful and appropriate knowledge to people in managing the withdrawal of drug use and the strategies to cope with mental stress and poor mental health conditions. Similarly, the workshop also aligns with the ethical approach defined in section 1 of Article IV in Annex 3, which says that health educators are sensitive to social and cultural diversity while planning and implementing programs (WHO, 2012). The workshop adheres to this ethical approach, as the educators will provide education to a culturally diverse population of Australia (Indigenous population), struggling with mental health issues.
Strengths-based approach
A strengths-based approach refers to a solution-based approach which focuses on developing a solution to the problem rather than focusing on the problem or criticising and highlighting the problem or possible reasons for the problem. This kind of approach is totally solution-based, revolving around the development and presentation of the solution to the people. This approach is widely used in health promotion programs to help people navigate their health challenges by considering the coping strategies and interventions being taught in such strength-based health awareness programs (Finlayson et al., 2023). The proposed idea of the workshop is also a strength-based approach as it aims to present solutions to people who are suffering from mental health issues (Askew et al., 2020). This workshop will focus on the targeted audience, which is the Indigenous population aged 14 years and above, who will be presented with useful coping strategies which can help them lower and slowly discontinue the use of harmful substances and drug use. Instead of focusing on the problem, which is mental health issues and drug abuse, the workshop will focus on the solutions and strategies to be presented among the target audience.
In this way, this strength-based approach will be able to create a supportive learning environment for people, who are looking for ways to get rid of their drug addiction. The workshop will not only focus on the strategies but will also share information about the community resources and services which the targeted population can use to navigate the challenges occurring while discontinuing or withdrawing the use of drugs, such as community centre therapies, services, medications, etc. In this way, a supportive environment will be built for the targeted audience within the specific setting, which will help in achieving the aims of the workshop.
