Taking control of health: Gurriny's story of organisational change

This case study provides a detailed analysis of one change process within an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation. It was based on a process of reflective action research to inform ongoing service-development and quality-improvement through an established working partnership with university researchers. The focus was strengthening the original social and emotional well-being services and striking a balance between biomedical dominance versus the promotion of social and emotional well-being. The result was a model of empowerment processes and outcomes to guide organisational change and a range of benefits for the organisation. The study provides an example for others interested in similar processes and identifies some of the key success factors for community control