I am an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Palm Island, Nth Queensland, home to the Bwgcolman people. My role as a health professional has been interrelated with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and professional leadership experiences over the past three decades.This has involved participating in various leadership roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health on State, Territory, Federal and International forums.

I have extensive practice in rural and remote health, and am a strong advocate for Aboriginal community controlled health. I am committed to developing effective research and education that impacts on health praxis; in particular working towards better outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health. This has led to a passion for working with community to develop support strategies to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth health and families through best practice, and more recently including families and prison research/correctional services with Prof. Andrew Day, Indigenous Education and Reserach Centre.

The passion to work with and for community has extended into the use of social media for public health activism and advocacy such as #IHMayDay (Indigenous Health May Day https://croakey.org/about-ihmayday/ ) an annual 15 hour Twitter event convened and moderated by myself in collaboration with public health journalist Dr Melissa Sweet.

Teaching

• NS4101: Capstone - Midwifery Care for Aboriginal and TSI Women and their Families (Level 4; TSV)
• NS5132: Midwifery Care of Murri and Torres Strait Islander Families (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• nursing and midwifery Indigenous family health; psychosocial health; perinatal mental health youth and young people's health alcohol, drugs and substances prison research community development social and emotional wellbeing
• Reconciliation processes at all levels of government and community between First Nations Austalians and wider Australian community.
• Social Media (Twitter) Health Advocacy and Activism. Convening Annual Twitter Event #IHMayDay Indigenous Health May Day with other health professionals.
• Domestic and International politics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. State and Federal Goverment health CTG intiatives and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

Research

• Indigenous research methods and methodology, and knowledge development. Reserach capacity building with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, local research informing local service development and delivery.
• Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, child rearing practices, holistic family service development.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and young people's social, emotional, spiritual and mental health wellbeing.

Teaching

• Model of health care consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's health outcomes.

Experience

• 2018 to present - AI WOmen’s action for Mums and Bubs (WOMB): A pragmatic trial of participatory women’s groups to improve Indigenous maternal and child health, CI Dr Sarah Larkins, James Cook University (Townsville and Aboriginal Communities)
• 2015 to present - PhD Research Supervisor PhD Candidate in progress., James Cook University (Towsville)
• 2017 to 2018 - Cultural Consultant/Health Researcher, QCS Development of an Intevention Pathway/Models that reduce reoffending for Aboriginal and Torrres Strait Islanders, James Cook University, Queensland Correctional Services (Townville)
• 2016 to 2018 - CI on Palm Island study ‘The social impact of drug, alcohol and volatile substance misuse among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their family on Palm Island: a community survey informing a Palm Island Youth Strategy’, James Cook University, Ferdy's Haven Palm Island, Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service (Townsville and Palm Island)
• 2016 to 2017 - PhD Research Supervisor PhD Candidate to completion, University of Canberra (External Supervisor, Townsville)
• 2009 to 2013 - Cohort Indigenous research member in Building Indigenous Research Capacity Project. NH&MRC project for developing Indigenous researchers Australia wide., James Cook University (Townville)
• 2006 to 2012 - PhD Research - Thesis: First steps, making footprints: intergenerational Palm Island families' Indigenous stories (narratives) of childrearing practice strengths., James Cook University (Townsville and Palm Island)
• 2008 to 2009 - Research Fellow, Federal Govt Project - Integrated Services Modelling Project, Dept of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Townville and Palm Island)
• 2005 to 2009 - Indigenous Consultant/Counselor, informing service development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, conducting research in victims of crime and service development., Relationships Australia Queensland (Townsville)
• 2001 to 2005 - Indigenous Constultant/Research Assistant, modifying the EPDS for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women in Townsville, Mount Isa and Palm Island, Nth Queensland., beyondblue National Post Natal Depression Project (James Cook University)
• 2000 to 2002 - Special Project Officer Public Health, Indigenous Cervical Cancer Research, Queensland Health (James Cook University)
• 1994 to 1999 - Midwife/Health Service Manager. Researching effectiveness of Aboriginal community control on antenatal care services and birthing outcomes. Perinatal mental health. Co-author of 1st edition of Minymaku Kujta Tjurkurpa Women's Business Manual, Congress Alukura by the Grandmothers Law (Alice Springs, Central Australia)

Research Disciplines

• Public Health and Health Services (1117)
• Criminology (1602)
• Nursing (1110)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Indigenous Health (9203)
• Public Health (9204)
• Specific Population Health (9205)

Awards

• 2016 - Sally Goold Award, Congress for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives,

Other

• 2010 to 2011 - Wood Scholarship for Postgraduate Indigenous Health Studies
• 2010 - Australian Federation of Graduate Women Inc.
• 2007 to 2008 - Thelma Meyers Memorial Indigenous Nursing Scholarship

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Geia L, Broadfield K, Grainger D, Day A and Watkin-Lui F (2018) Adolescent and young adult substance use in Australian Indigenous communities: a systematic review of demand control program outcomes. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 42 (3). pp. 254-261
• Geia L, Pearson L and Sweet M (2017) Narratives of Twitter as a platform for professional development, innovation, and advocacy. Australian Psychologist, 52 (4). pp. 280-287
• Geia L, Hayes B and Usher K (2013) Yarning/Aboriginal storytelling: towards an understanding of an Indigenous perspective and its implications for research practice. Contemporary Nurse, 46 (1). pp. 13-17
• Jackson D, Power T, Sherwood J and Geia L (2013) Amazingly resilient Indigenous people!: using transformative learning to facilitate positive student engagement with sensitive material. Contemporary Nurse, 46 (1). pp. 105-112
• Hayes B, Campbell A, Buckby B, Geia L and Egan M (2010) The interface of mental and emotional health and pregnancy in urban indigenous women: research in progress. Infant Mental Health Journal, 31 (3). pp. 277-290
• Larkins S, Geia L and Panaretto K (2006) Consultations in general practice and at an Aboriginal community controlled health service: do they differ? Rural and Remote Health, 6 (3). pp. -

Other research outputs

• Sabesan S, Kelly J, Budden L and Geia L (2015) My Family's Anti-Tobacco Education (My-FATE) model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 23 (3). pp. 189-190
• Callope E, Felton-Busch C, Geia L, Budden L, Baldwin A and Sparke V (2014) U-Connect: a tool for engaging and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at university. Abstracts from tMount Isa Rural, Remote and Indigenous Health Conference: are you remotely interested?. 30 June - 1 July 2014, Mt Isa, QLD, Australia
• Sherwood J and Geia L (2014) Historical and current perspectives on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In: Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, pp. 7-30
• Geia L, Budden L, Felton-Busch C, Baldwin A, Sparke V, Callope E, Ives K, Boucher R, Johns K and Hinch J (2014) Connectedness, confidence, competence, celebration: 4C'ing the future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery students. Abstracts from "Are you remotely interested...?" Remote Health Conference. 30 July- 1st August 2014, Mt Isa, Queensland, Australia
• Geia L, Hayes B and Usher K (2011) A strengths based approach to Australian Aboriginal childrearing practices is the answer to better outcomes in Aboriginal family and child health. Collegian, 18 (3). pp. 99-100

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