Up close and personal at arm's length

Perhaps the most considerable challenge working and living in an Indigenous community is the need to remain impartial, independent and, above all, somewhat removed from the day-to-day life of the community itself.
But what happens when the success of that job depends on your ability to become part of the community - and becoming part of the community only happens when you immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of the community?
It's hard not to let yourself become too involved, and with two weeks until my deployment finishes, I find myself increasingly asking how close is too close?
Do I intervene when I see the 15 year-old from next door copping a hiding from his drunk father? Should I really be taking 40 litres of fresh water to a remote outstation at midnight? Does a spectacular tropical sunset over a remote stretch of coastland justify having an icy-cold beer with a bunch of blokes who are known alcoholics?
In saying yes or no to questions like those above, there's a direct bearing on your presence, identity and standing in the community, and through that, your ability to effectively service the community. In many cases, saying yes, taking part or cracking open that icy-cold can of beer is one of the few rewards - however right or wrong - in an otherwise completely restricting environment.
Most of the time, I'm confident I'm doing the right thing, getting up close and personal while staying at arm's length, but it's a fine line, and yet another complexity in the confusing world of Aboriginal service delivery.