Category Suicide prevention

29 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Danila Dilba hosts Timor Leste delegation

Limited resources including chronic understaffing, with health clinics that are supposed to have five staff making do with one or two. A population that struggles with literacy, poverty and inclusion, worsening health outcomes. Geographic barriers, both in delivering health services and accessing them. Dependency on other jurisdictions to accept referrals in serious cases. One might be mistaken for thinking this is a description of the NT’s health system, but in fact this is a description of the challenges facing one of our nearest neighbours, Timor Leste.

However, the parallels are undeniable and it is why, last Friday Darwin’s Danila Dilba Health Service, an ACCHO that services 17,000 clients and has a workforce of 220, hosted a high-level delegation from the island nation, including its Health Minister, Dr Élia A.A. dos Reis Amaral.

Danila Dilba CEO Rob McPhee said the heart of the ACCHO model was that it is “community-driven, they are run by the community. Our clients always see an Aboriginal person before they see any other clinician. That immediately establishes rapport. It aids with cultural safety and communication as well. Often they [the Aboriginal health practitioner] will know the family or they’ll be able to understand the circumstances of that individual, so it creates this whole lot of understanding right at the beginning of the process, and I think that’s what we can share with place like Timor Leste.

The above is an extract from the article Danila Dilba Health Service hosts Timor Leste delegation seeking solution to health struggles published in the Cairns Post yesterday, 28 April 2024.

Danila Dilba Health Service chairwoman Carol Stanislaus with Timor Leste's Health Minister, Dr Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral

Danila Dilba Health Service chairwoman Carol Stanislaus with Timor Leste’s Health Minister, Dr Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral, April 26, 2024. Photo: Alex Treacy. Image source: Cairns Post.

Youth suicide appalling blot on national conscience

Content warning: This article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

The death of a 10-year-old boy in foster care is a grimly familiar one. Existing ‘prevention schemes’ aren’t preventing anything and must be reformed. A 10-year-old Indigenous child dies in apparent suicide in WA. Family and community are devastated and the incident is so utterly awful – the child so young – that it catches national attention. It happens in March and a month later, when it’s made public, everyone says something must be done. This wasn’t March this year. It was March 2016.

Eight years ago, the WA coroner, Ros Fogliani, held a special inquiry into the deaths of 13 Indigenous children and young people in remote WA. Fogliani made 42 recommendations – her key observation applied to every case: “The deaths of the 13 children and young persons the subject of this Inquest were all preventable.”

The rate of Indigenous suicide in this country, especially among children and especially in the north-west of WA, should sit as an appalling blot on our national conscience. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among Indigenous children nationwide. Five years ago, concluding her report, coroner Ros Fogliani said “mainstream” suicide prevention programs were still being “adapted in an endeavour to fit into a culturally relevant paradigm” instead of being properly designed “in a completely different way”.

To view The Guardian article Indigenous youth suicide is an appalling blot on Australia’s conscience in full click here.

rear of ute on WA remote Kimberley road

he death of young boy in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region is a stark reminder of policy failure. Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP. Image source: The Guardian.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

More support for Cape and Torres kids

A new child development service is taking referrals for families needing the support of a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or psychologist. Designed to assess and support children from 0–18 years with complex developmental delays and disabilities, the family-centred service has already received more than 80 referrals after community visits to Bamaga, Injinoo and Thursday Island.

Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) and the Torres Strait were identified as priority areas with higher instances of children with developmental delays, but Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service (TCHHS) said it had been determined to ensure the service could be delivered to all communities within its service footprint. TCHHS allied health manager child development service Natalie Bellew said the team would spread their travel across 34 communities.

“It is so exciting that we have begun delivering this service, and such a benefit that we are able to see these children in their home communities where they can be supported by their whole family,” Ms Bellew said. “The team will work closely with local allied health teams and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, along with our maternal and child health nurses and paediatricians.” While collaborating with local Indigenous health workers, the child development service team will also travel with a First Nations community engagement officer.

To view the Cape York Weekly article More support for Torres and Cape kids with developmental delays in full click here.

child development service team (4 women) for Cape York & Torres Strait

The child development service team will travel across 34 Cape York and Torres Strait communities to support children with developmental delays and disabilities. Image source: Cape York Weekly.

Big diabetes investigation

Tackling the growing problem of diabetes requires action on many fronts, including ensuring that Indigenous communities have affordable access to healthy foods and priority access to essential medicines that are currently in short supply, according to Associate Professor Lesley Russell, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney. Since May 2023 the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport has been conducting – at the request of the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler – an inquiry into diabetes. Submissions for this inquiry closed in August 2023 with 470 submissions, available here received.

Recognising the wide range of issues that need to be addressed as part of the broad Terms of Reference, a new series of hearings were convened for November last year and continue into 2024. The Committee travelled to Yarrabah, an Aboriginal community outside of Cairns, to hear from the local ACCHO, Gurriny Yealamucka, about its experiences with diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more than three times as likely to live with diabetes and nearly five times more likely to be hospitalised with diabetes-related complications. A 2022 study showed that the burden of diabetes in the remote Aboriginal population of the NTis among the highest in the world.

You can read NACCHO’s September 2023 submission to the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’s Inquiry into Diabetes in full here.

To view the Croakey Health Media article The Health Wrap: a big diabetes investigation, questions for the Treasurer, primary care reforms, and the benefits of crochet in full click here.

Gurriny and Yarrabah hosted the committee members of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes

Gurriny and Yarrabah hosted the committee members of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes. Dr Jason King briefed the committee on the many social determinants that impact health in Yarrabah. Image source: Gurriny Yeaelamucka Facebook page 22 November 2023.

Guideline for assessing and managing CVD

The 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk provides updated evidence‐based recommendations for the clinical assessment and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk for primary prevention. It includes the new Australian CVD risk calculator (Aus CVD Risk Calculator), based on an equation developed from a large NZ cohort study, customised and recalibrated for the Australian population. The new guideline replaces the 2012 guideline that recommended CVD risk assessment using the Framingham risk equation.

A variety of communication formats is available to communicate CVD risk to help enable shared decision making. Healthy lifestyle modification, including smoking cessation, nutrition, physical activity and limiting alcohol, is encouraged for all individuals. Blood pressure‐lowering and lipid‐modifying pharmacotherapies should be prescribed for high risk and considered for intermediate risk individuals, unless contraindicated or clinically inappropriate. Reassessment of CVD risk should be considered within five years for individuals at low risk and within two years for those with intermediate risk. Reassessment of CVD risk is not recommended for individuals at high risk.

The updated guideline recommends assessment over a broader age range and uses the Aus CVD Risk Calculator, which replaces the previous Framingham‐based equation. It incorporates new variables: social disadvantage, diabetes‐specific risk markers, diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and use of blood pressure‐lowering and lipid‐modifying therapies. Reclassification factors are also a new addition.

The full guideline and Aus CVD Risk Calculator can be accessed here.

To view The Medical Journal of Australia article 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk in full click here.

woman having blood pressure taken

Image source: Australian Journal of General Practice.

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28 April 2024

Yesterday, Sunday 28 April 2024 was World Day for Safety and Health at Work (World Day). The latest data shows that in 2022, 195 workers in Australia were fatally injured at work. This concerning statistic amplifies the importance of increasing awareness around work health and safety (WHS) to prevent work-related injuries and fatalities.

In 2024, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Day theme explores the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health.  The theme recognises that changing weather patterns can create WHS risks. Heat, flooding, and extreme weather events are increasingly likely to disrupt the normal operation of many businesses.

In addition, new technologies and industries in decarbonisation and the circular economy are emerging, creating new roles. Climate change, increasing urbanisation and proximity of humans and animals have also led to the emergence of novel infectious diseases and increased the transmission and spread of other diseases.

You can find more information about World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the International Labour Organization website here.

tile of globe with yellow hard hat & text 'World Day for Safety and Health at Work'

Image source: iStock.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

26 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Too many kids lost due to broken CP system

Content warning: This article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

Ken Wyatt says Australia has “lost too many lives” of vulnerable kids because the child protection (CP) system is still focused on intervention rather than prevention. His comments come following the death to suicide of 10-year-old Aboriginal boy in State care 12 April 2024. “My immediate reaction is, another life lost,” said Mr Wyatt, the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to Federal Parliament’s House of Representatives. “An opportunity to turn the circumstances around and give a child a better pathway has been lost once again.”

Mr Wyatt, said governments cannot expect to close the gap if it does not invest in prevention to stop the cycle of children in care. “We need to be focusing on prevention instead of intervention, instead of putting a Band-Aid on (the issue) afterwards,” the Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi man said. “This is a repetitive pattern across the nation.” There were about 56,900 children aged under 18 in out-of-home care across Australia during 2020–21. About 19,500 of those — or one in three — were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. In WA, about three in five children in out-of-home care are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Governments have committed to reducing the rate of Indigenous over-representation in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031. But Productivity Commission data shows that rate is actually increasing. “The Government has to make commitments. Governments have committed to a strategy, and they have to focus on those targets and deliver on those targets,” Mr Wyatt said.

To view The Nightly article Ex-Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt says too many kids lost because of broken child protection system in full click here.

Ken Wyatt in navy suit with Perth city in background

Ken Wyatt says we’ve lost “too many” vulnerable children. Photo: Iain Gillespie, The West Australian. Image source: The Nightly.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Soap Aid is saving children’s lives

An initiative to clean and reuse soap bars from Australian hotels is saving the lives of 1,000sof children around the world. It was on a flight that Hunter Amenities, Managing Director Michael Matulick came up with the idea for Soap Aid. During the trip, he was discussing with an epidemiologist how the accommodation industry discarded five million soap bars per year, and at the same time, 1.5 million children were dying per year from hygiene-related illnesses. By the end of the flight, the idea for Soap Aid was born.

Its mission was to save children’s lives – and help the environment – by collecting soap bars from hotels (many only used once with logos still visible), and recycling them into new soap for distribution to vulnerable communities. Thirteen years later there are now 270 hotels involved. Matulick says Soap Aid has distributed more than three million recycled soap bars to vulnerable communities in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and NZ.

Here in Australia, Soap Aid has supplied soap to the Trachoma Control Program, an initiative of the WA Country Health Service that aims to improve the health of Indigenous communities and reduce incidences of the painful condition called trachomatous trichiasis — which eventually causes blindness. Matulick said “The impact on the environment is enormous, as 300 tonnes of soap have been diverted from landfill, saving more than 435 tonnes of CO2e from entering the earth’s atmosphere.” But, he says, we have a long way to go.

To view the KarryOn article Soap Aid: The sustainable initiative supported by luxury hotels that is saving the lives of thousands of children in full click here.

child's hand holding out bar of soap with words Soap Aid

Image source: KarryOn.

Creating healthier societies in a a time of polycrisis

As the world grapples with the interlinked public health crises of climate disruption, environmental breakdown, conflict and wars, rising inequalities, fragmentation of societies, undermining of social cohesion and democracies, harmful corporate power, and a dangerous, unstable news and information ecosystem, the University of Adelaide recently hosted a timely public event. Healthier Societies: laying the pathway for change was the title of a lecture by Professor Ilona Kickbusch, an internationally renowned public health and health promotion expert, and a former South Australian Thinker in Residence.

New approaches to societal structures, systems and health economics are critical for creating healthier societies, according to world-leading public health expert Professor Ilona Kickbusch. “We still carry with us these old societal structures that are counter to equity and wellbeing,” Kickbusch told an audience at the University of Adelaide on Kaurna Country last week. She said initiatives like SA’s Voice to Parliament “could be a wonderful example” of addressing the impact from old societal structures on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Opening the event, Marina Bowshall, interim Chief Executive of the newly established Preventative Health SA (formerly Wellbeing SA) reminded the audience of Kickbusch’s innovative and forward-thinking approaches to health and wellbeing. As a Thinker in Residence in SA in 2007, she examined “strategies to improve wellbeing among our citizens” and helped formulate a Health in all Policies approach, available here, said Bowshall. Through Preventive Health SA, Bowshall said the SA Government is “strengthening its commitment to building the wellbeing and resilience and health of our community” by prioritising prevention of ill health. However, it will be important to implement evidence-based responses that not only address health risk factors, but also the determinants of health, Bowshall added. “Complex challenges require complex system level responses with multiple strategies,” she said.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Creating healthier societies in a time of polycrisis, what does it take? in full click here.

graphic tile with text 'Frist Nations Voice to SA Parliament' in lights against night sky

Image source: SA Attorney-General’s Department website.

Relief for flood-stranded Yarralin community

The federal and NT governments have been collaborating to support food security in the remote NT community of Yarralin, covering the cost of a number of flights carrying food and other essentials to the local store. Around 300 Yarralin locals have been isolated for weeks after flooding destroyed highways and prevented access to road transport. Visiting Yarralin on Wednesday (24 April 2024), Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the Commonwealth’s $50,000 package is contributing to flights into Yarralin and providing much-needed relief to the community. The funding was provided to Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation, the First Nations organisation that operates the Yarralin store, to ensure it remains stocked while roads remain closed.

The community has relied on charter flights to restock shelves and fridges since the road into Yarralin became impassable in March as a result of flooding in the Victoria Daly region. The federal government continues to work closely with NT authorities to help the community access fresh and shelf-stable food as it recovers from what has been a devastating wet season. Further support is being provided by the Commonwealth Government to the community of Yarralin through the School Nutrition Program (SNP), which aims to improve student’s health, attendance and learning outcomes in schools.

A $30,000 funding boost has been provided to One Tree Community Services to continue its delivery of the SNP in the aftermath of flooding to fund additional food supply and transportation costs. This builds on the 5 year $554,400 funding package for One Tree Community Service’s School Nutrition Program in Yarralin. Senator McCarthy said affordable and reliable food is a basic necessity, “yet First Nations people living in remote communities are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to food and other essential supplies”. “As we have seen across the country, extreme weather can isolate remote communities such as Yarralin from critical supplies and the Commonwealth government is committed to supporting essential services in providing affordable, accessible and healthy food to these communities,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Relief arrives for flood-stranded Yarralin community in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy with group adults & kids at Yarralin School

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at Yarralin School on Wednesday (24 April 2024): Image source: National Indigenous Times.

New stillbirth resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’

Content warning: This article contains reference to stillbirth and miscarriage. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence has published a new resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’ (Star Baby) to support mothers, fathers, partners and families on their Sorry Business journey after losing a little Bub. This is a distressing and confusing time in families’ lives.

Sadly, we know Aboriginal people have higher rates of stillbirth than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence and its partners identified that there is little availability of culturally supportive, responsive and safe services and resources that are directly related to stillbirth and caring for families during this time.

This resource was made by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people to support them through this difficult period so they can feel strong in the decisions they are making for themselves and Bub.

The Stillbirth CRE would like to acknowledge and thank the artists,  ergaia and Wamba Wamba women Skye Stewart and Wergaia and Gormanjanyuk woman Annie Joy, for the original artworks and illustrations included in Jiba Pepeny: Star Baby.

To view the Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) – Supporting your journey after losing Bub booklet click here.

cover of booklet text 'Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) - Supporting your journey after losing Bub

Cover of the Jiba Pepeny resource booklet.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day – 26 April 2024

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day, which is observed every last Friday in April, and April 26 this year, is aimed at raising awareness of undiagnosed genetic diseases present in children. Each year, it is estimated that approximately 2,500 children in Australia are born with a syndrome without a name, a genetic disorder so uncommon that it is likely to go misdiagnosed. Children who aren’t diagnosed end up having a lot of medical appointments, and tests carried out, leaving their parents concerned that they won’t get the help that they need. Around 7,000 defined rare diseases and several others often remain undiagnosed.

You can access more information about Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day on the National Today website here.

You can also find information about Australia’s  primary support group for undiagnosed children – Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) here. SWAN is a community of unique children and their families, providing information, support, connection and systemic advocacy for families caring for a child with an undiagnosed or rare genetic condition.

tile text 'I Support Undiagnosed Children's Day 26 April 2024' - graphics of young children with disability

Image source: Genetic Alliance UK website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

28 March 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Greater First Nations participation flagged in national water policy overhaul

The federal government has released details of a plan that will readjust Australia’s outdated overarching water policy, to better prepare for climate change and boost participation of First Nations peoples in water management. Now 20 years old, the National Water Initiative (NWI) aligns state, territory and federal water policies by setting objectives for how water is shared and managed, and ensuring they are in harmony with other areas of policy, international treaties and commitments. In a 2021 review of the NWI, the Productivity Commission concluded that it was outdated and would struggle to meet population and climate challenges without a major overhaul. It also said the NWI had failed to consider the rights and aspirations of First Nations people to manage, own and control water for their own economic and cultural purposes.

In a document released this morning, federal environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek said the updated NWI would “strengthen the connection between climate science and water planning, alongside a greater consideration of, and influence for, First Nations peoples in water management”.

“A renewed NWI will provide an extra level of confidence for communities that our precious water resources are efficiently managed in the face of climate change,” she said.

“We are also entrenching an ongoing commitment to First Nations voices in water management, ensuring the needs and aspirations of First Nations communities are integral to water planning in our country.”

Read the full ABC News article here.

Image source: ABC Rural: Clint Jasper.

Kambu Health 2024 Men’s Retreat a huge success

The Kambu Health 2024 Men’s Retreat at Kokoda Park over the weekend, was a terrific success. Men engaged in loads of activities aimed at cultural immersion and personal growth.

Activities included welcome rituals, hands-on artistic endeavours such as painting woodwork, and Didgeridoo playing and making. The men also participated in problem-solving, team building and archery activities to foster strong relationships with each other. This included the distribution of domestic violence materials and discussion on culture and connection to Country and its meaning.

The fellas enjoyed watching the footy together, eating great tukka, and bonding through yarning circles and ending shame around men talking about their social and emotional wellbeing.

Dr Marjad Page, Kambu Health’s First Nation General Practitioner, delivered health checks.

Read more about the Men’s Retreat here.

Kambu Health 2024 Men’s Retreat group photo. Image source: Kambu Health.

FREE online workshops: Cervical Cancer Prevention Program

Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA) is teaming up with the WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. In Support of the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy, the teams are offering free workshops to increase cervical awareness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals, clinical and non-clinical staff working in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health setting and health promotion officers who engage with First Nations women.

Information will be shared to build confidence to use the cervical screen flip chart to engage with Aboriginal women about the importance of regular cervical screening. Topics covered include; what is Human Papilloma Virus; HPV self-collection option; women with menopause; and exit testing.

There will be two online workshops hosted by AHCWA:

  • Friday May 10: 12.00 – 1.00pm (register by Friday March 29)
  • Tuesday May 21: 12.00 – 1.00pm (register by Tuesday April 9)

There is also a face-to-face workshop on Wednesday April 10: 12.00 – 2.00pm, held at AHCWA (register by Wednesday April 3).

 To register, go here.

WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program online Workshops brochure.

SNAICC CEO on Q+A: How the housing crisis effects First Nations people

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle spoke on Q+A on Monday March 25. Ms Liddle discussed the current housing crisis and how it effects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

“…This is one of the richest countries in the world and yet those families that are suffering the highest levels of vulnerabilities are the ones most overrepresented in those numbers.

“When you think about what we’re looking at in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, 20% of the people that have nowhere to live are our families in the Northern Territory.

“90% of the people who don’t have anywhere to live are our people. When you look at what housing is available, again, grossly overrepresented. We’re looking at stats like 34% of the housing available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has major structural flaws, and 20% of current housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would be considered ‘not fit to live in.’ That’s something we should be ashamed of.”

Watch it here.

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle on Q+A.

Helping reduce harm and alcohol-fuelled violence in Community

Geraldton police have welcomed its first Aboriginal community liaison officer for the region, helping to improve the lives of Aboriginal people exposed to domestic or alcohol-fuelled violence. Yamatji, Badimaya, Wajarri and Noongar woman Natalie Clark began the new role in the Mid West-Gascoyne district in February, in a move to be closer to her family while keeping busy and staying in touch with her local community. Ms Clark will work alongside the liquor enforcement unit, helping to reduce harm and alcohol-fuelled violence in the community.

Ms Clark said she wanted to be a point of contact for Aboriginal people in the community when times were tough.

“I just love getting out there. I want my Aboriginal community to know that I’m here if they ever need to talk, or if they need me to help with anything, I can help. I’ll go to as far as I can, and if I have any issues, I’ll go to my boss,” she said.

“I’ve already been to the GRAMS (Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service), I want to do more there, and within the Indigenous agencies as well. I just want to get involved.”

To read the full article, go here.

Natalie Clark is the first Aboriginal liaison officer at the Geraldton Police Station. Credit: Jessica Moroney/Geraldton Guardian.

Yamatji researcher receives 2024 World Indigenous Cancer Conference award

A researcher from the University of Western Australia’s WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to Indigenous cancer care in the regions at a prestigious international Indigenous cancer conference recently held in Naarm/Melbourne. Proud Yamatji woman Lenny Papertalk received the 2024 World Indigenous Cancer Conference award for her consumer and advocacy work in Geraldton and Mullewa in the Midwest of Western Australia. The award recognises someone who has provided a voice for Indigenous cancer care and shown outstanding energy and influence in cancer care for Indigenous people.

In accepting the award, Ms Papertalk spoke about having to choose as a 17-year-old between education and caring for her grandmother, her cultural knowledge holder, who had cancer.

A qualified Social Worker and Community Engagement Officer employed with WACRH in Geraldton, Ms Papertalk was instrumental with her WACRH and UWA colleagues in developing the ‘Whisper No More: Sharing Our Stories for better cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ program.

WACRH described her as “a passionate advocate in encouraging her Yamatji community to share their lived experiences living with cancer”. With Ms Papertalk’s help and community engagement, Aboriginal cancer patients shared their stories on video and agreed to the use of the material to make resources for health professionals to enhance their understanding of what matters to Aboriginal people when they have cancer.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

WA Centre for Rural Health colleagues Professor Sandra Thompson, Lenny Papertalk, Dr Charmaine Green with Professor Tom Calma at the World Indigenous Cancer Conference in Melbourne. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

26 March 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

The integral role of First Nations pharmacists: NACCHO and Pfizer leaders address the complex gap

Marking Thank Your Pharmacist Day on 21 March, Mike Stephens, Director of Medicines Policy and Programs at NACCHO, and Leigh Simmonds, Senior Manager of Patient Advocacy, CSR and RAP Leader, Pfizer delved into critical issues surrounding health equity and the role of pharmacists in First Nations communities.

The Health Industry Hub interview began with an acknowledgment of the latest Close the Gap data, revealing a sobering reality: only 5 out of 19 targets for First Nations people are currently ‘on track’. The pressing question of what contributes to these gaps and, more importantly, how progress can be made to bridge them was addressed.

“It shows the breadth of the challenge. To impact the social and cultural determinants of health requires a whole of government effort. It’s very important how we improve the culturally safe, responsive and appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people especially in relation to medications,” Mr Stephens stated.

A significant point of discussion revolved around the stark lack of diversity within the pharmacy workforce, particularly concerning the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacists. With only 0.31% of registered pharmacists in Australia identifying as Indigenous, the duo stressed the critical need to address this workforce gap.

Pfizer’s partnership with NACCHO in supporting a new Graduate Pharmacist Scholarship program was highlighted. Ms Simmonds shed light on the motivations driving this collaboration, emphasising the shared commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and supporting the leadership development of Indigenous pharmacists.

“The partnership has been an evolution over time. Showing up and being part of the conversation and listening and learning from this incredible self-determination sector has been really important to the development of trust and this partnership,” Ms Simmonds elaborated.

“I hope that with the recipients of this scholarship we can develop a longer-term relationship. They can provide advice to Pfizer and NACCHO on their journey, and how we can have a longitudinal approach to the program which can either be replicated or reimagined,” Mr Stephens said.

To view the video interview go here.

Image source: Health Industry Hub.

 

Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project “keeping the fire burning: Blak, loud, and proud

The Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project is a world-first initiative that participants say is “keeping the fire burning: Blak, loud, and proud”. This year’s NAIDOC theme honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resilience, vitality, and fire. It is about the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous sovereignty, identities, culture, and wisdoms. Professor Pat Dudgeon says that embodying this spirit, “standing proud and resilient”, are the Indigenous scholars and Indigenous-identified allies in the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) – an Indigenous-led “groundbreaking initiative at the forefront of decolonising and Indigenising psychology education in Australia”.

“We can transform mental health so it includes Indigenous perspectives and knowledges,” she told National Indigenous Times.

“It is awesome, it is a world-first that we have this schools of psychology signed up and they are making changes in their curriculum and psychology programs, and they are ensuring there are places for Aboriginal psychology students.

“And, as importantly, that Indigenous perspectives and knowledges are going into psychology programs. Those things are happening because of this project. It shows them how.”

Currently, there are about 324 registered Indigenous Psychologists in Australia, constituting less than one percent of all registered psychologists. To achieve population parity, more than one thousand Indigenous Psychologists are needed in the discipline. The AIPEP has been “actively progressing the decolonisation of psychology university education and enhancing the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in psychology” since 2013.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Dr Joanna Alexi, Professor Pat Dudgeon, and Research Fellow Belle Selkirk. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme to transition to Community control

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), alongside partners the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) and Rural Doctors Network (RDN), is excited to be announced as the successful provider of the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme (PHMSS), as the scholarships transition to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control in mid-2024. In making the joint announcement with the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Yanyuwa woman, Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, said “In his role chairing the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Dr Arnold ‘Puggy’ Hunter devoted his life to improving health outcomes for First Nations Australians.

“Today, I am sure he would be very proud that the scholarship scheme named in his honour will soon be Indigenous led. This will ensure the next generation of First Nations health students are well-equipped to work with communities to provide quality, culturally safe and appropriate care for better health outcomes”.

Kamilaroi woman and IAHA Chairperson, Nicole Turner, said “many of our members have benefited in their studies as Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship recipients and IAHA is excited to work in partnership to support the next generation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce. We know the important role that financial assistance plays in student success, but we’re excited to wrap our culturally safe and responsive supports around recipients to ensure that they’re supported culturally, personally, and professionally, across their journey.”

Read the full press release here.

Image source: Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care.

Review of after hours primary care

The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care is undertaking a review of after hours primary care policies and programs. The Review will consider the need for primary care after hours services, the current state of after hours service provision and successful models of primary care after hours service provision.

In late 2023 the department commenced a review of after-hours primary care policies and programs. The After Hours Review builds on several recent reforms and initiatives including the recommendations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, the development of the 10 Year Primary Health Care Plan, and widespread changes to after-hours services arising from the COVID pandemic. Following a period of data and evidence analysis, the Review is now in its consultation phase, and the department has released a survey and discussion paper on the Consultation Hub.

This consultation process is open to the general public, however input is sought especially from primary care providers, including practice owners and managers, general practitioners, non-vocational doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners, allied health practitioners, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, Primary Health Networks and others working in primary care. Input is sought from those who currently provide after hours services, as well as those who do not.

You can participate in this consultation either by completing the survey and / or by providing a written submission. You will have an opportunity to upload a written submission at the end of the survey. If you wish to provide a written submission without completing the survey, you can email your written submission to afterhours@allenandclarke.com.au.

The survey closes 20 April 2024. For more information, go here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

Young First Nations children in Cape York region get healthy start to life

First Nations families in the Cape York region are receiving more timely access to care thanks to a new program providing targeted support for women and children in their first 1,000 days. The First 1,000 Days Social and Emotional Wellbeing program is funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and aligns with the Better Health North Queensland (NQ) Alliance First 1,000 Days Framework. The program focuses on maternal and child health, and the social and emotional wellbeing of mothers, fathers, carers, and children to help reduce health inequities and ensure all children in the region have a healthy start to life.

In the Cape York region, Northern Peninsula Area Family and Community Services (NPAFACS) is delivering the program and since implementation has co-ordinated care for more than 40 NPA mothers and their young children. Without birthing facilities in the NPA, women either go to Cairns, Thursday Island, or Townsville to birth their babies.

“This can mean they are away from their communities, sometimes for many weeks, at this crucial time in their family’s lives,” said NPAFACS Project Manager Health Projects Ugari Nona.

“When we saw the opportunity to be part of the First 1,000 Days program, we knew it would help ensure that mothers, children, dads, and families had someone watching out for them and linking them to the resources they needed in those early days from birth to a child’s second birthday.

“Before we started the program, we went into our communities to hear from women about their birth experiences and the social contexts that either helped them and their children thrive, or imposed challenges on them, their babies, and their families.

“We heard from more than 62 women over eight groups and 19 men over two groups. One of our strongest findings is the importance of sustaining women’s connection to each other during pregnancy and birth, with one of their strongest desires to be able to birth our babies in the Northern Peninsula Area.”

To read the full article go here.

An aerial photograph of the five communities of NPA including Bamaga, Seisia, Injinoo, New Mapoon, and Umagico.

First family makes move into new affordable accommodation in Darwin

The Liddle family are the first of more than 40 First Nations families in greater Darwin to move into new affordable housing delivered by the Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation. Funded by a $20 million investment from the Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA), Sarah and Murray Liddle, as well as their four children, will move into their four bedroom home this week after suffering homelessness whilst searching for affordable accommodation for the last three months.

“This really is a dream come true for us,” Ms Liddle said.

“We have been living with family in a small home, just to stay off the streets.”

The NT has a homelessness rate 12 times that of the national average, with 88% of all people in the Territory suffering being First Nations. This is combined with additional barriers, including reports of discrimination at rental inspections and during the application process. Ms Liddle said the entire market is “so crowded” and that the family had to send their son to boarding school in Adelaide due to the impossible nature of studying in a house with 11 people.

“It’s been a huge sacrifice financially, especially since we can’t afford mainstream rental accommodation,” Ms Liddle said.

“Having a home again is huge for our family: now and for our children’s future. Being able to have a bit of money to save, and not counting our coins to make sure we can buy milk and bread for the kids before the next pay, is such a relief.”

NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, the federal Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, said this was great news for the whole Liddle family.

“We know that having secure housing is so important and will make such a difference to people’s lives,” Senator McCarthy said.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

The Liddle family with the keys to their new home. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

24 November 2023

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Webinar: The emerging shortage of long-acting benzathine benzylpenicillin

The NACCHO medicines team and medical advisors are hosting a webinar on the emerging shortage of long-acting benzathine benzylpenicillin, under the name Bicillin LA on Tuesday 28th of November from 3:30 – 4:30pm AEDST. This is an important medication for our sector, particularly for rheumatic heart disease and syphilis. 

The webinar will provide further details on the expected scale of the Bicillin LA shortage and provide information on access to an alternative product from ORSPEC Pharma which has been approved for use in Australia under Section 19A. The webinar will also discuss possible alternatives to Bicillin LA as outlined in national guidelines and the CARPA manual and will provide a forum to ask questions of NACCHO staff and representatives from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Please register here.

 For people who are unable to attend, a recording will be made available for people who have registered.

First Nations wisdom harnessed to protect the environment

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been caretakers of Australia’s diverse environments and its wildlife for tens of thousands of years. The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rangers is set to double by 2030 as part of federal government efforts to close the gap and centre First Nations knowledge in environmental protection. Linday Burney, Minister for Indigenous Austraians announced that the scheme will receive a $359 million boost to increase the number of Indigenous rangers from 1900 to 3800 by 2030. 

“With more than 65,000 years of experience caring for country, Indigenous rangers hold unique and valuable skills in managing Australia’s natural environment,” Ms Burney said. 

“This will mean more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isaldner people will have the opportunity to do things like protect precious endangered species and control weeds and feral animals.” 

The investment prioritises establishing new Indigenous Rangers Groups in protected areas that don’t already host the program, and hiring more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isaldner women as they currently represent just 33 per cent of the program’s workforce.

“It’s important they have the opportunity to continue the work of their mothers, grandmothers and all their women ancestors and pass this knowledge onto the next generation, because there are no text books, no manuals,” Ms Burney said. 

Read the full NITV article here.

Image source: Source: AAP / Stephanie Rouse.

‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart: Let’s END RHD Together’

An initiative to end the spread of skin- and heart disease in Cherbourg received national recognition at an inaugural healthcare award ceremony in Canberra last week. ‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart: Let’s END Rheumatic Heart Disease Together’, a joint initiative between Darling Downs Health and the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, received the Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthcare trophy at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards. 

The award recognised the initiative’s efforts to deliver culturally-appropriate, collaborative and sustainable healthcare to Cherbourg, in an effort to stop the epidemic of rheumatic heart disease in the Burnett First Nations community. The rollout of the ‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart’ project by a dedicated team of DDH staff included a mobile heart screening initiative, a skin clinic, community education, and mass administration of medicine to Cherbourg’s residents.

“RHD disproportionately affects First Nations people and is a disease of disadvantage and we all have a role in closing the gap and achieving health equity,” said Dr Priya Janagaraj, Darling Downs Public Health physician. 

“Mobilising actions within a community requires a ‘ground up’ approach, leveraging on collective expertise and commitment of a multidisciplinary team, united by a shared passion and drive to make a difference.”

Read the full article here.

Cherbourg Council and Darling Downs Health representatives accepted the Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthcare award in Canberra. Image source: Burnett Today.

‘ALIVE & Kicking Goals!’ takes home the WA Mental Health Award

Individuals, schools and organisations have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to mental health at the 2023 WA Mental Health Awards. The Awards recognise and reward the achievements of those who demonstrate excellence, innovation and initiative in supporting consumers of mental health services, their families and carers.

ALIVE & Kicking Goals! Youth Suicide Prevention Program (AKG!) took home the Prevention and Promotion Award. Managed by Mens Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation, AKG! focuses on early intervention and youth suicide prevention through peer-led workshops and one-on-one mentoring. The program was awarded for establishing a program which addresses rising suicide rates, primarily in the West Kimbelery. 

Learn more about the program here. 

If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from:

Truth-telling, local voices still on government’s radar

Truth-telling along with local and regional voices remain on the government’s agenda despite the failed referendum earlier this year. Linda Burney, Indigenous Australians minister will attend a Closing the Gap meeting, along with Aboriginal affairs ministers around the nation and peak body representatives. Just a month on from the failed Indigenous voice referendum, Ms Burney acknowledged that how community can move forward from the setback, would be top of the agenda. She said there would be specific discussions about housing, education and inland water targets. But she wouldn’t close the door on the government’s commitment to the Uluru Statement, which calls for a truth-telling process and a treaty along with a voice.

“Very much what I’m hearing moving around the country is ‘what does it mean for the rest of the Uluru statement?'” Ms Burney told ABC Radio.

“In particular, I’m hearing the importance of truth-telling. I am not saying I’ve got a model in my mind, but I am saying that what I’m hearing very clearly from Aboriginal communities is the importance of truth-telling.”

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

NDIS experiences told at the International Indigenous Disability Research Symposium

Professor John Gilroy, A Yuin man from the NSW South Coast, will see decades of his work come together in the International Indigenous Disability Research Symposium, commencing with the official opening of his art exhibition ‘People’s experience of the NDIS.’ 

“There is still a lot of work to be done to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians living with disability, but the events this week have helped me reflect on how far we have come in our knowledge and understanding,” said Professor Gilroy. 

With representation from academics from Australia, the USA, Canada and Sweden, the goal of the event is to develop a global collaborative research community in Indigenous disability research guided by the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. One of the key focus areas of the symposium will be on how scholars can both empower and respect Indigenous people in disability research.

The artwork by Professor Gilroy seen below, surrounds incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. There is a high prevalence of Aboriginal people with disability being unfairly and unjustly incarcerated due to the criminal justice system not properly equipped to support people with disability, such as brain injury or foetal alcohol syndrome (FASD). The NDIS is not properly engaged with state/territory health and housing systems to appropriately support people with disability to live in the community and prevent reoffending. People with disability have reported that the prison system punishes them as a person rather than helping them with issues pertaining to their mental health and disability. 

Read more here.

Incarceration of Disability and Aboriginality by Professor John Gilroy.

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

23 November 2023

Feature tile - NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News - 23.22.2023

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Gail Garvey form and is from the National Indigenous Times (Image: VCCC Alliance).

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

$5 million grant to address cancer screening disparity

Proud Kamilaroi woman Gail Garvey and her team at the University of Queensland will receive a $5 million grant to address the disparity between cancer screening for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The grant has been made available through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant Schemes.

Cancer is a leading cause of death among First Nations Australians with the mortality gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians continuing to widen. To address this, the federal government scheme aims to improve screening programs and research of cancer in Indigenous Australians.

Professor Garvey said that programs to improve cancer screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are most effective when developed in partnership with Indigenous leadership and communities.

“Our aim is to co-design, co-implement and evaluate strategies to achieve equity in cancer screening for Australia’s First people,” she said.

“Access to equitable, safe, and timely models of care to prevent cancer will make health and wellbeing achievable in our communities.”

You can read the full story in the National Indigenous Times here.

Telehealth trial brings care closer to home

A new telehealth program currently being trialled in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is making it even easier for people in rural and remote communities to access timely and high-quality health care closer to home.

MLHD is trialling Virtual Hubs to give community members the ability to have telehealth appointments in a dedicated space at a District facility, fitted with the equipment needed for a remote consultation, including a large wall-mounted screen, high-quality camera, speaker, wireless mouse and keyboard.

Tameka-Lea King, an Allied Health Assistant at Hillston MPS, said the Virtual Hub is making a significant difference to the local community.

“The feedback we have received from people who have used our Virtual Hub has been very positive,” she said.

“It’s great for people in our community who are living in a rural area, as it has made it easier and more cost effective to access important health appointments without needing to drive hours for a quick consult.”

If the trial is successful, MLHD will consider rolling out Virtual Hubs to other facilities across the District.

You can read the full story on the NSW Health website here.

health professional at desk giving telehealth consult

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Health system continues to fail people with poor mental health

The Australian Medical Association’s Public hospital report card: mental health edition shows more patients with mental health-related conditions are arriving in emergency departments by ambulance and police services, and more are arriving in a critical condition needing urgent care.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the latest data showed the length of stay in EDs for patients presenting with mental health-related conditions was at its highest since 2016–2017, with patients in some states waiting in EDs for as long as 30 hours.

“These long waits, which are directly due to a lack of inpatient beds, cause distress for patients and their families and place enormous pressure on hospital staff,” Professor Robson said.

“Australia is failing to provide appropriate, acceptable care to these most vulnerable of patients. This needs to change, and it needs to change urgently.”

The report found that across all states and territories there were increased numbers of patients triaged for resuscitation or emergency (to be seen within 10 minutes) for mental health-related conditions.

“Without real reform, we will continue to see high suicide rates among people suffering from poor mental health and medical and health staff leaving the profession due to burnout and stress. We need state and territory governments and the federal government to act soon to address the current situation and ensure things don’t get worse,” Professor Robson said.

The AMA is proposing concrete solutions including measures to ensure more patients are seen in primary care settings; increasing the number of mental health beds in public hospitals and improving access to private psychiatry.

You can read the full story on the Australian Medical Association‘s website here.

Read the AMA Public hospital report card: mental health edition 2023

Find out more about our Clear the Logjam Campaign

Emergency Department

Picture of an Emergency Department. Image source: the AMA website.

Being on Country reinforces classroom learning

Beginning with just fifteen students, the Giingana Gumbaynggirr Freedom School (GGFS) is finishing its second year with 53 Aboriginal students and has 72 enrolled for next year, with a waiting list.

The school is now seeking partners to support the school for the long term as it grows.

GGFS is the first bilingual school of an Aboriginal language in NSW and is based on revitalising the Gumbaynggirr language whilst offering high quality education to its students.

It aims to be the first ever full immersion school in the nation, because, around the world, research shows that language immersion schools lead to success for First Nations students, and have done so for many decades.

GGFS says its students are currently achieving outstanding results culturally, socially, emotionally and academically and the school has plans to continue to grow K-12.

“Our mob know what to teach, and how to teach our junuybin (children),” a school spokesperson said.

You can read the full story in News of the Area here.

Gumbaynggirr-School-Expansion_AV_PY

Gumbaynggirr-School-Expansion_AV_PY. Image source: News of the Area website.

Leading examples of First Nations healthcare design

Join the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Ruth Stewart to see how an Alaskan healthcare foundation has become one of the world’s leading examples of First Nations healthcare design.

Webinar: Southcentral’s Nuka System of Care – leading example of First Nations health care

In the Nuka System, strong relationships between primary care teams and patients help to:

  • manage chronic diseases
  • control health care costs
  • improve the overall health of the community.

The Nuka System of Care recognises that individuals are ultimately in control of their own health care decisions. It engages patients (known as customer-owners) in their own care and supports long-term behavioural change by understanding each patient’s:

  • unique story
  • values
  • influences.

Click on the below links to see some of their programs in action:

Placed are limited to join this webinar. If you are interested in participating in this live webinar, you must register for the event.

For more information and to register for the event click here.

southcentral-s-nuka-system-of-care-leading-example-of-first-nations-health-care

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

 

13 November 2023

feature tile: portrait image of Sen McCarthy; text 'Senator McCarthy urges mob to get back to “business” after the disappointment of the Voice to Parliament referendum'

The image in the feature tile is of Senator Malarndirri McCarthy from an ABC RN Breakfast broadcast Malarndirri McCarthy on the Voice: ‘I think we could have been better’ published by ABC Listen on 17 October 2023.

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Those who’ve gone before never gave up

Speaking at the 11th annual Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday 10 November 2023, NT Labor Senator McCarthy said the deep hurt and devastation felt by so many who supported the Yes vote was evident, straight after the October 14 referendum. “We are such a resilient people, as First Nations people,” she said. “…resilience really is the key to moving forward. After the referendum, it’s also now about accepting and respecting that decision, which is a really difficult thing for people to do.”

The proud Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from Borroloola, in the NT, said whatever the outcome of the referendum, First Nations people continued to be incarcerated at rates way too high and experience poor rates of domestic violence and unemployment. The Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous Health said the First Nations economic sector had a critical role to play in making changes to the broader Australian community.

In concluding her speech, Senator McCarthy said the most important issue post the referendum was improving the lives of First Nations people in Australia. “I do look at the example of those who’ve gone before us and the struggles and I where I come from,” she said. “When in 1976, we were the first to go for land of this area with we didn’t succeed. But it was difficult to give evidence in a former courthouse where their families had been jailed. I remember watching the Elders sitting there, speaking largely in language, but not really understanding what that Westminster System of law was all about. But we never gave up. And there’s always hope for a better future for all of us, for First Nations people.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Malarndirri McCarthy tells AEDF now is the time for Indigenous people to show respect and resilience in full click here.

Senator Malarndirr McCarthy who spoke at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on 10.11.23 with a a group of 4 ATSI women & young child

Speaking at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy (back, centre) urged First Nations people to get back to “business” following the referendum’s defeat. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

What to say and do after suicide

April Burgoyne is not a counsellor but knows she has a key role to play in helping tackle Ballarat’s suicide rate, one of the highest in Australia. Ms Burgoyne, who is the Cultural Care Connect network coordinator for Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) was among more than 30 representatives from different health and welfare organisations who recently attended a forum, led by StandBy Support After Suicide and Wellways. Data shows that those bereaved by suicide are at a higher risk of suicide amid ongoing ripple effects. Forum participants shared learnings and advice on what to do and say in the wake of lives lost to suicide.

“It’s good to connect and share cultural understandings to help up-skill other service organisations and to help up-skill our community in return,” Ms Burgoyne said. The BADAC program stems from a NACCHO move in post and prevention crisis support for Indigenous communities. Ms Burgoyne said this was focused on Aboriginal circle elements for social and emotional well-being support, including connections to ancestor spirit, culture, community and Country and kinship.

At the same time, it is also vital to work closely with other community organisations. StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program Coordinator Kristy Steenhuis, said one of the biggest barriers in her work has been awareness, “A lot of people have never heard of our service, that if someone’s bereaved, we’re someone to call.”  For Ms Burgoyne, there is still much work to do in developing what BADAC can offer. She said a long-term goal was after-hours crisis support. While BADAC has crisis support in business hours, Ms Burgoyne said a lot of clients reported needing to go to the hospital emergency department and have the traumatic experience of having to re-tell their stories without a warm hand-over. She also hoped to develop healing workshops with other health organisations to promote cultural awareness.

The above is an extract from an article What to say and do after suicide: welfare leaders face the question published in The Courier on 12 November 2023. You can access the StandBy – Support After Suicide website here.

StandBy Support After Suicide's western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis giving a presentation at BADAC

StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis says there were “rich conversations” in a postvention awareness forum for community health leaders at Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative. Photo: Kate Healy. Image source: The Courier.

Cancer plans focus on those with worst outcomes

Although cancer care has improved dramatically in Australia over the past few decades, two new cancer plans, announced in the past fortnight, one launched by the Australian Government and the other developed by the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, NACCHO, aim to improve the cancer experiences of population groups who have the worst cancer outcomes. The plans hope to prevent Australians most at risk from “falling through the cracks”.

The Australian Cancer Plan, available here, was developed by the Australian Government’s cancer control agency Cancer Australia. Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Dorothy Keefe, said the plan sets out improvements and actions that can be made to improve Australia’s cancer control system, “This isn’t a plan to replace the state and territory plans. This is a plan to embrace them all, so that we can actually do the things together that are better done together and enable the jurisdictions to continue doing the great work that they do. The plan focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for priority population groups and improving outcomes for people with low survival rates.

Separately, a new cancer plan, available here, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been developed by NACCHO. The plan, which was codesigned with the Aboriginal health sector, aims to change cancer experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “Consultations highlighted the need to focus on structural reform including sustainable funding, increasing accessibility of services and ensuring mainstream cancer centres are culturally safe and responsive,” NACCHO said. The plan acknowledges the goals of the broader Australian Cancer Plan in improving Aboriginal health outcomes. “By working together, these two plans will achieve better outcomes for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and Communities at a faster pace,” said Dr Dawn Casey, NACCHO Deputy CEO.

To view the InSight+ article New cancer plans focus on Aboriginal health and priority populations in full click here.

Cover of ATSI Cancer Plan document

Image source: NACCHO website.

Djäkamirr – caretaker of pregnancy and birth

Labor MLA Lisa O’Malley is backing the screening of a documentary which she hopes will lead to more culturally-appropriate birthing experiences for Indigenous women  Filmed over two years on the ancestral home grounds of Yolnu First Nations people in NE Arnhem Land, Djäkamirr: Caretaker of Pregnancy and Birth follows sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah as they journey through ancestral time, country and culture, working with the community to pilot the training of Djäkamirr (maternity caretakers).

The screening is being organised by maternity consumer representative Kylie Ekin, WA Country Health Service regional Aboriginal health consultant Janinne Gliddon, WA Country Health Service midwife Maddison Bell and Birth Tribe Midwifery founder Melissa Lynch. Ms Ekin said the documentary was a rare insight into Indigenous birthing culture and the importance of incorporating ancestral wisdom in contemporary maternity care.

“We must now implement Birthing on Country in WA and ensure continuity of midwifery-led care models are accessible for all Aboriginal women,” Ms Ekin said. Ms O’Malley said the documentary opened up an important conversation. 

To view the Fremantle Herald Interactive article Rebirthing in full click here.

poster for the film Djakamirr - caretaker of pregnancy & birth; image of Yolngu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah

Yongu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah on the film poster. Image source: Fremantle Herald Interactive.

Camp Jungai hosts historic ‘Gathering of Mob’

Taungurung Country hosted an historic ‘gathering of Mob’ over the weekend, which saw more than 300 people from across Victoria come together to share stories, yarn and heal. Held at Camp Jungai in central Victoria, a place of cultural significance for Indigenous Victorians that comes from the Wurundjeri language meaning “place of many possums”, 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture was brought together in a gathering of Elders, youth, and leaders from clans across the state.

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) helped organise the weekend, with VACCHO CEO, Gunditjmara woman Aunty Jill Gallagher, saying the gatherings and events were vitally important for all Indigenous communities. “It’s crucial. Not only because of the disappointment that we’re dealing with because of the referendum, but it’s crucial that we stay strong together,” Aunty Jill said. “The Gunditjmara mobs can come down and hear Taungurung stories, and we can all dance our different culture dances. We’re just all together. That is how we keep our culture both strong, and alive.”

All the attendees helped deliver the message that First Nations communities were as strong as ever and would not falter. Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri man Jessie Williams said the importance of a gathering of Mob was the facilitation and continual connection for various communities throughout the state. “Making sure that our relationships are strong within our own community and being able to return to that on Country, while practising culture, it’s invaluable,” he said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Camp Jungai hosts a historic ‘Gathering of Mob’ in full click here.

Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their back-up dancers

The Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their invaluable back-up dancers Photo: Dechlan Brennan. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Teens get a head start in careers in health

More than 30 Riverina high school students are set to embark on their healthcare careers through a school-based traineeship with Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD). As a part of the program, the Year 10 students will go on to complete a qualification in nursing, allied health or health administration. The program can be included as one subject for their High School Certificate and contribute to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.

MLHD education and trainee support officer Laura Strano said the program offered students a supported pathway from school to work and further study options, “Our school-based traineeship program aims to help grow the rural health workforce, with a ‘grow your own’ model at the heart of its inception. The program focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement and employment in health careers, with a holistic and supportive approach to completing the program and beyond. The program provides students with income while they are studying. Over the two-year traineeship, they complete a minimum of 100 days of paid, on-the-job training in their chosen area, one day a week during school term and the rest during the school holidays.”

Wagga Wagga High School student Darnee Doherty says she knows plenty of nurses around her and has always heard “good things” about the profession. “I was a late submission, but I’m glad I decided to get the application in on time,” Darnee said. “I’ve been given a great opportunity. Not many of my friends are doing anything else like this, but they all support me and have my back. I’m hoping for a healthcare career. I’m excited for it. I want to jump right in and get started and working already.” Darnee is set to start her midwifery training and hopes to stay in the region for her work. “I wouldn’t want to go too far away. If I can stay, that will be good,” Darnee said.

To view the Region Riverina article Local teens get a head start in their careers in health in full click here.

school students learning about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital

Students learn about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen. Image source: Region Riverina.

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

8 November 2023

protest in Alice Springs with Aboriginal women holding banner with Aboriginal art and text 'Town Camp Women Say Stop the Violence'

The image in the feature tile is from an ABC News article Domestic violence in Alice Springs town camps prompts march to raise awareness published on 11 July 2017.

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Data research on family and sexual violence

The Albanese Labor Government is investing $15m in First Nations-led research on domestic and family violence, as part of our concrete action towards ending violence against women and children within a generation. This targeted investment is the next stage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32 and reflects the need for concrete action by culturally informed data and evidence eco-system, created and managed by First Nations peoples.

Target 13 under the National Agreement to Close the Gap is to reduce the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by 50% by 2031. Current data collection is insufficient to measure progress on this target. The first step to reducing these disproportionate rates of violence is to fully understand the scope of the problem. The $15m research investment will be delivered over five years and aims to develop a data set that can show a national picture for First Nations women and children, whilst being nuanced for community differences and embedding culturally sensitive data collection and reporting practices. An improved evidence framework will also allow the Government to better track progress.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth emphasised the importance of First Nations people leading the approach to data collection in communities, “It is vital that First Nations peoples lead and own the research that helps to understand the nature and extent of experiences of violence for First Nations women and children. This not only means that we can gain a much stronger picture of the nature and extent of family violence, but that First Nations people have sovereignty over the research and resulting data that will help shape solutions and strategies to end violence against First Nations women and children.”

To view media release First Nations-led data research on family, domestic, and sexual violence, issued yesterday by the Minister for Families and Social Services of Australia, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, in full click here. The below video is a trailer to the documentary Not Just Numbers about the a group of inspirational women, the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, and their work towards preventing family and domestic violence.

Waterloo housing for mob welcome

The CEOs of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) and the Aboriginal Medical Services Limited (AMS) have welcomed the NSW government’s commitment to a minimum of 15% of all social and affordable housing in the Waterloo South redevelopment being for Aboriginal people. The Redfern Waterloo Alliance of ACCHOs and Allies arranged a media event, with Warren Roberts speaking as the chairperson and campaign organiser, and Siobhan Bryson, the CEO of Weave, speaking on behalf of the allies.

In announcing changes to Waterloo South, Housing Minister Rose Jackson increased both the amount of social and affordable housing in that redevelopment as well as the proportion that would be dedicated to Aboriginal people. The changes guarantee there will be at least 135 Aboriginal social housing homes and 90 Aboriginal affordable housing homes delivered in Waterloo South through an Aboriginal affordable housing provider.

“This is an opportunity to show a commitment to the Aboriginal community remaining in the area that is famous for Aboriginal people, and where our rights movement commenced and is based,” said Nathan Moran, MLALC CEO. “The Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern considers housing a major component toward improving better health outcomes for Aboriginal people in our community,” said LaVerne Bellear, AMS CEO.

To view The South Sydney Herald article Aboriginal housing for Waterloo welcomed in full click here.

Warren Roberts, Siobhan Bryson, LaVerne Bellear and Nathan Moran standing outside building with 'Matavai' written on it

Warren Roberts, Siobhan Bryson, LaVerne Bellear and Nathan Moran. Photo: Geoff Turnbull. Image source: The South Sydney Herald.

Language at heart of community health

Roughly 250 kms NE of Alice Springs is a place called Utopia. Composed of a loose collection of sparsely populated clan sites in the inland desert, the area is the traditional homeland of the Alyawarr and Anmatyerr peoples, roughly 500 of whom still live in Utopia today. A small body of relatively new scholarship has identified Utopia – where 88% of the population  speaks Alyawarr, and just 3.5% speaking exclusively English at home – as the site of an intriguing phenomenon, the link between the wellbeing of a language and the wellbeing of its speakers.

‘Language is medicine,’ state the authors who explore precisely this nexus in The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages (2018). Collectively, these authors are involved in documenting, teaching, researching and maintaining a diverse array of languages across what is now North America. Their striking observation, informed in many cases by scholarship in the authors’ own communities, crystallises the central claim of a small but growing body of research that insists that the declining health of a community’s language does not merely occur alongside sickness in a community but is itself the root of this sickness. If true, the opposite holds as well: namely, that strengthening the use of Indigenous languages offers a path towards physical and emotional healing for their speakers.

At a time when minority languages around the world face continuing pressures from dominant cultures to assimilate – something we witnessed clearly during the COVID-19 pandemics, when vital medical information was literally unavailable across the United States’ big cities in numerous languages spoken by minority groups – what can these perspectives tell us about how we define wellness? What might they add to our understanding of where the tongue ends and the body (corporeal and politic) begins?

To view the essay Language is medicine written by Erica X Eisen and published by Aeon in full click here.

Amnesty International urge greater scrutiny 

Amnesty International Australia (Amnesty) has expressed sorrow and anger following the death of a 41-year old Indigenous man remanded in custody in Hakea Prison, WA. Amnesty noted that coming “just weeks” after Indigenous teenager Cleveland Dodd died by suicide inside Casuarina Prison’s Unit 18 juvenile wing, “the fact that yet another Indigenous life has been lost is outrageous and unacceptable, and highlights a system that is fundamentally broken”.

Amnesty’s Indigenous Rights Advisor, Palawa Elder Uncle Rodney Dillon, said there needs to be a higher level of scrutiny and culpability when it comes to Indigenous deaths in custody. “Each case should be investigated independently by a criminal investigator, and not rely on a government coroner. Our mob are dying inside these prisons. No one has been found responsible, and there are no recommendations coming from the coroner that are stopping deaths in custody,” he said.

Amnesty International Australia’s Community Engagement Associate Campaigner, Rachael McPhail, said “These are preventable deaths that are caused by systemic racism, unconscious bias and a justice system that is heavily stacked against First Nations Peoples.” Amnesty International Australia has repeatedly called for the prevention of Indigenous deaths in custody, by urging governments to implement the 339 recommendations made by the 1991 Royal Commission into Deaths in Custody.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Amnesty International urge greater scrutiny after another Indigenous death in custody in full here.

Hakea Prison, WA

Hakea Prison. Photo: Justin Benson-Cooper (The Sunday Times). Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Research into illicit drug use in regional Victoria

Associate Professor Bernadette Ward, from Monash Rural Health, is helping lead a huge expansion of research into illicit drug use in rural Victoria, collecting information on what’s now the largest active group of people who use drugs in Australia. The new study, called MIXMAX, combines two established projects – the SuperMIX study of people who inject drugs, and the VMAX study on methamphetamine (ice) smoking in metropolitan and regional Victoria.

MIXMAX is a partnership between Monash Rural Health and the Burnet Institute. It will initially focus on the Mildura region after receiving new funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). SuperMIX began in 2008, and is a Burnet Institute study based in Melbourne. VMAX began in 2016, focusing on Melbourne, Bendigo, Shepparton and Gippsland.

A community event by Monash Rural Health and the Burnet Institute will be held in Mildura tonight, 8 November 2023, to explain the expansion. Researchers will also meet healthcare workers and a regional Indigenous health group ahead of the study. Associate Professor Ward said “We do know that in Mildura, anecdotally, there are lots of reports of people and family members and friends who’ve experienced some of the harm related to illicit drug abuse. Traditionally, in places like Mildura, small rural towns, there may have been some research done, but it’s usually a one-off. And what we’re now launching into is a five-year study in Mildura. We’ll be recruiting several hundred research participants and following them over time and talking to them about their illicit drug use, their mental health, their support services, their family, who they live with, what support they get, their involvement with the criminal justice system, and their behaviours around things like driving, how they use the drugs, and the frequency. We’ll also be seeking permission from them to collect some blood to look at their bloodborne virus status, so their hepatitis C, and HIV.”

To view the Monash University LENS article Shining a light on illicit drug use in regional Victoria in full click here.

wooden bench with tablets, spoon with white powder, syringe & alfoil

Image source: Monash University LENS webpage.

New LGBTQA+ youth suicide prevention program

Content warning: This article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

Funding for the first ever Elder-led intervention to support young Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people will bring new hope for the youth group most at risk of suicide in the nation says Edith Cowan University (ECU). ECU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Equity and Indigenous) Professor Braden Hill and colleagues from ECU, Murdoch University and the Telethon Kids Institute have been awarded an NHMRC/Medical Research Future Fund grant entitled, Pride Yarns: Development and trial of an inter-generational intervention for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young peoples’ wellbeing.

The $624,000 of funding over two years will enable researchers to develop and test the feasibility and efficacy of an Elder-led intervention for improving the social emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people aged 14-25. It’s based on positive findings from the Pride Yarns with Mob (PYWM) pilot project – which provided opportunities for Aboriginal LGBTQA+ young people to connect meaningfully with Elders. The pilot resulted in young people expressing an increased level of cultural connection and feelings of acceptance and social inclusion of the LGBTQA+ identity within Noongar culture.

10% of Aboriginal young people aged 16–29 years report being lesbian, gay or bisexual and four per cent as trans and gender diverse. Professor Hill said despite a comparatively high rate of suicide and mental health difficulties among Aboriginal LGBTQA+ youth, they remain one of the most under-served groups of youth in Australia in terms of tailored psychological support. “The urgency for interventions such as this cannot be underestimated,” he said.

To view the OUTinPerth article New suicide prevention program for LGBTQA+ [I]ndigenous youth article in full click here.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

6 November 2023

feature tile image ATSI mum holding baby; text 'Closing the Gap can only be achieved if service gaps are identified and filled'

The image in the feature tile is from the Strong Mothers, Strong Families webpage of the Carbal Medical Services webpage.

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

CTG is possible with proper use of information

Ian Ring AO, a Professor in tropical health and medicine at James Cook University says if there was general agreement about anything in the recent Voice referendum, it was that progress in Closing the Gap (CTG) has been unacceptable. Given this, Professor Ring said you would have thought, the key question asked by all might be “Why has progress been so slow – and what needs to be done to turn that around?” According to Professor Ring there are steps that could be taken right now to put the targets for life expectancy and child mortality “on track”. They are not unaffordable, do not require new knowledge and have been sought by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for a very long time. But they would require governments to heed the voice of Indigenous people, strengthen Indigenous leadership and conduct a root-and-branch overhaul and upskilling of key government agencies – and make proper use of information that has long been available to it.

Professor Ring points to child mortality as an example. He explains that most childhood deaths occur very early in life and are driven by birthweight, and that healthy birthweight is much more likely in those who start to access antenatal services early in pregnancy and receive adequate care for a range of health conditions and effective health promotion strategies for nutrition, smoking and other important factors. The Strong Mothers, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program, first developed by Aboriginal women and health workers in the early 1990s and was followed by various adaptations of this approach has led to improvements in the birthweight distribution and a reduction in perinatal mortality.

In 2014 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said “Evidence shows that models of care tailored specifically for Indigenous women result in quantifiable improvements in antenatal care attendance, pre-term births, birth outcomes, perinatal mortality, and breastfeeding practice. These models include culturally appropriate and safe care as well as continuity of care, collaboration between midwives and Indigenous health workers, and involvement of family members such as grandmothers.” Professor Ring says that given this information, it might have been expected that the Commonwealth would conduct a service inventory of existing ACCHO services for mothers and babies, identified service gaps and then developed a forward plan to fill the service gaps across Australia. Sadly, that has not been the case and there has been no significant change in the Indigenous low birthweight rate between 2013–2019, and between 2010–2019 there was no significant change in the Indigenous child and infant mortality rates.

Major changes to improve ACT justice system

The ACT Government has formally announced several major changes to key laws in a bid to improve current performance and trajectory in the justice system, including increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years of age to 14 years by the year 2025.  By raising the age of criminal responsibility the ACT Government is hoping to divert youth away from the criminal justice system and ensure they receive the therapeutic rehabilitative support needed to address the underlying cause of their behaviour. Attorney General Shane Rattenbury said “children in our community, especially those engaging in harmful behaviour, need our care and attention, not to be locked away in prison. Barbara Causon, the current Advocate, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People in the ACT, said First Nations’ children “are currently over-represented in the juvenile justice system and this important reform, along with carefully considered, culturally informed, alternative service responses aims to address this concerning issue”.

“The importance of involving our local Aboriginal community in the development and implementation of an alternative service response will go a long way to addressing the significant over-representation of our children in the juvenile justice system and have the potential to improve lifelong outcomes for our First Nations children and young people,” she said.

First Nations leader, Bundjalung man and Joe Hedger said “the issues of over-representation are interconnected, part of a web of poverty, limited access to education, healthcare, housing and cycles of disadvantage. By collaborating closely with First Nations people and organisations, the ACT Government can unlock the tremendous expertise and insights they bring to the table. This not only addresses immediate challenges but sets the stage for holistic reform in areas like education, healthcare, employment, housing and mental health, ensuring a brighter future for all.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article ACT leading the way with historic changes to justice system in full click here.

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House. Photo: Jess Whaler. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Top End life expectancy research wins award

NT Health research looking at the life expectancy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the NT has won the 2022 Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) Award for Excellence in Medical Research. The research conducted by Dr Yuejen Zhao, Shu Qin Li, Dr Tom Wilson, and Professor Paul Burgess, found that life expectancy for Indigenous people in the NT improved markedly from 1999 to 2018, with fewer lives lost to cancer, injuries and chronic disease.

The MJA Editor-in-Chief, Professor Virginia Barbour said “Their important research has helped contribute to the growing Australian academic literature about Indigenous health and wellbeing. We know that more needs to be done to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, so the MJA really encourages more research into this area. It is also vital that the research community recognises the importance of research into the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Co-author Professor Paul Burgess, the Senior Director of Health Statistics and Informatics at NT Health, said the team were honoured to receive the award. “We are delighted and humbled to accept the MJA award for Excellence in Medical Research,” Professor Burgess said on behalf of the team. “As public health officials, we generally eschew the limelight — outside the occasional pandemic! However, we think the true recognition for this work belongs to the many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who have volunteered or worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to improve health outcomes across the NT.”

You can read the research in the Medical Journal of Australia here and the InSight+ article Indigenous research wins MJA Award for Excellence in Medical Research in full here.

Aboriginal man's hand being held by health worker in hospital

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Important others see racism called out

A GP has been banned from registering as a doctor for a year in Australia because of discriminatory behaviour toward an Indigenous doctor he accused of being a “fake Aboriginal” akin to “like a watered down bottle of Grange”. The medical board describedthe decision as a “landmark outcome” as it is the first case to make reference to changes in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) national law introduced last year to include a definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s findings, the Canberra-based GP’s name was suppressed but the Indigenous doctor, Yuggera, Warangoo and Wiradjuri man associate professor Kristopher Rallah-Baker, made the unusual request that his name be published. “It was important for me that this outcome wasn’t faceless, for people to see they won’t be brought down if they complain about racism,” Rallah-Baker said. “Racism in the healthcare system contributes to patient harm and premature death.”

The nation’s first Indigenous eye surgeon knows the consequences of racism all too well. He was inspired to become a doctor to stem the cycle that saw his grandmother orphaned at 12. “My nanna lost her own mother from pneumonia after refusing to see the white doctors for medical assistance. She was a member of the stolen generation.” While still at the University of Newcastle medical school Rallah-Baker became one of the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association,, developed and managed the Indigenous Health Unit in the Logan-Beaudesert Health Service District, as well as developing the Deadly Ears Indigenous Hearing Health Program for Queensland, which has now been adopted as the National Indigenous Hearing Health Program by the federal government.

To view The Guardian article Doctor banned for 12 months after sending racist email to Australia’s first Indigenous eye surgeon in full click here.

Australia's first ATSI eye surgeon Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker in scrubs in theatre

Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker received an offensive email from a GP. That doctor has now been reprimanded over misconduct. Photo: Michael Amendolia. Image source: The Guardian.

Suicide prevention, postvention support

Content warning: This article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

The suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is more than double that of the Australian population overall, a terrible legacy of the dispossession and trauma wrought by colonisation. But those supporting Aboriginal people in the Illawarra say First Nations people have a lot of strengths to focus on as work continues to drive down the tragic toll. Suicide rates were especially high among males, and suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Kim Reid works with Thirrili, a postvention service that supports Indigenous people and communities after a suicide or traumatic death. Mr Reid said he believed the high suicide rates were the result of generational trauma stemming from colonisation, leading to lower socio-economic status, lower employment rates and poorer health. Racism also takes its toll.

Sharlene Cruickshank, Aboriginal mental health clinical lead with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, works with a team of Aboriginal clinicians and mental health workers who ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region are supported in a culturally safe and sensitive way. “We need to make sure that people feel safe, they trust the service, they trust the people around them, they feel comfortable,” Ms Cruickshank, a Wandi Wandandian, Wodi Wodi and Jerrinja woman, said.

To view the Illawarra Mercury article Suicide prevention, postvention support for Aboriginal community in full click here.

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Photos: Ainslie.Co. Images source: Illawarra Mercury.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Healing power of art for doctors and patients

Medicine cannot cure all diseases, but one simple yet powerful tool – art – can help patients and doctors alike. It is well known that art is good for patients. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” as stated by the 1947 Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO uses art in health promotion and communication. In 2019, the WHO tested the effect of arts in advancing specific health goals, including improving mental health, suicide and blindness prevention, and maternal health. The WHO’s Regional Office for Europe is conducting research on the effect of art in health, in its Behavioural and Cultural Insights Program. Art also helps communicate health messages across different cultures and helps with emergency preparedness.

Indigenous artwork displayed in hospitals is one means to aid a culturally safe environment for Indigenous patients. It is also a reminder to non-Indigenous people in the hospital, to mentally acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land that the hospital lies on. Engaging in art is instrumental in the wellbeing and healing of Indigenous patients. For many Indigenous people, art is not a commodity but rather as “something akin to a family member”. Engaging in and displaying art, when treating Indigenous patients, could be a valuable part of the management plan. However, it remains widely unadopted. The incorporation of Indigenous artwork into staff uniforms of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Queensland, which they report has helped improve engagement of Indigenous people in their mental health programs.

Art as a method of healing is still viewed as an accessory tool, rather than a primary tool, in the doctor’s toolbox. This likely stems from a multitude of factors: a lack of education of doctors and medical students in the importance of art for patients and themselves, a lack of time in a busy hospital system for the doctor to remember and use available hospital art services, perhaps a feeling that art is not as important as current clinical practice backed with research, a lack of funding for art services in hospitals, and a lack of research studying the effect of art on the physical and mental health of patients. There are likely many other reasons why today, there are still hospitals in Australia without an arts service for its patients or an Arts in Medicine program for its doctors.

To view the InSight+ article The healing power of art for doctors and their patients in full click here.

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.

2 November 2023

The image in the feature tile is from Unsplash.

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

Shingles vaccine now free for Indigenous people over 50

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50 can now get the shingles vaccine for free, as of Wednesday 1 November. Immunocompromised adults and all people over the age of 65 will also be eligible for the vaccine. The new, free vaccine provides around 10 years’ worth of protection from shingles and previously costed up to $560.

On NITV and SBS World News, NACCHO Medical Advisor Dr Megan Campbell said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are more likely to get shingles and are more likely to get it at a younger age.

“The new vaccine is safer and more effective than the last one we had,” she said.

“And more importantly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can get a free two-dose course from the age of 50.”

Watch it on NITV here and on SBS World News here.

Image source: ABC News.

Black Rainbow on preventing Indigenous LGBTQIA+SB suicide

Black Rainbow Founder, Dameyon Bonson spoke at the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference session LGBTQIA+SB and Inclusivity in ACCHOs on how the National Indigenous LGBTQIA+SB Volunteer Suicide Prevention Organisation came to be, and why it is needed. Mr Bonson shared a story of how he saw a funeral notice for a 12-year-old Aboriginal boy who died by suicide. Mr Bonson explained. “I said to myself ‘what if this young fella was gay? Or questioning?’ What services could he look at and go ‘I can go there, and I’ll feel comfortable and safe there.’” Now, Black Rainbow does just that – provides a safe space to pursue positive health and wellbeing for the LGBTQIA+SB Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, while acknowledging that racism and homophobia are significant determinants of health.

“It [Black Rainbow] was created so that if any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, no-binary, sistergirl, or brotherboy felt lonely or isolated, they could get online and see themselves reflected positively,” Mr Bonson said.

In its early days, Black Rainbow leveraged social media to gain traction, claiming the space where the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQI+SB people had predominately been within sexual health conversations. Expanding the conversation, Mr Bonson used Twitter to “champion the work that needed top be done and raise money.”

“I thought I’d given the organisations enough time to do what you’re funded to do, and you haven’t done it.

“Well guess what? The black fellas gonna do it…the black gay one’s gonna do it,” he said.

Learn more about Black Rainbow here.

If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well, or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from:

Black Rainbow Founder Dameyon Bonson speaking at the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference.

QAIHC urges Indigenous-led reform on deaths in custody

Following the death of 16-year-old Aboriginal boy Cleveland Dodd in the Unit 18 youth detention facility at Perth’s adult Casuarina Prison, the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) has renewed its call for urgent prison reform to improve the health, well-being and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. QAIHC urged immediate action to address the lack of cultural safety faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in custody in Queensland, stressing that “without immediate action to address systemic racism within the criminal justice system, similar tragedies will continue to occur”, in a statement issued Wednesday.

QAIHC noted it was encouraged by recent remarks by federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler at the NACCHO Members Conference in Perth, where he committed his department to reviewing access and cultural appropriateness of healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in custody, but warned that a review without the input and involvement of Australia’s Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation sector would be incomplete and ineffective.

“ACCHOs understand the unique needs, challenges, and solutions our communities require, and it is critical that the ACCHO sector is involved in a review and in the ongoing delivery of healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in custody,” said QAIHC CEO Cleveland Fagen.

“We must increase access to culturally safe, effective, and relevant care and support within the justice system, in alignment with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.”

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Brisbane youth detention centre. Image: Darren England (AAP).

VACCHO supports decriminalisation of public drunkenness

VIC will decriminalise public drunkenness on November 7, in a decision that has long been lauded by Indigenous and health experts. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) welcomed the proposed abolishment of the law. VACCHO CEO, and Gunditjmara woman, Aunty Jill Gallagher said, “The abolition of Public Drunkenness laws was a key recommendation of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody because of its dangerous and discriminatory impact.”

Ms Gallagher told the National Indigenous Times, “The repeal of these laws is vital for the betterment of the health and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria, and indeed all Victorians.”

The role of groups like cohealth will focus on supporting intoxicated people in a wide range of areas. Street based health teams, which will include a nurse and an alcohol/drug worker, can help people with as little a task as charging their phone to sitting with them whilst they wait to get home.

The last port of call would be transporting them to a sobering centre – such as the new alcohol sobering centre on Cambridge Street (not yet open) – which would need the person’s consent. Other options still include care at a medical facility if they are too intoxicated to give consent or are a danger to themselves to the community.

Read the full article here.

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

International Indigenous Disability Research Conference

An International Indigenous Disability Research Conference, a first of its kind, is set to be held at the University of Syndey this month. The symposium aims to explore and bring to light what the international platform of Indigenous disability research looks like under the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The objective is to develop a strategy for the university research centres in how they engage in the Indigenous research space on a global scale.

The symposium will address three questions:

  • What does the international disability research archive look like on a global scale?
  • How can scholars respect and empower Indigenous people with disability in research and research translation that is culturally respectful for Indigenous people?
  • What does decolonization/Indigenisation mean in disability research?

The event is being hosted by the Centre of Disability Research and Policy and the University of Syndey. It will also be supported by the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and the University Disability Inclusion Action Plan. It will be held on November 22 and November 23 at the Susan Wakil Health Building on the Camperdown campus.

Register here.

‘Welcome Baby to Bourke’ recognised

Welcome Baby to Bourke has won the Secretary’s Award at the 25th annual NSW Health Awards. With no operating birthing unit in Bourke, expectant mothers need to travel to Dubbo to deliver their babies. Welcome Baby to Bourke is an initiative to welcome babies born away from Country back into the region. Pat Canty, WNSWLHD Manager Aboriginal Health Partnerships and Community Engagement in the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Directorate, said this award belongs to all our babies and parents of the Bourke Community.

“Thank you for the support we have received from our community and partners. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible. To be recognised by this prestigious award is a dream come true. This event is so important to the babies and our families in the community. This is something very special,” Mrs Canty said.

Read more here.

Image source: ABC News.

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.