NACCHO Aboriginal Health News Alerts

NACCHO 2013 budget alert: National Congress welcomes the commitment to continue existing levels of support

nacchomedia — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:21:04 +0000

NACCHO and National Congress sharing a major press conference at Parliament House

National Congress notes the significant spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander programs and looks forward to working with the government of the day on furthering our Peoples issues.

“We welcome additional funds in this Budget that are being provided under certain programs, given the tough measures applied across government expenditure,” said Congress Co-Chair, Les Malezer.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should take confidence from the commitment to continue existing levels of support through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs and services.

“However, all Governments must continue to look for ways reduce duplication of services and complexity of grant administration as these will continue to be obstacles for addressing disadvantage for our Peoples,” he said.

Congress will continue to analyse the budget but key points include:

Health: $777 million commitment to the National Partnership Agreement in health.

NACCHO , Congress, our members and our Close the Gap partners will continue to work with the Federal, State and Territory governments to secure a national agreement and to implement the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.

NACCHO notes that as at May 15 we are still awaiting the fine details

SEE NACCHO PRESS RELEASE

Education: 9.8 billion Gonski funding.

Congress welcomes the extra money from this funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The extra funding for the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (11.9 million over 4 years) will help improve retention rates and we also note the funds for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (10 million).

Justice:

$12 million extra over 2 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services. The budget however has not delivered a clear commitment to Justice Reinvestment programs.

“Congress has called for Justice Targets as part of Closing the Gap and the increased funding for ALS will contribute towards those goals but we will continue to call for Justice Reinvestment and stronger commitments from States and Territories,” said Co-Chair Jody Broun.

“The government has also made a clear commitment to working with Congress and ensuring our role as a strong independent representative body is maintained by continuing funding till 2017 of $15million.”

NACCHO 2013 budget press release:Lack of detail leaves a question mark over Aboriginal health

nacchomedia — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:19:02 +0000

The $777 million commitment to Close the Gap initiatives in the 2013 Federal Budget is welcome however the Aboriginal health Community Controlled sector remains concerned about the lack of detail on how and where the money will be spent.

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Chair, Justin Mohamed, said it was critical that adequate funding was dedicated to support and grow Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services where the biggest gains were being made in improving Aboriginal health.

Download the Aboriginal Health Budget here also see executive summary below

Download Federal Government Press release on Aboriginal spending here

“The lack of clarity in the Budget around how funding will flow to Aboriginal primary Community Controlled Health services is very concerning,” Mr Mohamed said.

“Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services need to be at the forefront of any comprehensive primary health care model.

“It is these services – run by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people – that are making the biggest improvements to the health of their communities.

“The Federal Government also needs to put greater effort into getting the states and territories to re-commit to the National Partnership Agreement – due to expire in just over a month.

“It is simply not OK to leave the fate of Aboriginal health hanging while everyone plays politics up to the 11^th hour.”

Mr Mohamed said NACCHO was disappointed that the Budget did not spell out how the upcoming National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan would be funded.

“The Health Plan will not work unless it is properly resourced and after yesterday we are no clearer on how much of the $777 million will be directed to this critical initiative.

“It is also disappointing to again see the focus on Medicare Locals in the Budget. Medicare Locals are yet to prove their effectiveness in the Aboriginal health space where the community controlled model has made positive health gains.

“If we’re serious about closing the appalling gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, then Aboriginal health needs to be given the attention it deserves and community controlled services better supported.”

Mr Mohamed said NACCHO would be consulting widely with the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector and providing further comment upon further analysis of the budget papers in the coming days.

Media contact: Colin Cowell 0401 331 251,

ABORIGINAL HEALTH BUDGET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Through Outcome 8, the Australian Government aims to improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to effective health care services essential to improving health and life expectancy, and reducing child mortality.

The Australian Government, through the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, is committed to ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians in health, education and employment. This requires a concerted and coordinated effort from all Government agencies and two of the targets in the agreement relate directly to the Health and Ageing Portfolio: to close the gap in life expectancy within a generation; and to halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five years of age within a decade.

In 2013-14, the Government will work with states and territories through a renewed National Partnership Agreement (NPA) to consolidate and embed the reforms implemented under the current NPA on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, including continuing implementation of the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package. This commitment will provide a continued framework for working collaboratively to close the gap in life expectancy within a generation.

The Australian Government is also developing a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan, which will build on the gains already being achieved through the Australian Government’s Closing the Gap initiatives. The Health Plan is being developed as a collaborative effort and after extensive consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representatives and is being informed by advice from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council. It will involve building links with current initiatives and strategies, identifying gaps for further action and expanding existing initiatives where appropriate.

The Australian Government recognises that closing the gap in life expectancy in the Northern Territory continues to present a significant challenge. The Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory – health initiative focusses on this challenge by providing ongoing funding to deliver a comprehensive health package for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory.

The Department is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations, as well as in collaboration with state and territory government agencies to implement these programs.

The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health leads the work for Outcome 8 by funding the delivery of primary health care services and other

Download the Aboriginal Health Budget here also see executive summary below

Download Federal Government Press release on Aboriginal spending here

NACCHO 2013 budget alert: Aboriginal health spending: Where does the money go?

nacchomedia — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:08:18 +0000

NACCHO’s chairman Justin Mohamed is concerned state governments are waiting until tonights Budget announcement before making a call on Indigenous health funding.

“I would say at this stage, we haven’t had the confirmed numbers, and we do need every state and territory to come and recommit to closing the gap with their funding, to ensure the whole of Australia – every single Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person can have life expectancy similar to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Source SBS

With an election looming, the future of the government’s Closing the Gap policies remain uncertain. (AAP)

Building a clear picture of how the government spends money on Indigenous-specific programs is a problem so complex even seasoned economists struggle with it.
Part of the problem, as health researchers Dr Lesley Russell and Sebastian Rosenberg note in detail here, is the split in funding, delivery and administration between state and federal governments across more than 100 different initiatives.

There is also the question of funding announcements, which tend to dribble out throughout the year rather than forming a part of the federal budget.

Economist Jon Altman says he doesn’t expect to see “anything new” for Indigenous Australia in Wayne Swan’s budget announcement tomorrow.

“They’ve more or less fired all their fiscal bullets as far as Indigenous Australia is concerned,” he says.
“They’ve made their forward commitments to Stronger Futures, to Cape York, to Creative Australia to Carbon Farming Initiative; it has all been sign-posted.”

Justin Mohamed, Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), agrees.

“On previous budget nights and when the announcements are being made, you know you sometimes walk out of there a little bit flat because Aboriginal health or Aboriginal affairs probably doesn’t get the concentrated attention it needs,” he says.

The federal government funds a number of Indigenous-specific programs under National Partnership Agreements (NPAs) in partnership with state and territory governments, based on six policy initiatives known as ‘Closing the Gap’.

These six measures were set down by Kevin Rudd in 2008 at the same time he gave a formal apology to the Stolen Generations. They cover the broad areas of health, education, infant mortality, life expectancy, literacy and employment.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s report on Closing the Gap issued in February this year noted that only three out of the six areas were on track for achievement.

This is despite funding for some key areas nearing their initial expiry date.

‘CRITICAL YEAR’ FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH

In 2009, the federal government allocated $1.57 billion for Indigenous health initiatives. This funding agreement expires in June, although this has been buffered by a further commitment of $777 million over three years from the federal government — along with an expectation that state and territory governments will also contribute.

Victoria has already committed to $61.7 million over four years, and while other states have until June 30 to declare their funding commitments, none have so far declared their support.

The federal commitment, as Lesley Russell has written previously, is an increase in per annum expenditure, but because of a bump in funding for the year 2012-13, will actually result in a drop in funding for the year ahead.

“We await news of which programs will be cut, and where,” she wrote.

NACCHO’s Justin Mohamed is concerned state governments are waiting until tomorrow’s Budget announcement before making a call on Indigenous health funding.

The total amount of funding has been increasing since Closing the Gap initiatives were first announced in 2008, but the dollar figure is also only one part of the story. How effectively the money is being used is a question raised repeatedly by those keeping a close eye on the government’s Indigenous expenditure.

“It’s really about how that money is administered, and where the money goes,” says Mohamed.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

With an election looming, the future of the government’s Closing the Gap policies remain uncertain.

The federal opposition has been vocally critical of current state and federal programs, with Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion saying the efficiency and effectiveness of current programs needed to addressed.

A change of government could also clear out any partisan issues potentially hampering cooperation at state and federal levels, says Jon Altman.

“We’ve got to remember when we had multi-partisan agreement through COAG on these National Partnership agreements, it was coast-to-coast Labor, and since then we’ve had a change and a number of state governments and territory governments are non-Labor, so the possibility of contested federalism has increased,” he says.

“Of course, that could flip right round if you had a change of federal government, and suddenly you might see a new cooperative federalism between an Abbott government and at least those states and territories that are now conservative.”

WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS?

Indigenous early childhood development $564.6 over six years from July 2009 Remote service delivery $291.2 over six years from July 2009 Indigenous economic participation $228.8 over five years from July 2008 Remote indigenous housing $1.94 billion over ten years. New funding on top of $3.55 billion already committed, so total funding of $5.5. billion over ten years from Dec 08 Indigenous health outcomes $1.57 billion over four years from July 1, 2009 Remote Indigenous public internet access $6.967 million over four years

Q&A: What next for Indigenous funding?

Source SBS with thanks

With an election looming and some key Indigenous funding policies nearing expiry, is the pattern of government investment for Indigenous policies set to change?

Jon Altman of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University tells SBS reporter Rhiannon Elston why he doesn’t expect to see Indigenous spending on the agenda on budget night.

Q: To start with a broad picture, has funding been increasing for government-based ‘Closing the Gap’ initiatives since they were first drawn up in 2008?

It most certainly has. There has been a series of a National Partnership Agreements (NPAs) that I think have certainly increased allocations to Indigenous policy, Indigenous Affairs. One of the problems, of course, that the government has is that the last census showed a greater than expected increase in Indigenous population. And so on a per capita basis, that puts some pressure on Indigenous funding. But nevertheless, the funding has increased. Paradoxically, perhaps, a lot of that funding is being allocated to remote Australia where need is seen to be the greatest.

And particularly, of course, the Northern Territory and Cape York are major beneficiaries. But the majority of the Indigenous population lives in non-remote Australia. Probably around 75 to 80 per cent live in non-remote Australia. So in a sense, the paradox is that government is… putting most of the money into remote Australia, where I think gaps are going to be the hardest to close.

And they’re assuming that mainstream provision of services will look after Indigenous people in non-remote Australia, where gaps are most likely to close. I think it’s a very brave assumption that people will get equitable needs-based access to services in non-remote Australia if they’re disadvantaged.

Q: That appears to be a recurring criticism; that the bulk of Indigenous funding lands in the Northern Territory and not enough is left for the other states.

The first thing the government really needs to do, and it’s never done, is actually undertake some audit of what is needed. Because what we don’t hear a lot about in Indigenous policy making is the historical legacy. In some sense what happened post the 2007 intervention is the extent of the legacy in very visible remote Indigenous communities was there for everybody to see, and the obvious government response to that was to try and band-aid what was very visible.

Poor housing, poor school facilities, poor community infrastructure. Poor medical centres. So the government has certainly tried to address some of that in those very visible places. But the truth is, to meet that historical legacy which has being growing exponentially for decades, is going to require very significant investments, very significant commitments, running into billions of dollars.

Q: With the Indigenous Health Outcomes NPA due to expire in June, we’ve seen the federal government recommit $777 million over three years with an expectation that the states and territories will also come to the table, and they have until June 30 to do that. So far, we haven’t seen broad state-based commitment. What kind of implications could that have?

I think it will depend on the next government. We’ve got to remember when we had multi-partisan agreement through COAG on these National Partnership agreements, it was coast-to-coast Labor, and since then we’ve had a change and a number of state governments and territory governments are non-Labor. So the possibility of contested federalism has increased, and of course that could flip right round if you had a change of federal government, and suddenly you might see a new cooperative federalism between an Abbott government and at least those states and territories that are now conservative.

Whatever the case, I think there will be some very hard questions asked about the National Partnership Agreements when they come up for renegotiation in terms of their effectiveness. And one of the things we’ve found with Closing the Gap in terms of their track record at least for the period 2006-2011, has been quite patchy. Some of the gaps are closing quite slowly. Some of the gaps are widening, and some of them are proving very difficult to shift. So in a sense, there might be scepticism about both the targets and about the efficacy of the national partnership agreements in helping to close them.

Q: Do you expect to see any major Indigenous funding announcements in next week’s budget?

I think the current government, it seems to be the new mode of operation, they’ve more or less fired all their fiscal bullets as far as Indigenous Australia is concerned. They’ve made their forward commitments to Stronger Futures, to Cape York, to Creative Australia to Carbon Farming Initiative; it has all been sign-posted so I actually don’t expect to see anything new for Indigenous Australia in the budget.

The question is, what will the government do to make sure that when we have new schemes like DisabilityCare Australia… what mechanisms do we have in place to make sure that those people who are most in need and I think it’s likely that even in relation to DC Indigenous People who will be most in need get the greatest access? And it seems to me that one of the problems we have with this notion of normalisation and needs-based equitable access to services including disability support, superannuation, jobs and so on, is that we assume the playing field is level, whereas clearly that’s not the case.

Not just in terms of historical legacy and the poor physical, psychological, emotional condition of many Indigenous people but also that our institutions aren’t very well tailored to respond to people from fundamentally different cultural backgrounds, and we just don’t want to recognise that racially based discrimination is still a problem when it comes to accessing services

NACCHO chair welcomes Professor Kerry Arabena as the newly appointed Chair of Indigenous Health

nacchomedia — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:53:33 +0000

Mr Justin Mohamed, Chair of NACCHO representing over 150 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations throughout Australia today welcomed the annoucement that Professor Kerry Arabena has been appointed Chair of Indigenous Health at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

Our thanks to the Melbourne AGE for sharing photo (Photo: Sarah Anderson) and story in which Kerry spoke about the challenges facing Indigenous Australians, and why local and global leadership is critical for Indigenous affairs

Strong, charismatic and decisive leadership within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is something Kerry Arabena identifies as crucial to improving Indigenous health outcomes in Australia.

“Since 1970, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have taken our rightful place in discussions about health service delivery, the health and wellbeing of families and the positive transformation of our communities,” she says.

“Our role as leaders has been to learn to navigate and operate in complex health service, government and community systems to represent the issues we’ve heard from people in our communities.”

A descendant of the Meriam People of the Torres Strait, Professor Arabena is the first Torres Strait Islander woman to achieve and receive a professorial position. She has had many senior appointments: as well as recently being appointed Chair of Indigenous Health at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, it was announced in April that Professor Arabena would be taking on the role of Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council.

A social worker by profession, Professor Arabena began her career in community services and case management in the Northern Territory over 20 years ago, where she worked in one of the most remote Aboriginal medical services in Australia at Kintore, 600km west of Alice Springs.

“I think I’m the only Torres Strait Islander woman who’s ever lived out in the desert like that,” she says.

She transitioned from social work into human ecology, community-controlled health organisations, co-ordination of national public health initiatives and finally into academia. At the University of Melbourne her role involves community engagement and capacity-building.

She notes that the role of leadership within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community is constantly changing.

“Some of us have been in our fields for at least 20 years and are in positions to mentor others. We are modern intellectuals with ancestral and cultural connection to country. This type of leadership is now critical for all our affairs.

“Our role is to look to the next generation, to ensure we are supporting and creating spaces for them. We need to unify on matters affecting us all, and engage in conversations about our affairs on a local and global scale.”

These conversations are much needed. Many disparities still exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous population health status and outcomes, determinants of health and health system performance.

While Professor Arabena is wary of “simplifying, stereotyping and amplifying” the difficulties of life for people in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, she says “The reality of life is grim” for many of them.

“Life is such that some children would choose to end their lives before they get a chance to live it. Life is such that we have young people who have completed year 12 but who are unable to read or write.”

Professor Arabena believes negatively framed discussion of Indigenous issues in policy environments is, however, deeply problematic, directly impacting health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

In many public conversations, Indigenous people are viewed as “disadvantaged” and “in poverty” and all of these other terms we use so loosely.

“What we forget to see and know is that people can change, people can empower themselves, and that given information and opportunity, people can transform their lives from what might have been incredibly difficult circumstances.”

Professor Arabena identifies several strategies she will focus on during her time at the University, including helping build recognition of the rights of Indigenous families and communities to live self-determining lives, free from discrimination; and creating and advancing knowledge of the contributions Indigenous Australians have made, and continue to make, to Australian society.

“I get excited about what we can do together. Despite difficult circumstances, there have been eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians of the Year, and I think That’s something we can all be proud of.

“We get described as “disadvantaged” and not able to do things: actually we can, and we are, and we will. Whether people recognise that or not ” we know what we do, we know what we can achieve. And to me, that is worth celebrating.”

www.pgh.unimelb.edu.au

NACCHO accreditation resource:RACGP Standards set to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services

nacchomedia — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:11:59 +0000

Pictured Sarah Paterson (left) and Aislinn Martin (right) presenting the first copy of RACGP Standards to NACCHO CEO Lisa Briggs here in Canberra

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) are proud to launch the

New Interpretive guide to the RACGP Standards set to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services Interpretive guide to the RACGP Standards for general practice (4th edition) for Aboriginal community controlled health services (‘Interpretive guide’).

DOWNLOAD PDF

A companion document to the RACGP’s current Standards for General Practices (4th edition) (‘the Standards’), the Interpretive guide aims to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services to meet the requirements for accreditation against the RACGP standards and to apply quality measures to their everyday practice.

The RACGP and NACCHO acknowledge the efforts made by the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), across Australia, to obtain RACGP accreditation, an important step towards achieving the best possible health outcomes for patients.

The Interpretive guide explains the Standards in a meaningful way for Aboriginal community controlled health services by taking into account their context, culture and service delivery models.

Associate Professor Brad Murphy, Chair of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, acknowledges that Aboriginal community controlled health services are committed to achieving RACGP and other forms of accreditation, and this new resource aims to assist in identifying the relevance of the Standards to their own health services and communities.

“Thanks to the highly effective collaboration that took place between the RACGP and NACCHO, as well as its state and territory affiliates, we are proud to jointly launch a significant piece of work that will contribute to ongoing quality and safety improvements in the health services delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” A/Prof Murphy said.

By applying the Standards to individual practices, GPs, Aboriginal Health Workers and their practice teams ensure the provision of high quality, safe and contemporary primary healthcare is delivered to all Australians.

“Achieving accreditation demonstrates that a practice has been assessed as having reached defined standards of excellence in safety and quality in primary healthcare. This should be a matter of great pride to the practice itself, its patients and the community,” said A/Prof Murphy.

Justin Mohamed the Chair of NACCHO on behalf of all the 150 members throughout Australia thanked the RACGP for the highly effective collaboration that has taken place between the two peak bodies to produce such an important resource

Both the Interpretive guide and Standards are available to all College stakeholders

as either a downloadable PDF

Trish Jean NACCHO National Quality and Accreditation Officer (left) checking out the new site

and also via an interactive and topic searchable web resource on the RACGP website

About the RACGP

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation and represents urban and rural general practitioners. We represent over 21,500 members working in or towards a career in general practice and are proud that over 19,300 Australian-registered general practitioners have chosen to be a member of the College. There are over 125 million general practice consultations taking place annually in Australia. Visit

http://www.racgp.org.au. The RACGP recognises the traditional custodians of land and sea, on whose lands we work and live. We wish to pay our respects to all Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and future.

NACCHO Close the Gap:Prevention not intervention,$22 million funding boost

nacchomedia — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:55:44 +0000

The Gillard Government will be delivering a $22 million funding boost to help more than 3000 Indigenous students across the country complete their secondary education.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett today announced the Government will provide an additional $10 million to the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation this year, and a further $12 million under the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program over the next four years as part of the 2013-14 Budget.

Mr Garrett said the extra funding for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation will help support another 733 Indigenous students to attend boarding school.

“This funding boost means that since 2008, Labor has delivered a total of $32 million to the Foundation, benefitting more than 2,300 Indigenous students across the country,” Mr Garrett said.

“As part of our agreement with the AIEF, every dollar the Commonwealth invests is matched by a dollar from corporate and private support, meaning the organisation will benefit from a total of $64 million as a result of our support.

“These scholarships are crucial in helping young Indigenous people complete Year 12 and ensuring they have an opportunity to secure a job and lead fulfilling lives.

“Education is the passport out of poverty for many young Indigenous people and this extra funding will help even more students reach their goals.

“It also has a ripple effect in communities. The more young people who finish school and get into university, the more role models there are for future generations of Indigenous youth. ”

The new funding for the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program will support 204 new scholarships for Indigenous students.

The additional funding in this year’s budget will provide scholarships for 68 students in 2014 in each of Years 7, 8 and 11.

Since 2006, more than 1,500 secondary and tertiary students have been assisted under the IYLP. More than 86 per cent of students have been retained in the program or have completed Year 12, and more than 98 per cent of students who have begun Year 12 have completed the year.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said the Gillard Government had made unprecedented investments to help close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

“After years of underinvestment and neglect, Labor’s investments are making a real difference for Indigenous people,” Ms Macklin said.

“This year we are meeting our first closing the gap target, with more Indigenous children having access to pre-school or kindergarten than ever before, and our target of halving the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five by 2018 is also on track to be met.

“The new funding announced today will build on this good work, helping even more Indigenous kids gets every chance at a good education, a good job and a brighter future.”

Ms Macklin said the Government was delivering sustainable, long term investments to close the gap.

“Mr Abbott has so far refused to guarantee funding for Indigenous programs and organisations,” Ms Macklin said.

“This Labor Government has set out a clear pathway to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage, and we’re making the investments that are needed to get there.

“We won’t close the gap without the certainty of these long-term investments, or without partnerships between government and Indigenous organisations.

“The progress we’ve made in partnership with Indigenous people is at risk under a conservative Abbott Government.”

This additional funding is on top of around $690 million already invested by the Gillard Government in Indigenous education, including:

$543 million to support the Stronger Futures NT National Partnership;
more than $128 million to for the Australian Indigenous Education Action Plan; and
nearly $20 million for the Teach Remote program which places high quality teachers into remote communities.

The Gillard Governments National Plan for School Improvement will also include a particular focus on the needs of Indigenous children.

Funding for schools will be based on a Schooling Resource Standard, which includes a base amount per student and additional funding for schools and students that need more support, including indigenous students.

Non-media queries: 1300 363 079

NACCHO health news:Some advice for researchers and services wanting to improve Aboriginal health

nacchomedia — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:18:18 +0000

Some suggestions for how researchers and health services might do a better job of engaging with Aboriginal patients and communities have come from a research project spanning rural, regional and remote NSW.

The suggestions include taking time to develop trust and relationships (including with community members outside of the health sector), recruiting Aboriginal staff, and engaging patients and communities through art and social media.

The NHMRC-funded Gomeroi gaaynggal program recruits Aboriginal women in early pregnancy and monitors their health and that of their infants throughout pregnancy. It aims to promote the early detection, diagnosis and prevention of diabetes and kidney disease.

Work began on setting up the program in 2006, recognising that many Aboriginal women are deeply mistrustful of mainstream pregnancy-related healthcare services, and this contributes to low uptake of antenatal care.

Thanks to Lynsey Brown from the Primary Health Care Research and Information Service (PHC RIS), for reporting on a recent article about the program in the journal, Rural and Remote Health.

Our thanks to Melissa Sweet once again for your assistance

Sharing some strategies that work for Aboriginal health

Lynsey Brown writes:

Based on their experiences in Walgett (NSW) and other regional, rural and remote Aboriginal communities, Dr Kym Rae and colleagues describe strategies to improve recruitment and retention of Aboriginal people in research and antenatal programs.

The lessons learnt stem from the NHMRC-funded Gomeroi gaaynggal program, which investigates health issues across pregnancy and the post-natal period.

The Gomeroi gaaynggal team also works in partnership with the Aboriginal community and a range of health service providers to deliver an ArtsHealth program that addresses health literacy and service use.

The authors describe key strategies for recruitment and retention that can be applied across diverse regions.

Promoting both ownership and engagement, they note how community consultation must occur across multiple levels. For example, when establishing a health service, it is important to include conversations with not only health professionals but also organisations and individuals working in different areas across a range of social determinants of health (eg, housing, education, justice system), and particularly engaging with local community Elders.

It is this open and trusting dialogue that enables partnerships between researchers, clinicians and communities.

Community consultation is a step towards building trust, which is necessary between researchers and the community, and between research teams and partner organisations. However, trust takes time.

The authors describe prioritising recruitment of Aboriginal staff to enable open discussions, friendships and a supportive mentored environment, which helps this trust and sense of collaboration to develop.

The use of new technologies (in areas with adequate internet connectivity) is also discussed in detail. Social media such as Facebook can be beneficial in establishing connections, maintaining contact, keeping up-to-date with developments, providing opportunity for private emails, and encouraging communication at less cost than a phone call.

The importance of addressing local needs is emphasised, with the authors identifying successful recruitment and retention strategies in different areas.

For regional areas, provision of food and transport vouchers reduces costs for families travelling to health services. Further, Aboriginal staff spend time liaising closely with community members and health services staff.

In rural areas arranging transport and improving local access to services are key strategies. Facebook is also particularly valuable in promoting connection between the program and participants in this space.

Additionally, the authors highlight the benefits of requesting details of three contact people for each participant, to enable connection with families who often change residences.

In the remote region, the key factor is collaboration between the research team and the local Aboriginal Medical Service – with co-located offices and matching uniforms promoting an ongoing partnership.

Despite centres in different locations determining their own approach, it seems the generated strategies are applicable to other health professionals working to close the gap.

• Lynsey Brown is Research Associate, PHC RIS

• Rae K, Weatherall L, Hollebone K, Apen K, McLean M, Blackwell C, et al. (2013). Developing research in partnership with Aboriginal communities – strategies for improving recruitment and retention. Rural and Remote Health 13: 2255. (Online)

This article, which can be accessed at http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=2255, features in the 11 April 2013 edition of PHC RIS eBulletin, available at http://www.phcris.org.au/publications/ebulletin/index.php.

The eBulletin is designed to inform readers of recently published articles and reports, news items, media releases, upcoming conferences and courses, research grants, scholarships and fellowships, PHC RIS products and services and relevant websites in the primary health care field. Those interested in receiving the weekly eBulletin are invited to subscribe to the free service at http://www.phcris.org.au/mailinglists/index.php.

NACCHO health news: Local health mob summit in Central Australia to identify positive solutions to local problems

nacchomedia — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:32:14 +0000

Listen to Me: Summit to unite bush voices for change

Kurunna Mwarre: Making my spirit inside me good,

A summit in Central Australia will bring Aboriginal people together to identify positive solutions to local problems faced in their home communities and the wider community of Alice Springs.

Around 200 delegates will travel from communities and town camps to Ross River to take part in the summit, Kurunna Mwarre: Making my spirit inside me good, which is being held from 14-16 May 2013.

Photo above previous Congress Alice springs community action 2010 to Stop the Violence

“The summit gives people the opportunity to talk about violence and anti-social behaviour,” explained John Liddle, Ingkintja Male Health Manager (picture below) at Congress and one of the summit organisers.

“People genuinely want to see change and they want to be empowered to be part of that change.

“This summit is about taking responsibility for the past and taking local ownership to bring about and sustain positive change and healing of spirits.”

The summit is co-facilitated by health service, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and Creating a Safe Supportive Environment Inc. (CASSE) and follows on from previous summits facilitated by Congress’ Ingkintja male health branch, held in 2008 and 2010, where hundreds of Aboriginal males came together to address issues of violence and hurt in Aboriginal communities.

From the initial 2008 summit came the momentous ‘Inteyerrkwe Statement’, which gave a decisive proclamation that Aboriginal males from Central Australia were committed to ensuring safe and happy community environment for their families:

We the Aboriginal males from Central Australia and our visitor brothers from around Australia gathered at Inteyerrkwe in July 2008 to develop strategies to ensure our future roles as grandfathers, fathers, uncles, nephews, brothers, grandsons, and sons in caring for our children in a safe family environment that will lead to a happier, longer life that reflects opportunities experienced by the wider community.

“We acknowledge and say sorry for the hurt, pain and suffering caused by Aboriginal males to our wives, to our children, to our mothers, to our grandmothers, to our granddaughters, to our aunties, to our nieces and to our sisters.“We also acknowledge that we need the love and support of our Aboriginal women to help us move forward.”

Now, in 2013, both males and females will gather together to put forward positive solutions to help facilitate change.

“We talk a lot about what the problems are,” Mr Liddle said. “Now we want to focus on the solutions.”

“We want our voices to be heard.”

***ENDS***

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The Kurunna mwarre: Making my spirit inside me good Summit will be held at Ross River from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 May 2013. It is for Aboriginal people only.

A Summit Open Day will be held on Thursday 16 May for politicians, media and stakeholders to attend and be presented with the solutions emanating from the summit. (See details below)

Media contact:

Emma Ringer, Communications Officer, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

Ph: 0408 741 691 / 08 8958 3664

Email: emma.ringer@caac.org.au

Summit contact:

Bruce Loomes

Ph: 0439 594 724

Email: bruce_loomes@bigpond.com

Summit spokespeople:

Mr John Liddle, Ingkintja Male Health Branch Manager, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

Ms Donna Ah Chee, CEO, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

Kurunna Mwarre Summit Open Day:

When: Thursday 16 May, 2013

Time: 11:00am to 12:30pm

Where: Ross River Resort, via Alice Springs NT

Who: Federal and NT politicians

Federal and NT government departments

Aboriginal organisations and service providers

Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders in Central Australia

Media and relevant stakeholders

Interested persons from Central Australia

Media release, images, further information:

http://www.caac.org.au/media-publications/media-releases/listen-to-me-summit-to-unite-bush-voices-for-change/

Event details:

http://www.caac.org.au/how-we-help/events/kurunna-mwarre-summit-making-my-spirit-inside-me-good/

NACCHO 2013 Election political alert:What are all the political parties promising Aboriginal Australia?

nacchomedia — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:30:37 +0000

If there’s one issue that marks Australia out as an international pariah, it’s extreme Aboriginal disadvantage.

While the mining boom burbles along as a boy wonder of the global market, images of Third World-style conditions in bush camps continue to put a lie to the “lucky country” narrative.

The indigenous population lags behind on nearly every major social indicator.

Crikey is rolling out its exclusive PromiseWatch series in conjunction with the Centre for Policy Development.

Today, Aboriginal affairs and “closing the gap”

Reproduced from CRIKEY

NOTE the spelling of indigenous is Crikey not NACCHO

Making up 2.5% of the Australian population, indigenous people are vastly over-represented when it comes to poverty, life expectancy, health problems, disability, psychological distress and unemployment, according to the ABS.

There is just one indigenous MP, Ken Wyatt, currently serving in the House of Representatives and only three Aborigines have ever been elected to federal parliament.

The current government has committed itself to Closing the Gap, a national intergovernmental program meant to address the disadvantages that indigenous Australians face. Under this program, the state and federal administrations aim to:

close the gap in life expectancy (the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous life expectancy is 11.5 years in males and 9.7 years for females)
halve the gap in mortality rates for indigenous children under five by 2018
ensure access to early childhood education for all indigenous four year olds in remote communities by 2013
halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for children by 2018
halve the gap for indigenous students in Year 12 (or equivalent) attainment rates by 2020
halve the gap in employment outcomes between indigenous and other Australians by 2018

The government has sought to directly intervene in the most disadvantaged indigenous communities in the NT, reshaping the policies of John Howard and Mal Brough’s NT intervention through the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory bills.

The legislation seeks to address alcohol abuse, land reform and food security. Under the oversight of the federal government, penalties for alcohol possession on Aboriginal land will be increased, failure for children to attend school will be discouraged through a decrease in welfare payments, X-rated material will be banned in certain areas and customary law considerations can be excluded in sentencing and bail decisions.

So what have the major parties promised on indigenous affairs?

Labor:

Labor reiterated its support for the Closing the Gap program in its 2011 national platform, and says it recognises the disadvantage that Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders face in their daily lives. Areas selected for specific attention include literacy, numeracy, employment, infant mortality, life expectancy and education. Labor aims to close the gap by:

overcoming decades of under-investment in services and infrastructure
establishing clear expectations for governments, and holding all governments to account for their progress
supporting personal responsibility as the foundation for healthy, strong families and communities
building strong, respectful and robust relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, so that we can work in partnership

The platform commits the party to investment in healthcare for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders of every age, along with better access to education, employment and housing.

Labor is in favour of the official acknowledgement of indigenous people in the constitution. It has passed a bipartisan Act of Recognition through Parliament committing to some change, however no referendum will be held on the issue until community support reaches an adequate level.

The ALP has preselected former sprinter Nova Peris for a winnable NT Senate slot, a move Julia Gillard says was explicitly designed to increase the party’s paucity of indigenous representation.

The Coalition:

Under its 2010 election policy, the Coalition outlined nine key areas. In March, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott pledged that he would put indigenous affairs at the centre of government by establishing a “Prime Minister of Aboriginal Affairs”.

The Indigenous Affairs portfolio would be relocated to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. In its “Our Plan” policy precis released in January, the Coalition said it would “encourage indigenous Australians to get ahead” by:

working with indigenous communities to bring in a new suite of purposeful and innovative strategies
eliminating red tape and streamline programmes to move away from the complex web of overlapping initiatives
directing funding away from bureaucracies and overlapping and competing programmes towards local communities and real action
working with families to ensure all indigenous children attend school every day
supporting the Australian Employment Covenant and its many supporting employers to create more opportunities for indigenous Australians to get ahead and actively engage more indigenous Australians in real jobs
providing $10 million to fund four trial sites to train 1000 indigenous people for guaranteed jobs, working with the Australian Employment Covenant and Generation One
ending training for training’s sake and implement employment or work for the dole programmes
Tony Abbott continuing to spend a week a year in a remote community, to gain a better understanding of people’s needs

The party has also said it would retain former ALP national secretary Tim Gartrell as head of the group campaigning for constitutional recognition. And Abbott said last year he wants “authentic” Aborigines in parliament to join Wyatt.

The Greens:

The Greens’ indigenous affairs policies emphasise the respect and deference owed to the First Australians. Like Labor and the Coalition, the party seeks to obtain constitutional recognition of the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in pre-1788 Australia. Furthermore, it aims to provide equal access to services such as health, education, training, housing, community infrastructure, employment support, and policing. Under their watch, the Greens will:

provide protection and respect for indigenous cultural rights
prioritise programmes to improve indigenous health
establish community initiatives to address issues of family violence, alcohol and substance abuse
incorporate indigenous culture and language into the education system
repeal the Stronger Futures legislation
establish effective heritage protection laws and protection bodies
ensure food security for indigenous populations in regional and remote areas.

NACCHO NIDAC invitation consultation:To people involved in addressing harmful alcohol and other drug use by Aboriginal peoples

nacchomedia — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:35:48 +0000

Associate Professor Ted Wilkes, Chair of the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC), (pictured above right ) extends an invitation to people involved in addressing harmful alcohol and other drug use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to attend one of the following consultations that are being held to inform the development of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Drug Strategy (NATSIPDS):

NACCHO is a member of NIDAC

Location	Date	Time	RSVP
Port Augusta, SA	Mon 20 May	10.00am – 1.00pm	By COB Wed 15 May
Sydney, NSW	Tues 21 May	1.00pm - 4.00pm	By COB Wed 15 May
Mt Isa, QLD	Thurs 23 May	10.00am – 1.00pm	By COB Wed 15 May
Perth, WA	Mon 27 May	10.00am – 1.00pm	By COB Wed 22 May
Broome, WA	Tues 28 May	10.00am – 1.00pm	By COB Wed 22 May
Alice Springs, NT	Thurs 30 May	10.00am – 1.00pm	By COB Wed 22 May

NIDAC has been engaged by the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Drug Strategy (NATSIPDS) Working Group to undertake consultations in six locations in Australia to inform the development of the NATSIPDS.

The NATSIPDS will replace the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Complementary Action Plan and will be a sub strategy of the National Drug Strategy.

If you are involved in minimising the harm of alcohol and other drug use on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities this is your chance to have your voice heard in the development of this important document.

A report containing the major findings and a summary of the key themes from the consultations will be provided to the NATSIPDS Working Group after the consultations have been completed.

A Background Paper which will provide context and guidance for the consultations will be available from the NIDAC website prior to the consultations being held.

As the leading voice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander alcohol and drug policy advice, NIDAC provides advice to the government, based on its collective expertise and knowledge from those working in the field, health professionals and other relevant experts.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to other relevant people.

Please RSVP by the specified date for your location at:

NIDAC Consultations or Tel: (02) 6166 9600 I Fax: (02) 6162 2611

Email:

Additional information on the consultations and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Drug Strategy can be accessed from: www.nidac.org.au