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NRL stars are urging all Australians to tackle Indigenous health equality in a special ‘Close the Gap’ Round

NRL Media Release Monday, 30 July 2012

 NRL stars are urging all Australians to tackle Indigenous health equality in a special ‘Close the Gap’ Round of the Telstra Premiership.

 

 Campese and Thompson help Close the Gap

Johnathan Thurston

Indigenous-inspired jerseys, mentoring, leadership, cultural awareness sessions and Indigenous performances are among the NRL Club initiatives in the Close the Gap Round that highlights Indigenous heritage and which players hope  inspire Rugby League fans to pledge to support reducing the life expectancy gap of more than a decade between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis are among the NRL stars urging fans to ‘sign the pledge’ to reduce the tragic life expectancy gap.

Rugby League was the first sporting code in Australia to join the Close the Gap campaign with an inaugural Close the Gap Round in 2009 and this year’s game-wide activities will again highlight the importance of working to improve Indigenous health, life expectancy and education and employment opportunities.

“The All Stars and health and education programs we have across the game have helped change people’s lives but the life expectancy gap is one issue we have to keep tackling,” Cowboys and Indigenous All Stars captain Johnathan Thurston said.

“By signing the pledge, all Rugby League fans can show their support for reducing the life expectancy gap.”

Australian, Maroons and Melbourne captain Cameron Smith said: “As a parent, it’s heart-breaking to know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies have more than double the chance of dying before the age of one,” Smith said.

“By signing the pledge, all Rugby League fans can show their support for reducing the life expectancy gap.”

Greg Inglis, the Rabbitohs’ Close the Gap ambassador, added: “There’s no reason why all Australians can’t enjoy health equality.

“When you go to support your team at the footy this round, show your support for closing the gap and sign the pledge.”

To sign the pledge, log on to www.oxfam.org.au/closethegap.

Since its launch in 2006, 178,000 Australians have pledged to support ‘Close the Gap’, which is supported by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ Learn Earn Legend! initiative.

The Close the Gap campaign is calling on the Australian Government to work in real partnership with Indigenous peoples on a comprehensive action plan to close the gap on Indigenous health inequality by 2030. Its aim is to reduce the tragic gap in health statistics, which show:

  • The life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is more than a decade less than for other Australians – and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies have more than double the chance of dying before the age of one than other Australian babies.
  • Heart disease is the single biggest killer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Other serious but preventable health problems include lung disease, kidney failure and eye and ear problems.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples often have poor access to health care, and their health is also affected by things such as poor housing, lower levels of education, unemployment and discrimination.

As part of the game-wide Close the Gap Round activities:

  • The Sydney Roosters will host 50 clients from PCYC and Ted Noffs Indigenous Programs to their game-day experience against the Dragons, as well as work with Oxfam volunteers on game day to get fans to ‘sign the pledge’ and feature Indigenous pre-game entertainment.
  • Storm players will wear specially designed training shirts this week as well as a specially designed jersey for the game against Penrith. Will Chambers has also organised specially designed boots he will wear which have been made by a local indigenous lady in his home town of Nhulumbuy in the Northern Territory. Today players and staff will take part in a cultural awareness session that will include a Welcome to Country, didgeridoo performance, dance performance and a Close the Gap information session. On Wednesday the club has also organised a special clinic for Indigenous kids from the community where, following the session, they will watch the NRL team training and mingle with the players. On Thursday the owners of the land, being the Wurundjeri Land Council, have organised a formal presentation of a Message Stick to present to the club as acknowledgement of the club’s efforts to Close the Gap and work with the Indigenous community as part of our second  Reconciliation Action Plan. The club has provided 500 tickets for Indigenous community members to attend the game. Oxfam volunteers will also be involved on game day to encourage fans to sign the pledge and issue badges.
  • Panthers stars Brad Tighe and Luke Walsh will assist former player and Indigenous program developer Glen Liddiard with the School 2 Work program for Indigenous children in the Penrith area. The club will visit local youth groups to talk about healthy lifestyles and host a skills clinic with kids from local Indigenous teams to form guards of honour for the NRL teams.
  • The Dragons will wear a special Indigenous jersey in Round 24 against the Cowboys designed by local Illawarra artist Jodie Stewart. The artwork is based on the experience of her upbringing as an indigenous woman in Gerringong, using stories of the traditions and culture of indigenous people in the Illawarra like tracking, hunting and fishing. More than 200 tickets to that game will be used by indigenous families, most of the families attending are part of the Dragons Community Jervis Bay Primary School and Wreck Bay cultural programs, and from the Myimbarr after school learning program.  Jamie Soward will also meet with 20 Indigenous students from Corpus Christi High school at Oak Flats to present the game’s Dream Believe Achieve program.
  • The Knights have participated in a number of community events leading up to the Close the Gap round and, prior to the game, will host students and families from their 100% Knights program for a health education and awareness workshop.  The club is providing more than 300 tickets to the local land councils, and game day activities include a Welcome to Country, Close the Gap health promotions and video messages from Indigenous players about the importance of healthy lifestyles and the Close the Gap campaign.
  • Last Saturday the Bulldogs played the Cowboys for the Reconciliation Cup, which was established in 2007 to mark 40 years since the 1967 Referendum, when Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians. The club hosted 70 representatives from the Bulldogs School 2 Work program at the match and had a host of Indigenous pre-game entertainment. Bulldogs players including captain Michael Ennis, Ben Barba, Jono Wright, Joel Romelo, Krisnan Inu, Frank Pritchard, and Greg Eastwood wore hand-painted boots by local Koori artist Daren Dunn and will again don the special footwear this week.
  • Having played the Bulldogs in the Reconciliation Cup last round, the Cowboys will wear a special Indigenous jersey against the Sea Eagles and are hosting a breakfast in the week leading into the Close the Gap Round promoting Indigenous employment opportunities to 150 Industry representatives.
  • The Sea Eagles will wear Indigenous designed jerseys against the Cowboys and will reward students from their Breakfast Club at Yarrabah whose school attendance has improved by bringing them to the match. They will also provide a mentoring camp for eight senior students in Townsville. Steve Matai is wearing specially designed boots with Indigenous and Samoan art on them in celebration of all Indigenous people. These will be auctioned off after the game to raise money for Indigenous programs.
  • Sharks forward Tyrone Peachey is the club’s Close the Gap ambassador while the club will support Close the Gap as its charity partner on game-day against the Warriors, who will also be working with Oxfam on game day promotions;
  • The Raiders will this week officially launch their club’s Indigenous leadership program;
  • Broncos TV will feature interviews with Close the Gap representatives, while officials will wear Close the Gap pins and promote the ‘Sign the Pledge’ initiative to club members in their Member Mail;
  • The Titans will wear Preston Campbell-designed Indigenous jerseys with a group of 45 students from Mornington Island, Doomagee and Cherbourg at the club for the week for education workshops as part of the Titans Achievement Program. Jamal Idris will be the club’s Close the Gap ambassador.
  • Greg Inglis is the Rabbitohs’ Close the Gap ambassador with the club to wear specially designed Indigenous jerseys against the Titans. Souths Cares is taking six students involved with the Learn, Earn, Legend Schools to Work Transition Program to the Gold Coast for the game. A reward for the highest achieving students engaged in the program, they will be involved in activities with students who are connected to the Titans Achievement Program;
  • Wests Tigers will this week promote their ‘Get That Job Day’ at Wests Leagues, leading into their School to Work program launch next Monday and the final of the Koori Cup 7’s Grand Final at Campbelltown. The players will also wear specially designed Close the Gap shorts, having formed a partnership with KARI Aboriginal Resources Inc, the match-day sponsors whose logo will feature on the shorts.

Close the Gap co-chairs Mick Gooda and Jody Broun today thanked the NRL, its clubs and players for their on-going support of the campaign.

“Rugby League represents the kind of partnerships essential to closing the life expectancy gap,” Mr Gooda said.

“Every week in the NRL, Indigenous and non-Indigenous players come together successfully to achieve a common goal. This is what we need to close the gap, and NRL can be proud of its efforts to raise awareness of this critical issue.”

Ms Broun added: “Sport plays a critical role in helping to close the gap, with many examples of lives being turned around through involvement in a local sporting club, with its community focus and health benefits for players.

“The NRL was the first sporting code to support Close the Gap, and the standing of the League’s many Aboriginal players is an inspiration to our young mob all around the country.”

For further queries, please contact:

John Brady David Taylor
02 9359 8700; 0408 881 222 02 9359 8707; 0405 228 974
johnb@nrl.com.au davidt@nrl.com.au

Olympic junk food sponsorship supporting sport or funding fat

What does the Olympics stand for: is it the inspiration for a healthier, sportier community?

Or is it just another way to sell junk food and booze to an ever-fatter, ever-drunker population of couch potatoes?

Reproduced read the full article from the CONVERSATION HERE

Jamie Oliver criticism of Beckham article here

Out thanks to MELISSA SWEET CROAKEY for making us aware of this article

The high ideals in the Olympic Charter include “to oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes”. Organisers of the London Olympics say they are using the games as a springboard to promote physical activity in the community. Former Olympic hero Sebastian Coe, now Chair of the London Olympics Organising Committee, tells us that, “London’s vision is to reach young people around the world.  To connect them with the inspirational power of the games”.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) marketing documents spruik the massive reach and influence of the Olympic Games and advertising related to the Olympics. Nonetheless, according to the IOC, one of the “fundamental objectives of Olympic marketing” is “to control and limit the commercialisation of the Olympic Games”.

It is hard to reconcile the objective of controlling commercialisation with the reality that the Olympics’ “Top Sponsors” include Coca-Cola and McDonalds.

McDonalds is “the official restaurant of the Olympic Games”, and is already engaged in massive television, print, billboard and online promotion linking its products with the best in sport. McDonalds has even recently been reported as trying to prevent anyone else from selling chips at Olympic venues.

Ironically, the Olympic Games organisers themselves clearly recognise that this is a totally unacceptable association. A special question on their website asks “Why is McDonalds a sponsor?”. But there is no rationale or justification other than that “McDonalds has been an ‘official sponsor of the Olympic Games’ since 1976”.

Coca-Cola has been associated with the Olympics since 1928, telling us that “The Coca-Cola company shares the Olympic ideals”. Coca-Cola has developed its own “Olympic Anthem”. In Australia – as elsewhere around the world – it is associating Olympic athletes with its promotions. It has even, in association with its Powerade brand, published a “Nutrition for Athletes” guide. Nobody could doubt that kids as well as adults are being targeted – Coca Cola’s own marketing materials include activities and competitions for children, alongside promotions that make full and creative use of social media.

We can expect further massive promotion of the association between the Olympics and junk food from McDonalds and Coca-Cola as the Games approach. They and other junk food companies have no doubt already spent millions buying advertising time during the telecasts. But they are not alone. Cadbury is “the official treat provider of the London 2012 Olympic Games” and an “Olympic partner”, while Cadbury subsidiary company Trebor is “a provider and supplier”. Both are already promoting their association with the Olympics through marketing materials, such as the Cadbury Australia “Cadbury Catch Up at the Olympics” competition.

All this at a time when obesity is one of our most pressing public health threats. More than 60% of adults and a quarter of our children are overweight or obese.

It gets worse. At a time when there is justified community concern about the impacts of alcohol, and particularly a culture of drinking to get drunk among our young people, the Olympics are directly associated with alcohol promotion.

Heineken UK is the “official lager supplier and sponsor of London 2012”. Heineken is also active in all media, including online,and through massive outdoor displays that will presumably be magically invisible to children.Internationally, Heineken is hoping “to reach untapped audiences in emerging markets through its sponsorship of the Olympic Games”.

The only British Parliamentary criticism thus far of the Olympic/alcohol association appears to be from a muddle-headed Liberal Democrat MP, Greg Mulholland, whose criticism is that the sponsor should be a British brewer rather than a Dutch company, because beer is “the UK’s Britain’s national drink”. Amazingly, Mr. Mulholland is a former Health spokesperson for his party.

The Bibendum wine company is also associated with the Olympics. Wines supplied by Bibendum have been nominated as the first “official” Olympic wines since the modern games began in 1896 and will be sold at almost all Olympic venues (except Hampden Park in Scotland – which given the Scottish penchant for alcohol is probably just as well). Bibendum, which sees the Games as “a fantastic trading opportunity”, has even “assembled a dedicated Olympics logistics planning team” to ensure drinkers have ready access to its products.

The IOC tell us on their website that they aim “to control sponsorship programs to ensure that partnerships are compatible with the Olympic ideals”. While the Olympic Games were associated with tobacco promotion long after the harmful effects of smoking were known beyond doubt, the IOC now has a clear policy that it will not accept commercial associations with tobacco products.

But the IOC policy on alcohol remains at best bizarre. The policy excludes “alcoholic beverages (other than beer and wine)”. So we conclude that it is inappropriate to associate the best in sport with spirits, but not with other alcoholic products.

There is no conceivable justification for a policy that excludes promotion of spirits, but not beer and wine. The IOC’s first “Fundamental Principle of Olympism specifically refers to “the educational value of good example (and) social responsibility”. Why would the IOC not want to protect children and young people from exposure to promotion for beer and wine as well as for spirits and other alcoholic products?

The Olympic Games are a wonderful celebration of the best in sport. Surely the IOC can do better than permit this global celebration of sporting excellence to promote products whose consumption is associated with some of the greatest threats to our health and wellbeing.

If previous Olympic Games are a precedent, media coverage of the Olympics will be associated with a tsunami of direct and indirect promotion for junk food and alcohol.

By the time the next Olympics come around, perhaps the IOC will have taken a more responsible approach to promotion of its wonderful product, and will consign all association of sporting success with alcohol and junk food to the promotional graveyard where tobacco sponsorship now resides.

Disclosure Statement

Mike Daube is Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University, and Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth.

An Olympian fight to reduce the deaths and misery to Aboriginals caused by smoking

Associate Professor David Thomas, a researcher at Menzies School of Health Research ( a NACCHO partner) and the Lowitja Institute, cautions that efforts to tackle high smoking rates amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, prisoners and people with mental illness must not add to the stigma often faced by these groups. Blame the industry, not the people who suffer from its products, he says.

Our thanks to Melissa Sweet CROAKEY and David Thomas for this article

Australia has many gold medalists in the Olympian fight to reduce the deaths and misery caused by smoking.

Australia topped the medal tally at the Luther Terry Awards for worldwide achievement in tobacco control this year.

This Australian tobacco control elite gets its just international recognition and all Australians benefit from the continually falling national smoking prevalence.

Or maybe not all Australians?

The most recent national survey data suggests that only 15.1% of Australians aged 14 and over smoked daily in 2010, down from 22.5% in 1998.

But smoking rates are still much, much higher among the most disadvantaged.

We do not have reliable trend data for all disadvantaged groups, but we do know that smoking rates are falling among lower SES groups and among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, sometimes slower and sometimes faster than in the rest of the population, but always from a much higher level.

This means smoking is gradually becoming increasingly concentrated in more disadvantaged groups.

And so this is where our tobacco control efforts need to be more and more concentrated.

This week in Croakey, Billie Bonevski and Amanda Baker drew attention to a special issue of Drug and Alcohol Review about tackling smoking among the most disadvantaged groups in Australia.

In order to Close the Gap, Australian governments have allocated more than $138m to tackling smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Smoking rates among Aboriginal and Torres Islander people are more than double those of other Australians.

Similar levels of attention in the new National Tobacco Strategy, and funding, are needed now for tobacco control for the mentally ill and prisoners who have even higher smoking rates.

We need to be sure that all we are doing in tobacco control works in the most disadvantaged populations.  International reviews of the evidence suggest probably similar impacts across the social gradient of the different elements of tobacco control, but that increasing cigarette taxes has a greater impact on poorer smokers.

But the tax rise in April 2010 was the first real increase in Australian cigarette taxes since 1999, with future increases now impeded by the political threat of scare campaigns about new taxes.

We still need more research to better understand and monitor the impact of existing tobacco control strategies in the most disadvantaged populations.

We will probably get a huge impact from just doing more and better, with a bit of tweaking, of what we have been doing so well.  We do not need to entirely reinvent the tobacco control cookbook but we do need to keep trialing new strategies.

I am optimistic.

Increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers have been successfully quitting, even before the new government investments in Indigenous tobacco control.  Prisoners say they want to quit.  The mentally ill are also similarly motivated to quit as other smokers; but while they are less often successful in their attempts, when they do quit the symptoms of their mental illness improve too.

The tobacco industry loves to paint tobacco control advocates as a bunch of finger-wagging, hectoring nanny-staters. The most disadvantaged will be part of the solution, but they need not be blamed for the problem.

Care should be taken when offering extra attention to these populations to not further stigmatise these already marginalised people.

The Australian tobacco control community has only has one competitor in this race: the transnational tobacco companies.  They are an evil and conniving bunch.  We continue to learn more and more about them by examining the previously secret internal tobacco industry documents.

The Medical Journal of Australia this month published the first systematic examination of the tobacco industry documents in order to understand the relationship between the tobacco companies and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The documents found no evidence of special targeting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by the industry.  The Australian Indigenous market may be too small.

The article re-tells the 1984 story of a Brisbane Aboriginal organisation forcing WD and HO Wills to withdraw a cigarette advertisement because it was racist.

Aboriginal people can celebrate this victory as yet another contribution to our national medal tally in the ongoing competition against Big Tobacco and the suffering it causes.

• Associate Professor David Thomas is a tobacco control researcher at Menzies School of Health Research and the Lowitja Institute.

NACCHO NEWS:Labor coughs up $1m to combat petrol sniffing

Labor coughs up $1m to combat petrol sniffing

Also see

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/petrol-sniffing-stepping-softly-is-no-solution/story-e6frgd0x-1226436950716

 THE Gillard government has responded to concerns over petrol sniffing in remote Aboriginal communities by spending nearly $1 million on new diversionary programs and youth workers in high-risk areas.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon yesterday told The Weekend Australian the money would go towards programs targeting petrol sniffers and those abusing other substances in areas such as Katherine in the Northern Territory, the Kimberley in Western Australia, and Cape York in Queensland.

In Katherine, the site of a relatively large outbreak of petrol sniffing earlier this year, $123,200 has been allocated for the local Aboriginal health service to employ a “volatile-substance supply reduction worker” to lobby retailers to reduce access to sniffable petrol, paints and deodorants.

Mr Snowdon also increased pressure on the Western Australian, South Australian and Queensland governments for a faster response to calls for Northern Territory-style laws that would allow them to ban sniffable fuel in Aboriginal communities.

So far, the South Australian, Queensland and Northern Territory governments have expressed interest in considering a national approach to the problem.

The federal government’s response to petrol sniffing comes after The Australian revealed this week concerns about a re-emergence of the problem in remote Aboriginal communities.

The Gillard government has been under pressure to enact legislation to allow it to force retailers to sell non-sniffable Opal fuel, following reports that several who have refused to stock it had been a source for petrol sniffers from nearby communities.

Julia Gillard acknowledged the issue on Wednesday during a nationally televised news conference with premiers after the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra.

“We think petrol sniffing is a big problem and incredibly destructive problem,” the Prime Minister said. “Opal fuel does make a difference.”

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WA building partnership to improve Aboriginal men’s health

 

WA Health’s commitment to building partnerships with non-government organisations and Aboriginal communities will help to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal men.

The Aboriginal Men’s Health Strategy 2012–2015 , released last week, aims to ensure Aboriginal men live long and healthy lives.

“Aboriginal men are often reluctant to talk about their health, to participate in programs designed to prevent ill health, or to seek treatment when they need it,” Aboriginal Health Director Jenni Collard said.

“This often results in health problems not being acknowledged until they become too serious to ignore.”

The strategy aims to:

  • promote Aboriginal men’s health as a priority issue for the health sector, communities and individuals
  • encourage Aboriginal men to prioritise their health needs
  • work with service providers to support Aboriginal men to use their services.

“Increasing WA Health’s engagement with Aboriginal communities and building partnerships with service providers and non-government organisations across the state will help deliver improved health services,” Ms Collard said.

The strategy also acknowledges that a health workforce that understands cultural links is critical to improving health care options for Aboriginal men.

“Initiatives such as online cultural eLearning packages are just one way WA Health is already working to build the cultural understanding of its workforce,” Ms Collard said.

New campaign to raise awareness among Aboriginal women about the risks of drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy

A new campaign to raise awareness among Aboriginal women about the risks of drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been launched today by Minister for Mental Health and Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries.

Mr Humphries said the

Aboriginal Prenatal Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Campaign emphasises the role partners, families and communities can play in supporting pregnant Aboriginal women in making healthy lifestyle choices.

“The shame, stigma and often a lack of knowledge about mental health and drug and alcohol issues during and after pregnancy are often a major barrier preventing people seeking professional help,” Mr Humphries said.

“One of the key messages of this campaign is ‘stay strong and healthy – it’s worth it’ which is a reminder that healthy choices during pregnancy mean a stronger and healthier baby.

 “The campaign will reach Aboriginal women through a mix of print and radio advertisements as well as online support through social media like Facebook.”

 The campaign also aims to raise awareness of services available to pregnant Aboriginal women and their families across NSW.

 These services include 11 new specialist mental health, drug and alcohol services co-located in Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Services in Shellharbour, Taree, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Gosford, Narellan, Coffs Harbour, Mount Druitt, Dubbo, Walgett and Broken Hill.

 Aboriginal Obstetrician, Dr Marilyn Kong, said research shows that nine per cent of Aboriginal women will experience depression in pregnancy and this increases to 16 per cent in the year following the birth.

 “Drinking alcohol, smoking and drug taking during pregnancy often causes serious problems for many Aboriginal women and ultimately impacts the health and development of their unborn child,” Dr Kong said.

 “Childhood health services can provide important advice and support to new mothers and families as well as advice on vaccinations and other important baby development checks.”

 The campaign will run until October 14, 2012.

 Information on drug and alcohol services is available via the Alcohol Drug Information Service (ADIS) on (02) 9361 8000 or 1800 422 599.

 Information on support services for individuals experiencing depression is available by contacting the Perinatal and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA) helpline on 1300 726 306 or Lifeline on 131 114.

Have your say about Aboriginal policy in NSW

26 July 2012

Press release supplied by the NSW government

Aboriginal people across NSW will be able to have their say on proposed reforms to Aboriginal policy at a series of upcoming community forums, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello announced today.

Download the Community Consultation Report from the first round of consultations

The Taskforce thanks everyone who took part in the first round of consultations. To access a copy the report Community Consultation Report from the first round of consultations click here.

Mr Dominello said the Ministerial Taskforce on Aboriginal Affairs will hold nine community forums in late August and early September for people to have their say on specific ideas under consideration by the taskforce, which includes seven Ministers and Aboriginal leaders.

“The NSW Government is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal people, which means listening to and learning from Aboriginal communities,” Mr Dominello said.

“In January and February, the taskforce held community forums around the State and received thousands of comments on how the NSW Government can improve outcomes for Aboriginal communities in the areas of education and training, employment and service delivery.

“Over the last six months, we’ve carefully considered what Aboriginal communities have said and this has guided the development of several proposals in those areas.

“In August we’re going back out to communities for a second round of consultations, so people can comment on our proposals and help shape their continuing development,” he said.

Mr Dominello said the taskforce will release a progress report, which outlines the specific ideas under consideration, before the community forums get underway.

There will also be a survey – available online and at the forums – for people to give their feedback on the proposals.

“Whether you’re a school student, a job seeker, or a local business owner – I encourage everyone to come along to a forum and have your say,” Mr Dominello said.

The progress report and survey will be posted on the Aboriginal Affairs NSW website at

http://www.daa.nsw.gov.au/taskforce/yoursay.html

.For more information or to register to receive a copy of the progress report as soon as it becomes available, please email taskforce@dhs.nsw.gov.au or call 9219 0702.

A full list of forum dates and locations follows on the next page.

Media contact: Laura Hofman 0411 261 837

Ministerial Taskforce on Aboriginal Affairs: forum dates and locationsDate Place Venue Time*
Friday 24 August  Batemans Bay  Batemans Bay Soldiers ClubBeach RoadBatemans Bay  11:15-3:15 
Monday 27 August  Newcastle  Newcastle Harness Racing Club294 Turton RoadNew Lambton  11:00-3:00 
Tuesday 28 August  Kempsey  Kempsey Macleay RSL1 York LaneKempsey  11:30-3:30 
Wednesday 29 August  Lismore  Lismore Workers Club225 -231 Keen StreetLismore  11:00-3:00 
Wednesday 29 August  Griffith  Gemini Hotel201-207 Banna AvenueGriffith  11:00-3:00 
Thursday 30 August  Tamworth  West Tamworth Leagues Club58 Phillip StreetWest Tamworth  11:00-3:00 
Friday 31 August  Dubbo  Dubbo RSLCnr Brisbane & Wingewarra StreetsDubbo  11:00-3:00 
Friday 31 August  Cobar  Cobar Bowling and Golf ClubMurray StreetCobar  10:30-2:30 
Monday 3 September  Campbelltown  Cube Entertainment and Convention Centre20-22 Camden RoadCampbelltown  10:00-2:00 

Aboriginal culture and identity key to helping Indigenous mental health

Provided to NACCHO by the  University of Western Australia

July 25th, 2012

Indigenous communities that take steps to preserve their cultural past and control their civic lives experience better health and fewer suicides, according to a Canadian expert in Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Emeritus Professor Michael Chandler, former Professor of Psychology at The University of British Columbia in Canada, will deliver a free public lecture at The University of Western Australia on Thursday 9 August, as part of a national tour to share his knowledge.

Professor Chandler’s visit was initiated by Professor Pat Dudgeon from UWA’s School of Indigenous Studies, as part of her ARC Indigenous Researcher grant to investigate “Cultural Continuity and Change: Solutions to Indigenous Mental Health Issues”. The project will investigate the relevance of Professor Chandler’s Canadian research to WA’s situation.

The Indigenous researcher network at the UWA-affiliated Telethon Institute for Child Health Research will host a panel forum on Friday 10 August with Professor Chandler, which will explore research findings from both countries on Indigenous cultural continuity and health.

Studies have shown that Australian Indigenous peoples’ mental health and social and emotional wellbeing is well behind that of other Australians and a key contributor to the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The cumulative effect of inter-generational trauma and ‘malignant grief’, combined with social and economic disadvantage, has resulted in high rates of psychological distress, substance abuse and self-harm.

In WA from 2004 to 2008 Indigenous suicides were triple that of other West Australians.

Professor Chandler’s research among Canada’s First Nations communities has found having a sense of identity and cultural continuity can help Aboriginal people, especially youth, to see they have a future. Self-government, land rights, community-controlled services, women in positions of leadership and facilities dedicated to cultural purposes have all been identified as markers of cultural continuity.

Professor Chandler’s research has strong relevance for Australian Indigenous communities and public policy. Sponsors of the visit include UWA, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation, WA’s Commissioner for Children & Young People and Mental Health Commission. The schedule includes government, academic and community meetings in Canberra, Perth and the Kimberley.

WHAT: Free public lecture, How Cultural Continuity Reduces Suicide Risk in Indigenous Communities.

WHERE: Social Sciences Lecture Theatre nearest car park, Hackett entrance 1.

WHEN: Thursday 9 August at 6pm.

RSVP: (08) 6488 1340.

Provided by University of Western Australia

Aboriginal health careers: Go on make your mob proud’ AHMRC TV commercial

 

The Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of New South Wales ( AH&MRC)  has worked in collaboration with Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health University of Sydney (BHUDRHUS) on a health career promotion project with students from Bourke High School and the staff of Bourke Aboriginal Health Service.

 

The project is targeted at high school students and is about encouraging them to consider careers in health by having hands on clinical experiences.

 The activities that the students participated in at Bourke Aboriginal Health Service were provided by staff from the service and a student doctor from Sydney University.

 The collaboration has resulted in the production of a TV commercial that is being shown over there weeks.

 ‘Go on make your mob proud!’ TV Commercial – Imparja and GO TV stations over three weeks:

 Week 1-Saturday 30th June to Friday 6 July 2012;

Week 2-Monday 17 September to Sunday 23 September 2012; and

Week 3-Sunday 4 November to Saturday November 2012.

More about the project

What is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS)?

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) sometimes called Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) are health services which are developed and managed by Aboriginal people to provide culturally appropriate primary health care programs for Aboriginal people and communities. There are over 50 ACCHS in NSW offering a wide range of job opportunities.

Why work in an ACCHS?

You are working to make a real difference to peoples’ lives. Each person working at an ACCHS is contributing to improving the health of the local community. The work is interesting and includes opportunities for ongoing training and promotion. Potentially you could find a job in over 140 locations across Australia.

What jobs are on offer?
  • Administration roles;
  • Aboriginal Health Workers;
  • Nurses;
  • Doctors;
  • Allied Health, such as Dieticians, Psychologists, Physiotherapists;
  • Drug and Alcohol workers;
  • Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing workers;
  • Management such as team leaders, practice managers, deputy CEOs and CEOs;
How do I get a job at an ACCHS?
How do you start a career at an ACCHS?

Have a yarn with James Porter from the AH&MRC or use the contact form below.

Government to review the way Aboriginal early childhood services are funded.

SNAICC MEDIA RELEASE

Review of Program an important opportunity for change —
but consultation process must be genuine

 

Picture Copyright SNAICC

SNAICC has cautiously welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement that it will review Budget Based Funding (BBF) Program, under which many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood services are funded.

 SNAICC Deputy Chairperson (Early Childhood) Geraldine Atkinson said SNAICC had long advocated for changes to the BBF program to enable better delivery of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

 Ms Atkinson said SNAICC saw the review as an important opportunity to improve support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and remove some of the factors inhibiting their capacity to deliver programs. These include heavy administrative and reporting workloads, inadequate funding and a single-year funding model that creates uncertainty and prevents long-term planning.

 “Our services have been significantly under-funded for the past 20 years, despite a growing demand and the fact they provide holistic, affordable and flexible programs that meet the needs of parents, and the cultural and educational needs of our children at the most crucial stage of their development,” Ms Atkinson said.

 “We expect the evidence that emerges from a genuine consultation process will demonstrate the real need for further operational funding. BBF services should not be expected to operate for far less than other services.”

 However, Ms Atkinson said SNAICC was concerned the Government’s discussion paper was not opening any scope for increased funding to the BBF program — a critical issue currently forcing many services to become mono-functional.

She said it was crucial the review took into account the various important roles that these services play in the community beyond childcare.

 “Our services, including the Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s Services — or MACS — are very distinct from mainstream services. They serve all the children in the community, not just those who walk through the door.

 “They are community hubs, providing a range of services including outreach to families in need of but not accessing support, and a link for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids between home, community life and school.

 “The child, family, culture and community are central in the MACS model.”

 Ms Atkinson said SNAICC was pleased the Government recognised the importance of reviewing how the BBF program can “better be targeted to support access to ECEC (early childhood, education and care) services where market failures would otherwise exist”.

 “Access to affordable services is vitally important to the wellbeing and future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities in rural and remote areas,” Ms Atkinson said.

 She said the success of the review would hinge on the consultation process.

 “We call on the Government to ensure its consultations — with families, services and communities — are culturally appropriate, genuine and will enable meaningful discussions.

 “This requires significant notice to people to participate, requires time to sit and yarn with people on the issues, and requires openness about what the solutions may be.”

 Ms Atkinson said the Australian Human Rights Commission has developed clear and simple principles for consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and called on the Government to use these principles to conduct its review.

 She urged everyone to get involved in the consultation process — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents, services, peak bodies and community organisations.

  “This review has potential to strengthen support for our children and enable us as services to ensure strong development and learning outcomes are achieved.” 

 For more information:             

Frank Hytten, SNAICC CEO, on (0432) 345 652; 
Emma Sydenham, SNAICC Policy and Research Manager, on (0415) 188 990