1.1 National : Our Coalition of Peaks #HaveYourSay survey on Closing the Gap sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
1.2 National : A trial at 22 Aboriginal health centres around the country is hoping to improve quality of life for Aboriginal people living with chronic disease.
2.1 NSW : Matthew James from Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation has written an insightful article on Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing in an Australian urban community.
2.2 NSW : AHandMRC and Hitnet Community Hubs provide connection and access to information for difficult-to-reach and digitally excluded populations across Australia.
2.3 NSW : Aboriginal patient experience : BHI and the Centre for Aboriginal Health are working together to collect the experiences and outcomes of care for Aboriginal people admitted to NSW public hospitals
3.VIC : VAHS encourages seniors /elders to get active and have fun with their Senior Games
4.1 QLD : This week the Cape York mob celebrate 25 years since Apunipima Cape York Health Council emerged from a health conference held at Pajinka Wilderness Lodge, near Injinoo, in 1994.
4.2 QLD : Nominations for the 2019 QAIHC Awards for Excellence are open!
8. ACT : Winnunuga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and community Services #Historymaking turning of the soil for new ACCHO Medical Centre
9. Tas : Tasmanian Government signs the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments
How to submit in 2019 a NACCHO Affiliate or Members Good News Story ?
Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media
Mobile 0401 331 251
Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication Thursday /Friday
1.1 National : Our Coalition of Peaks #HaveYourSay survey on Closing the Gap sent to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and their networks, inviting responses from both individuals and organisations.
There is a discussion booklet that has background information on Closing the Gap and sets out what will be talked about in the survey.
The survey will take a little bit of time to complete. It would be great if you can answer all the questions, but you can also just focus on the issues that you care about most.
To help you prepare your answers, you can look at a full copy here
The survey is open to everyone and can be accessed here:
https://www.naccho.org.au/programmes/coalition-of-peaks/have-your-say/
1.2 National : A trial at 22 Aboriginal health centres around the country is hoping to improve quality of life for Aboriginal people living with chronic disease.
Under the trial, patients receive one-on-one education and care by specialised pharmacists working in the centres.
Pharmacist Angela Madden says people need to understand their medications or they stop taking them.
We also hear from Lorraine and Margaret who are experiencing the benefits of the program.
Listen to the ABC Radio National Life Matters Interview HERE
Learn more how NACCHO is involved in the oversight and management of several projects and programs related to medicines and pharmacy. NACCHO also provides national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medicines policy leadership.
2.1 NSW : Matthew James from Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation has written an insightful article on Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing in an Australian urban community.
Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) is based in Airds, NSW and celebrated its 35th year of operation in 2018.
Tharawal AMS provides healthcare, social and cultural support services to Indigenous Australians across South West Sydney. Tharawal AMS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), independent of the Government, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and independent of but aligned in principle to other AMSs across Australia.
The Byala team, Byala meaning ‘lets talk’ in the local Dhawaral People’s dialect, is a multi-disciplinary team made up of 7 staff. The team is led by a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MHNP) and includes an Aboriginal Mental Health Worker, Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Worker, Aboriginal Youth Worker and a Psychologist. Access to a second Psychologist for 2 days of the week and a Child Psychologist 1 day a week.
The Byala team provides direct service to Indigenous Australians aged 5 years and older. Services are delivered in a number of modes including individual and group, office-based and outreach (including hospital visits, home visits, school visits and other service visits). To meet the needs of our target community both appointment-based and walk-in clinics are offered. 71% of the Byala team are Aboriginal.
The success of the Byala team is grounded in the fact that Tharawal AMS is a community controlled and run organisation for the local Aboriginal Community by the local Aboriginal Community that places equal importance on the complementary role of clinical and cultural staff. We are a service run by the Community we serve and accountable to the Community we serve.
2.2 NSW : AHandMRC and Hitnet Community Hubs provide connection and access to information for difficult-to-reach and digitally excluded populations across Australia.
Armidale
The Hubs enable people to connect to online services, access and share culturally appropriate health and social information.
Hitnet was first utilised by the AH&MRC as a practical tool for services to use through the Head Lice project, whereby relevant content central to the project was loaded onto the Hub and placed in the local AMS for the community to engage with. The local AMS in question has a range of projects and activities which they are enthusiastic to promote to their community through Hitnet. Another Member Service saw the value of Hitnet and included it in a funding grant application. This specific Member was successful in their application and was able to purchase a Hub for their service.
The AH&MRC engages with our Members and their communities in meaningful ways. Through a range of face-to-face, online, workshops, training and collaborations initiatives, we aim to communicate, educate and promote Aboriginal health. These are proven and effective means to connect with and learn from our Members.
Hitnet fulfils a service need of sharing locally generated content and key public health messages with Members, their staff and the wider community. The Hubs offer an effective method for engaging with the community and sharing important educational material in a timely, culturally safe and innovative way.
Each Hitnet Hub is used on average 1,000 times per year, representing purposeful interactions. Hitnet is essentially a one-stop-shop for all health promotion content. The team at Hitnet provide 3 monthly reports which provide reach and engagement metrics for their Hubs. This data can help to assess individual community needs and guide the development of health programs.
The AH&MRC have been able to purchase Hitnet Hubs for Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, Pat Dixon Medical Centre, and Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation. (Pictured above )
Hitnet Hubs have enabled Member Services to access culturally appropriate health promotion resources and online services.
2.3 NSW : Aboriginal patient experience : BHI and the Centre for Aboriginal Health are working together to collect the experiences and outcomes of care for Aboriginal people admitted to NSW public hospitals.
For the first time, every adult patient who identifies as Aboriginal will be invited to provide feedback on their admitted patient or maternity care experience during 2019.
The Adult Admitted Patient Survey asks Aboriginal people who have recently been admitted to a NSW public hospital for feedback about their experiences of care. This survey is mailed out to people about three months after the end of their hospital stay.
The Maternity Care Survey asks Aboriginal women who recently gave birth in a NSW public hospital about the care they received. This survey is mailed out to women about three months after their baby is delivered.
The results of these surveys will provide hospitals with valuable information about what they are doing well and where they can improve care to better meet the needs of Aboriginal people.
Promotional materials are available to help increase awareness of the survey program among Aboriginal people and to encourage them to respond when they receive a questionnaire. These materials can be accessed below, or alternatively, please contact us to request printed copies.
BHI published a Snapshot report, Aboriginal people’s experiences of hospital care, in July 2019 which highlights key findings at a statewide level for 459 Aboriginal people who shared their experiences of care in the Emergency Department Patient Survey 2017–18 and 550 Aboriginal people who shared their experiences of care in the Adult Admitted Patient Survey 2017.
BHI previously published a Patient Perspectives report on the experiences of care for Aboriginal people, which drew on data from almost 2,700 Aboriginal patients who were admitted to a NSW public hospital in 2014.
Healthcare in Focus 2017 examined healthcare in the context of three important dimensions of performance – accessibility, appropriateness and effectiveness – for more than 60 measures. One third of these measures related to the experiences and outcomes of Aboriginal people.
To find out about upcoming releases of survey results that reflect the experiences of Aboriginal people, please refer to our Reports Plan.
3.VIC : VAHS encourages seniors /elders to get active and have fun with their Senior Games
Seniors games is every Wednesday 11am-2pm at 2 Wright Street in Reservoir so feel free to come join in the fun. The group love to have new additions and competitors for the teams.
4.1 QLD : This week the Cape York mob celebrate 25 years since Apunipima Cape York Health Council emerged from a health conference held at Pajinka Wilderness Lodge, near Injinoo, in 1994.
Apunipima Cape York Health Council (Apunipima) is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this week. On 14th September 1994 Apunipima was established as a health advocacy organisation. The Cape York Land Council held a Health Summit t Pajinka Lodge, near Injanoo at the tip of Cape York.
The summit, attended by Traditional Owners, Elders and Community health leaders of 17 Cape York communities, included a key focus to address the worsening health outcomes of Cape York’s Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.
From these humble beginnings, Apunipima has grown from an initial membership base of 34 to almost 1000 in 2019.
From an advocacy beginning, today Apunipima delivers comprehensive primary health care services across 11 Cape York communities and covers the largest geographical area of any Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Queensland. Apunipima is a significant employer in Cape York with 30% of our team being made up of community-based employees.
Apunipima employs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, Health Workers, outreach Midwives, Allied Health professionals, a paediatrician and numerous GPs.
Aileen Addo, Apunipima’s Board Chair said, ‘This milestone is a great opportunity for us to acknowledge and reflect on how far our organisation has come, and also how much more work with the people of Cape York is needed to improve our health.’
Over 25 years, Apunipima’s model of care has improved health outcomes for the people on the Cape – from closing the gap on life expectancy to dramatic improvements in infant mortality. Apunipima is committed to expand and enhance their services to deliver greater health and wellness improvements across the Cape.
4.2 QLD : Nominations for the 2019 QAIHC Awards for Excellence are open!
The Awards provide a platform to recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations within the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Sector.
Award nominations are only open to QAIHC Member Services.
Find out more at https://qaihc.eventsair.com/2019-qaihc-awards/.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice this week received a $3.5 million grant to help fund a new multi-storey social service and training facility on MacDonald Street.
State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt on Monday presented a Lotterywest cheque to Bega Garnbirringu Health Service when he met staff and board members to discuss the work the centre was doing in the region.
The funding covers about one third of the estimated $10 million project, with the proposed facility to feature a culturally appropriate training area, youth spaces, large rooms for community information and recreation sessions, rooms for family meetings and culturally appropriate counselling, and an administration area for the management of Bega’s social and wellbeing services. The new facility will also allow Bega to grow its current team of about 110 staff members to more than 150 in the future.
Bega chief executive Clive Holt said there was a high demand for both the centre’s clinical and social services, and the new facility would better equip staff to meet the needs of the Goldfields’ indigenous community.
“This funding means we can redevelop our existing ageing physical infrastructure to a point that we can accommodate our workforce, not only today, but going into the future,” he said.
“The last financial year we did just over 15,000 consultations so I think when you look at those sorts of numbers, there is clearly a demand for our services.”
Mr Holt said the new facility would also allow Bega to expand its range of services in areas including emergency relief, senior support, health promotion and suicide prevention.
“The client numbers continually increase so there is increasing demand for our current services, but we also are under pressure to provide an increased scope of services to the community,” he said.
“There is a massive focus on mental health at the moment and we are seeing more and more demand and we need to be in a position where we can meet that demand in the future.”
Bega will work with architects to develop a final design for the facility, with Mr Holt hoping the project will be complete within 18 to 24 months.
7. NT : Congress ACCHO Alice Springs promotes 9th day of the 9th month which is International FASD awareness day!
To mark the day Congress hosted a brunch this morning at our Gap Clinic .
Visitors grabbed something to eat and found out about FASD.
Fetal Alcohol Sprectrum Disorder is the most common preventable disability, and preventing #FASD is a whole-of-community responsibility. Mothers never intentionally put their children at risk.
If you or anyone you know is pregnant, planning to be pregnant or might be pregnant, remember:
“NO alcohol is best for Dad, Mum and Bub”
8.ACT : The recent turning of the soil ceremony marks the start of the build of Winnunga’s brand new health facility with funding provided by the ACT Government.
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services is an Indigenous-led health care facility that provides culturally safe, holistic health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Canberra and the surrounding regions.
‘The new build for Winnunga Nimmityjah Health and Community Services is a wonderful example of ACT Government’s support for self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services,’ said Nikki Gotovac, Director of ACT Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Partnerships Team.
‘We recognise the experience and expertise of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to run their own services. The funding will allow Winnunga to determine how to use the grant to best fit the needs of the community’.
Construction on the new facility is expected to start shortly and will be completed towards the end of 2020.
For further information on the range of health services and programs provided by Winnunga, visit www.winnunga.org.au
9. Tas : Tasmanian Government signs the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments.
Roger Jaensch,Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Another step has been taken towards improving outcomes for Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, with the Tasmanian Government signing the Closing the Gap Partnership Agreement between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies and the Council of Australian Governments.
This historic agreement ensures the equal participation and shared decision making by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Closing the Gap.
Since coming to Government in 2014, the Hodgman majority Liberal Government has led the journey of reconciliation to re-set the relationship with Tasmanian Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal people are now recognised in the Tasmanian Constitution as Tasmania’s first people, we have updated the Aboriginal and Dual Naming Policy to improve inclusivity and we have strengthened the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975.
Last year, the Premier committed to delivering the next phase, guided by the principles of empowerment and self-determination, to deliver a community-led strengths-based strategy that enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to thrive.
This is in stark contrast to the Labor party, who continue to shout from the sidelines, not willing to put in the work to deliver what really matters to Tasmanians.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government will work closely with all Tasmanian Aboriginal communities to ensure everyone is able to have their say as we deliver a shared purpose – one that recognises Aboriginal heritage and culture, and one that points to a brighter future for our First People.