- AIDA reinforces the message, get vaccinated
- ACCHO develops ‘I want to quit’ toolkit
- CDU leads sector on staff vaccination
- SA Rural Aboriginal Health Workforce Plan
- Podcast: How to Change a Life
- Wiyi Yani U Thangani Design Committee EOIs sought
- First Nations FASD review
- Allied health follow-up services for Mob
- New process for job advertising
- Save the Date
AIDA reinforces the message, get vaccinated
The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) is deeply saddened to hear about the death of a 50-year-old Aboriginal man in Dubbo who succumbed to COVID-19 this week. AIDA has offered heartfelt condolences to his family and the broader Aboriginal community in western NSW. It is believed that he is the first Aboriginal person to die of COVID in Australia.
“The Aboriginal community-controlled sector has been working extremely hard to avoid this outcome; it was the news we were hoping we would never have to hear,” said Dr Simone Raye, Vice President of AIDA. “There is a lesson from this sad outcome. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities must be prioritised for the vaccine rollout and other health services related to COVID-19.”
In the wake of this news, AIDA is reinforcing its message to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.
“We have seen how infectious and dangerous the Delta strain of COVID-19 is,” Dr Raye said. “We need to make sure that our families and our communities are protected against COVID by getting vaccinated.”
To view the AIDA’s media release in full click here.
Image source in feature tile: NPS MedicineWise website.
ACCHO develops ‘I want to quit’ toolkit
A NACCHO member Carbal Medical Services in Toowoomba, Queensland, has developed a ‘I want to quit’ workplace quit smoking toolkit. The toolkit aims to help workplaces to support their staff in their journey towards quitting smoking.
Each toolkit includes a range of quitting aids, such as:
- progress journals
- tracking charts
- useful information and resources designed to stimulate the process of enabling long-term positive change around smoking habits.
The video below outlines what is included in the Carbal Medical Services’ ‘I want to quit’ toolkit and how it can be used in the workplace.
CDU leads sector on staff vaccination
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 into Aboriginal communities, Charles Darwin University (CDU) has asked any staff travelling to and working on Aboriginal controlled land to be fully vaccinated.
From Friday 1 October 2021 all staff travelling to these areas to undertake research or fieldwork, attend meetings with stakeholders or attend events, will be required to be vaccinated. This is first for the Australian university sector and affirms CDU’s commitment to protecting vulnerable communities.
CDU Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman said due to the University’s unique location in Northern Australia and its ongoing work and commitment to Aboriginal communities, CDU was taking a leadership role to safeguard public health. “CDU is a university that occupies a unique place in Australia, and we acknowledge this with a sense of pride and a sense of responsibility,” Professor Bowman said. “Aboriginal leaders are sending clear messages that they want people travelling to and working with communities to be vaccinated.
Image source; CDU website.
SA Rural Aboriginal Health Workforce Plan
The SA Department for Health and Wellbeing (DHW) has released a draft plan to strengthen and grow the Aboriginal health workforce as part of the Rural Health Workforce Strategy.
Commenting on the Consultation Draft South Australia’s Rural Aboriginal Health Workforce Plan 2021−26: Part of South Australia’s Rural Health Workforce Strategy, Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Stephen Wade said it explored strategies to ensure the State attracted, recruited and strengthened a regional Aboriginal health workforce.
“Our draft Rural Aboriginal Health Workforce Plan aims to increase the Aboriginal health workforce in regional areas and provide culturally appropriate and supportive health care for Aboriginal people, closer to home,” Mr Wade said. “Consultation with Aboriginal communities, regional Local Health Network leads, the Aboriginal health workforce and key stakeholders will occur across the State until October, and feedback will be brought together to ensure we can secure the workforce we need for the future.”
To view the article in full click here.
Image source: Health Translation SA website.
Podcast: How to Change a Life
In an episode of the How to Change a Life podcast, host Mary Bolling is in conversation with Sam Cooms, a Noonukul Quandamooka woman from the Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) community and PhD student at CQUniversity.
Sam explains how her Indigenous values inform both her carer role as a mum to children living with disabilities and her vision for a more inclusive society for people living with disability, in Minjerribah and nationally.
To listen to the podcast click here.
Sam Cooms. Image source: CQ University website.
Wiyi Yani U Thangani Design Committee EOIs sought
As part of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani project, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO is establishing a Wiyi Yani U Thangani Design Committee for the establishment of a National First Nations Women and Girls Advisory Body (Design Committee).
Over the course of October 2021, the Design Committee will:
- Design a process for selecting National First Nations Women and Girls Advisory Body, design, and implementation (Selection Process Document).
- Provide a draft Terms of Reference for the National First Nations Women and Girls Advisory Body including draft governance protocols and a draft scope of work (Draft ToR Document).
The Australian Human Rights Commission (Commission) is seeking six First Nations women and girls with experience in governance, systems change, gender equality, culturally informed policy, research and evaluation, community development and legislative reform.
For more information about the EOI process and requirements click here.
Interested candidates are invited to submit an expression of interest here by:
5:00pm Sunday 12 September 2021.
Artwork by Elaine chambers and Riki Slam in collaboration, Australian Human Rights Commission website. June Oscar AO, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Image source: IndigenousX.
First Nations FASD review
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre has published a Review of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The review states that FASD is a preventable, lifelong disability. FASD disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, however, there are limited prevalence statistics available in the mainstream Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.
The review explores the role of Aboriginal women in preventing FASD and proposes that programs that work best for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are those that are done with, for and by the communities and their leaders. The authors of the review recommend that, where possible, federal and state governments should choose to invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations to develop their own evidence-based, fit-for-community FASD prevention, intervention, and management strategies.
Men are largely absent in FASD interventions. Co-author Michael Doyle says, “There is a need to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men in research to understand the role they can play in the prevention, treatment and management of FASD”.
You can access the review here.
Allied health follow-up services for Mob
Were you aware? Temporary MBS items are available to allied health practitioners to deliver vital health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians residing in Residential Aged Care Facilities. To access these allied health services, the patient must have had a health assessment. The temporary COVID-19 MBS items are available until 30 June 2022.
To support allied health practitioners, the Australian Government Health Services has developed a customised infographic that conveniently lists the available allied health services, along with the relevant face-to-face MBS service items. To view this infographic click here and to read more about Indigenous health assessments and follow up services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients click here.
Looking for learning resources? The Health Professional Education Resources Gateway has a great range of educational resources that assist allied health practitioners to provide services under MBS programs and initiatives. To access these educational products click here.
If you have any feedback on Services Australia’s education resources, please let them know as it will help them to continually improve their education products. You can provide feedback here.
Image source: ISACNT website.
New process for job advertising
NACCHO have introduced a new system for the advertising of job adverts via the NACCHO website and you can find the sector job listings here.
Click here to go to the NACCHO website where you can complete a form with job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.
Indigenous Literacy Day
To celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD), the Indigenous Literacy Foundation is hosting a free virtual celebration for all Australians going live from 9am Wednesday 1 September. Through storytelling, ILD provides a window into the richness, diversity and multilingual world of First Nations peoples with a selection of short, inspiring video stories by First Nations storytellers (of all ages) from across the country.
Viewers can choose from a diverse range of over 50 stories from kids in remote Australia, to First Nations authors, musicians and artists such as Stella Raymond, Wayne Quilliam, Jessica Mauboy, Brenton McKenna, Maureen Jipyiliya Nampijinpa O’Keefe, Lahrissa Behrendt, Anita Heiss and more.
There is a special feature on the incredible journey of Stick Mob – a group of four young graphic novelists in Alice Springs, as well as heartwarming stories from remote schools and organisations such as Children’s Ground, Sharing stories Foundation, First Languages Australia, and SNAICC.
The short videos showcase the incredible range of stories, languages, cultures and voices of First Nations peoples, and the many ways literacy can be interpreted and understood.