Category Workforce

If you need assistance call or email:

Denise Burdett
WIPO Workforce Information Policy Officer
denise.b@naccho.org.au or
phone 02 6495 3870
mobile 0417 983 581

28 June 2024

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

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

New Aboriginal-led service for mob affected by FV

Aboriginal communities have worked with the Victorian government to deliver a new, Aboriginal-led service to support people affected by family violence  (FV) in the Barwon / Wadawurrung Country area. Victoria’s Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Vicki Ward, this week officially opened the Aboriginal Access Point Barwon service, which is being operated by Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

Ms Ward said the state government is “investing in needed Aboriginal-led family violence supports that are culturally safe and tailored to meet the needs of Aboriginal people”. The service is fully staffed by an Aboriginal workforce who provide culturally safe support for local Aboriginal families affected by family violence, living on Wathaurong, Gulidjan and Gadabanud Country, in the Geelong, Bellarine and Colac regions.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg said the Co-operative “welcomes the investment into culturally safe support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our region. This service, alongside services that Wathaurong already provides with The Orange Door, will allow us to support our community who are experiencing or at risk of family violence.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal-led service to help people affected by family violence on Wadawurrung Country in full click here.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg. Image: Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

VACCHO framework aims to improve cancer outcomes

The Victorian government has announced their support of a new initiative to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous people in the state, as well as helping to close the gap in cancer research and care. Yesterday (Thursday 27 June 2024), Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced $3.87m towards Framework Respect – a culturally responsive and safe framework to boost participation in cancer clinical trials – led by VACCHO in partnership with local ACCHOs.

VACCHO CEO and cancer survivor, Jill Gallagher said VACCHO’s journey strategy “provides the roadmap for improving cancer outcomes” for Indigenous Victorians. “This commitment means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have greater access to the latest approaches to detect and treat cancers, with ACCOs providing that access,” the Gunditjmara woman said.

This framework will form part of the Cancer Clinical Trials Program 2024–2028 and is on top of the $7.8m plan by the government to “support the development and implementation” of VACCHO’s Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy 2023–2028. “Equity in healthcare must be a priority, and we can’t ignore the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have worse outcomes when it comes to cancer – this funding will help address that gap,” Minister Thomas said. “These new guidelines will ensure that health services have a clear and consistent framework when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in clinical cancer trials in a meaningful and respectful way.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article New funding a roadmap to improving cancer outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians in full click here.

van painted with Aboriginal art outside VACCHO office building

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Murdered First Nations Women report due soon

A major investigation into violence against First Nations women and children will soon be released, almost two years after the Senate referred an inquiry to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. The inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children has since published  87 submissions and held multiple hearings.

Jade Bradford, a Ballardong Noongar freelance journalist based in WA, has been following the inquiry closely, and undertaken a thematic analysis of some of the key issues raised by submissions. Ms Bradford  found that while many different organisations and individuals from different places and contexts have made submissions to the inquiry, three clear themes emerged from hre systematic view:

Truth telling is foundational, including truth telling about the connections between colonial violence and the violence experienced by First Nations women. In their submission QAIHC cited research suggesting that the decision made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on whether or not to disclose violence was directly related to the cultural safety of services.

Self-determination was another key theme was the importance of self-determination in all responses, whether in prevention, or policy and service development and delivery. In their submission the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) said “ACCOs, especially ACCHOs, should be recognised as preferred providers for government funded services to address family violence, in recognition of their greater service effectiveness, their higher levels of employment of Aboriginal women, and their formal structures for involving Aboriginal communities in general and women in particular in decision-making.”

Investment in social and cultural determinants of health especially poverty and housing, and a lack of cultural safety in policy and services was highlighted in many submissions, including the one from CAAC, “Increased investment in housing for both remote and urban areas as an important underpinning strategy to support women’s independence and address mental health and social and emotional wellbeing issues, including family violence.”

To view the Croakey Health Media article Truth telling and self-determination are critical for addressing violence against First Nations women and children in full click here. 

Michael, Rose and Orlyn at the graveside of their mother

Michael, Rose and Orlyn at the graveside of their mother, Constance Watcho. Photo: David Maguire, Four Corners. Image source: ABC News website.

Important Stronger Bubba Born surveys

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) has developed two very important surveys to evaluate and improve the Stronger Bubba Born program. Both surveys are anonymous and will take about 10–15 minutes to complete.

One survey is for Health Care Professionals and is titled Co-design of stillbirth prevention and care resources for diverse communities in Australia. It is a part of the evaluation of the Cultural Adaptation of the Safer Baby Bundle (inclusive of Stronger Bubba Born and Growing a Healthy Baby). This survey is aimed at clinicians who provide maternity care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and/or migrant or refugee women. You can access this survey here or by clicking on the QR code below:Stronger Born Bubba QR codeThe second survey is titled Developing resources for a safer pregnancy: a survey for Indigenous women. This is targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are 16 years of age and above and are either currently pregnant or were pregnant in the previous 3 years. Due to ethics requirements, the QR code can’t shared here but will be sent out to ACCHO practice managers to promote within house.

Please contact the NACCHO Maternal and Child Health team via email here if you have any questions.

culturally-sensitive resources for ATSI women to have a safer pregnancy

Culturally-sensitive resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Image source: Stillbirth CRE website.

Workforce Wellbeing Guide for Kimberley ACCHOs

The Workforce Wellbeing Guide: A self-reflection and self-care resource for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Kimberley was written in Rubibi (Broome). It was developed by the Wellbeing Informed Care – Kimberley (WIC-K) research project in collaboration with the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service (KAMS), and the University of WA (Rural Clinical School of WA and School of Indigenous Studies).

The WIC-K project team would like to thank the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) workers, and Aboriginal Health Workers who contributed their time, knowledge, and lived experience to the development of this guide.

You can access the Workforce Wellbeing Guide on the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing blog here.

cover of KAMS Workforce Wellbeing Guide for Kimberly ACCHOs

Image source: TIMHWB blog.

OAMS staff visit Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre

Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS) staff Linda, Facilities & Assets Maintenance Manager and Ri, CQI Coordinator recently travelled to Toronto near Newcastle, NSW, to visit the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. The centre brings together a range of education, health, and family support and early childhood services to improve local Aboriginal families’ overall health, education and wellbeing.

It was an exchange of ideas meet up where Emma, Centre Manger and Jennifer DCJ Program Director gave a centre tour and talked about their various free programs such as women’s art therapy, nutrition and healthy lifestyle activities. They also host events such as community breakfasts, and many other organisations, such as the AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group), who use their space to hold regular meetings.

A highlight was a viewing of the artwork from members of the Nikinpa art group. One member of the artists group is Aunty Brenda Simon is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Gulargambone. All seven of Brenda’s children were taken from her by government authorities in the 1970s, and her story is now the subject of a powerful new documentary, The Last Daughter, on Netflix. Aunty Brenda attends the art group each week and says painting leaves has helped build connections in her community.

You can find more information about the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre on the Muloobinba Aboriginal Corporation website here and watch a trailer to The Last Daughter here.

collage 3 images, 4 women, woman with artwork, painted gumnut leaves

Images from the OAMS staff visit to the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child & Family Centre. Photos supplied by OAMS.

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

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

25 June 2024

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

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

New report calls for urgent action on diabetes prevention

Diabetes Australia’s 2024 State of the Nation report, launched at New South Wales Parliament, reveals a worsening diabetes crisis, with alarming increases in type 2 diabetes diagnoses among younger Australians.

Over the past decade, there has been a 44% rise in diagnoses among 21 to 39-year-olds and a 17% increase among those under 20. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15-24 years) now experience the world’s highest rates of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, with prevalence doubling in the last five years.

Diabetes Australia CEO Justine Cain expressed concern over the lack of a national diabetes prevention plan, noting that over 300 new cases are diagnosed daily. With an estimated 2 million Australians living with diabetes, Cain emphasised the urgent need for prevention efforts to protect future generations.

The report, coinciding with an upcoming Federal parliamentary inquiry, includes 25 recommendations for addressing the crisis. Key proposals include a 20% levy on sugar-sweetened beverages, promotion of type 2 diabetes remission, a national diabetes kidney screening program, increased funding for diabetes research, and new training programs for aged care staff.

To view Diabetes Australia’s media release in full, click here.
To view The State of the Nation 2024 Report, click here.

A cut boy and his mother making silly faces while in a restaurant

iStock.com / Brian Koellish

$16 million to support healthcare in rural and remote Australia

The Albanese Government is investing $16 million to support 11 innovative healthcare projects in rural and remote Australia that aim to provide a range of innovative models of care, including:

  • better care for chronic disease,
  • specialist geriatric services for older Australians,
  • culturally safe maternity care for First Nations families,
  • outreach to reduce liver disease among First Nations communities,
  • child health outreach to small rural communities,
  • mobile primary care clinics,
  • better collaboration between general practice and pharmacy,
  • better training and support for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

Projects are supported in every Australian state and the Northern Territory. This funding will support healthcare professionals to work together across disciplines in new ways, to meet the needs of people in rural and remote communities.

You can read the Department of Health and Aged Care’s media release here.
Further information on the trial projects can be found on the Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

“These trials will help build a stronger rural healthcare system, and provide better care, closer to home, for people living in the bush.”
Assistant Minister McBride

clinic in black paint with red arrow on tin on pole at side of red dusk road

Photo: Ian Waldie, Getty Images. Image source: ABC News.

Disparities persist in childhood cancer rates

Despite national and global reports of rising incidences of cancer affecting children and young people, new analysis has found rates of childhood cancer have remained unchanged over the past 30 years in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

A new analysis reveals that childhood cancer rates in South Australia and the Northern Territory have remained stable over the past 30 years, contrasting with rising incidences reported nationally and globally. Dr. Suzanne Mashtoub from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University highlighted that this stability suggests different underlying causes for childhood and young adult cancers.

The study, involving researchers from various institutions including the Telethon Kids Institute and Menzies Research Institute, examined cancer incidence and survival among children aged 19 and under from 1990 to 2017. Findings showed a significant decrease in cancer incidence among non-Indigenous children and unchanged rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with lymphocytic leukemia being the most common diagnosis.

While overall survival rates improved in South Australia, they remained steady in the Northern Territory. Despite significant improvements in survival for Indigenous children over the past 20 years, disparities persist compared to non-Indigenous children.

Dr. Justine Clark from the Telethon Kids Institute emphasised the need to address issues faced by Indigenous families in the NT, including timely diagnosis, financial and logistical barriers, and cultural safety within cancer services. She called for the healthcare system to tackle these challenges to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous children.

To view The University of Adelaide’s media release in full, click here.
To view the report in full, click here.

Cancer can affect anyone. But the good news is, finding cancer early gives you the best chance of getting better.
Find out more at Yarn For Life.

Videos aim to help youth go vape-free

Vaping is a significant issue in the regions where Danny Allende works, with young Indigenous people statistically more likely to take it up. As the manager of Na Joomelah, a program addressing smoking and vaping among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Sydney and Wollongong, Allende notes that vaping impacts a wide demographic, including children as young as Year 2.

Na Joomelah, in collaboration with the Lung Foundation Australia and young First Nations people, has launched a series of animations to tackle vaping. These animations focus on the health impacts of vaping, as well as environmental and sporting concerns. The resources are being shared in schools, youth groups, social media, and community events.

Early results are promising, with a noticeable shift in young people’s attitudes towards vaping. Paige Preston from Lung Foundation Australia noted that three months into the pilot program, a third of participants had increased their knowledge about vaping’s harmful effects.

The success is partly attributed to the involvement of First Nations youth in the development process, ensuring the message resonates with the target audience. Na Joomelah also addresses the health of pregnant women and the broader community.

To view the full story in National Indigenous Times, click here.

Allied health key to critical health reform

Allied health professionals are an “untapped resource” essential for health reform, with a crucial focus on Aboriginal health, according to experts at a recent Western Sydney Local Health District event. Professor Beverley Harden MBE from NHS England emphasized rethinking allied health roles to address future health challenges.

Held on Dharug Country, the forum discussed leveraging allied health professionals to improve efficiency, retain workforce, and enhance patient outcomes amid an aging population and rising chronic diseases. Jacqueline Dominish of NSW Health stressed the need for system transformation to prevent future crises.

Innovations like the Rapid Assessment, Intervention, and Discharge-Emergency Department (RAID-ED) program were highlighted for improving patient satisfaction and reducing hospital admissions. Expanded roles for allied health professionals, including paramedics and Aboriginal Health Practitioners, were also discussed.

Belinda Cashman, Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy, emphasized incorporating a cultural lens into all initiatives to improve Aboriginal health outcomes and trust in the health system. She called for increasing Aboriginal representation in allied health careers and ensuring culturally appropriate care.

To view the full story on Croakey, click here.

Australian Aboriginal Ceremony, man hand with green eucalyptus branches and smoke, start a fire for a ritual rite at a community event in Adelaide, South Australia

Image source: iStock / Elena Pochesneva

Treaty inquiry slams ‘illusion of concern’ on housing

Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry has criticised the state’s lack of progress in addressing homelessness among First Nations people, who make up 3.8% of the population but account for 20% of the homeless.

State Housing Minister Harriet Shing apologised for the historical and ongoing disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities during her testimony at the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

Despite pointing to existing forums and advocating for more federal funding, Commissioner Maggie Walter and others expressed frustration with the ineffectiveness of long-standing bureaucratic measures. Shing acknowledged systemic issues but denied that the government intentionally set up the program to fail, while admitting the system’s failure.

To read the full story at SBS, click here.

Homeless person's bedding stored under a bench

Homeless person’s bedding stored under a bench

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

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

21 June 2024

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

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

Largest remote housing investment in NT signed

The largest remote housing investment in NT was signed yesterday (Thursday 21 June 2024) at the remote community of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands. The new 10-year remote housing partnership agreement is designed to halve overcrowding in Aboriginal communities, which has been a major long-running problem in northern Australia.

The federal government said in a statement that the Partnership Agreement represents a new way of working collaboratively with Aboriginal communities and housing organisations towards a better remote housing system across the Territory’s 73 remote communities. The $4b agreement commits federal and Territory governments working with the four NT Land Councils and Aboriginal Housing NT to collaborate on improving existing housing and building houses that are culturally appropriate and meet the climate challenges of the Territory.

Construction of up to 2,700 new homes across the Territory aim to halve overcrowding in the next 10 years, aligning with the National Closing the Gap targets with improvements in health, education and community safety, as well as opportunities for economic growth across the Territory. Federation Funding Agreements between the NT and the Commonwealth, informed by the Partnership Agreement, will also include better repairs and maintenance in remote community housing and improvements and infrastructure upgrades in homelands.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Largest remote housing investment in Northern Territory signed at Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands in full click here.

Selena Uibo, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and Marion Scrymgour MP (centre three) with locals in Milikapiti

Selena Uibo, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and Marion Scrymgour MP (centre three) with locals in Milikapiti. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Ensuring Ballarat kids are ready for school

The Albanese Government is helping First Nations children get the best start in life, expanding the successful Connected Beginnings program to Ballarat with $1.8m provided to the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC).

The program connects First Nations children aged 0–5 with a range of early childhood health, education, and family support services – helping children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school. The new site in Ballarat, being delivered in partnership with BADAC, will support about 350 First Nations children in the local area.

The Government partners with SNAICC National Voice for our Children and the NACCHO to deliver the Connected Beginnings program, a community-led project achiving results for about 16,500 First Nations children across Australia. The funding for the new Ballarat site is part of an $81.8m investment to expand the program to 50 sites across the Country. Once all 50 sites are established the program has the potential to support up to 20% of all First Nations children aged 0-5.

You can learn more about the Connected Beginnings program on the Australian Government Department of Education website here and by watching the SNAICC video by clicking this link.

To view the joint media release Ensuring First Nations children in Ballarat are school ready in full click here. 

Screenshot of video from SNAICC about the Connected Beginnings program

Screenshot of video from SNAICC about the Connected Beginnings program. Image source: SNAICC website.

Interventions show promise to prevent elder abuse

To mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an interactive database of 89 interventions that show promise to prevent and respond to the abuse of older people, also known as elder abuse. This database is the first product of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing’s Intervention Accelerator initiative on abuse of older people. The Intervention Accelerator is an international network of experts, led by WHO, working to develop a portfolio of effective approaches to address the abuse of older people.

Abuse of older people is widespread, with around 1 in 6 people aged 60 years and above in the community experiencing some form of abuse every year. Abuse of older people can have serious consequences for healthcare and wellbeing, including earlier death, physical injuries, depression, cognitive decline and poverty. However, until recently experts agreed there were no interventions scientifically proven to work to prevent and respond to abuse of older people, which may contribute to the under-prioritisation of the issue globally.

“WHO’s new database is a critical first step towards developing and scaling up cost-effective solutions to address abuse of older people, which has been highlighted as one of five priorities to tackle the issue during the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health, WHO. “It is high time to do more as a global community to address this neglected but seriously harmful problem. I encourage all stakeholders committed to ending the abuse of older people to use and build on this evidence-based tool.”

To view the Healthcare Channel article New database aims to accelerate global action against elder abuse in full click here.

NT Aboriginal Health Forum marks 100th meeting

The NT Aboriginal Health Forum (NTAHF) marked its 100th meeting on Wednesday (19 June 2024), covering a span of 26 years. The Forum is the main collaborative Aboriginal health planning partnership between government and ACCHOs in the NT.

Aboriginal man from Derby and Forum chairperson Rob McPhee said the NTAHF has shown over 26 years that collaboration between the government and the Aboriginal community can achieve significant results. “Over more than a quarter of a century, the NTAHF has demonstrated what can be achieved when government and the Aboriginal community sit down in a spirit of collaboration and respect to make decisions together,” he said.

Mr McPhee highlighted key successes of the Forum, including increased primary health care funds through better Medicare access for Aboriginal people, equitable distribution of resources via funding allocation formulas, agreement on core functions of primary health care, development of NT Aboriginal Health KPIs to monitor service delivery, and supporting the transition of government-run primary health care services to Aboriginal community control. “Through these actions, the Forum played a key role in improving the health outcomes of our people over the last two decades,” Mr McPhee said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum celebrates 100th meeting milestone in full click here.

NT Aboriginal Health Forum NTAHF 100th meeting group

Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum NTAHF 100th meeting group. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Why you may be asked to draw a clock

You may be asked to draw a clock upon admission to a hospital as part of a cognitive assessment. A cognitive assessment is conducted to help health professionals determine any changes in multiple mental abilities, including learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making and attention span. This screening process can help to determine whether a person has started to experience delirium or dementia.

Approximately 10 – 18% of Australians aged 65 years or older have delirium at the time of admission to hospital and a further two to eight percent develop delirium during their hospital stay. People experiencing delirium may show signs of confusion, uncertainty, inattention, distress or psychosis. A person may experience delirium for a few days and be asked to take the clock-drawing test throughout their hospital stay to see if their score improves and rule out underlying conditions.

For First Nations people the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment was specifically designed as an alternative cognitive assessment to assist health professionals.

To view the Aged Care Guide article Why you may be asked to ‘draw a clock’ at the hospital in full click here.

Warning as flu cases surge

Authorities have warned serious cases of the flu have jumped 33% across NSW, leaving an increasing number of people sick in emergency rooms. The number of influenza cases and presentations in hospitals rose within the span of a week, according to the latest NSW Health Respiratory Surveillance Report.

The increasing flu activity is not only concerning, it is expected to worsen in the coming weeks, NSW Health director of health protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said. “Influenza is more serious than the common cold,” he said. “It can cause pneumonia, make chronic underlying medical conditions like diabetes, lung and heart disease much worse requiring hospital admission and causing death. Complications can occur in anyone but are most likely in those at higher risk of severe illness.”

The state’s health authority has urged everyone to get vaccinated – especially those at a greater risk of severe disease. People most at risk are eligible for free vaccinations and include those over the age of 65, children aged between six months and five, Indigenous people from six months of age, pregnant women and people with serious health conditions like diabetes, cancer, immune disorders and severe asthma. “Vaccination is the best protection against infection and severe disease,” McAnulty said. “By getting vaccinated you also help protect those around you.”

To view the 9 News article Warning as surging flu cases, hospital visits squeeze NSW health system in full click here.

hospital ward

Photo: Kate Geraghty. Image source: 9 News.

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

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

18 June 2024

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

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

$200 Million Boost for Aged Care Services

The Albanese Government is investing $200 million in infrastructure grants to support residential aged care services in regional, rural and remote locations. The choice to enter residential aged care shouldn’t mean a choice to leave your community.

The government’s $200m funding package, in addition to $135 million recently awarded under Round 1, will improve access to quality aged care in small rural towns and remote communities, including for older First Nations people.

This $200 million will allow successful applicants to build new facilities as well as upgrade existing infrastructure. Funding under the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program supports the basic rights of all older people in Australia to have access to safe and high-quality aged care services regardless of where they live.

For this round eligibility has been expanded to include all regional areas (MM 2-7) with grants also available to help providers build and improve services for First Nations communities in any location, including major cities.

Grant information, including eligibility requirements are on GrantConnect.

Image source: iStock.

Carbal Medical Services, Jannah De-Bressac enhances immunisation support for First Nations Communities

Carbal Medical Services is proud to announce that Jannah De-Bressac, Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) at Carbal Warwick, has successfully completed the First Nations Immunisation Course. With a dedicated service spanning five years, including 3.5 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW) and 1.5 years as an AHP, Jannah brings a wealth of experience and cultural insight to her role. Jannah is the first AHP in Queensland to have obtained this competency.

The completion of the First Nations Immunisation Course will significantly benefit Jannah’s practice by enabling her to provide robust support to the nursing staff. Leveraging her established relationships with the local community, Jannah will discuss vaccination benefits, importance, side effects, and concerns with families. She will also provide necessary resources to alleviate any apprehensions regarding immunisations.

Jannah’s familiarity and long-term engagement with the community play a crucial role in building trust.

“Having a familiar face to discuss concerns is invaluable. Over the years, I have built strong relationships, and having the time to discuss immunisations, address concerns, and explain vaccination benefits in a safe and culturally sensitive environment is vital,” says Jannah.

She emphasizes the importance of clear communication, free from jargon, particularly when discussing catch-up schedules. Jannah strongly advocates for the inclusion of the First Nations Immunisation Course in all AHW and AHP training programs.

“It is a great asset to any Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) clinic and to the health workers. I am now confident in discussing the benefits of vaccination and the process of vaccine creation with the community.”

Expressing her enthusiasm, Jannah stated, “I am excited to have completed the First Nations Immunisation Course because I can now confidently assist in the clinic. I am well-equipped to talk to parents, carers, and patients about vaccinations, their benefits, and to address any concerns they may have. The course has provided me with the tools to alleviate those concerns effectively.”

Jannah highlights the course’s family-friendly e-Learning approach and the strong support system it offers.

“The course allowed time for family, which is very important to me. The support was excellent, with prompt replies to any questions I had. It was interesting, and I learned a lot of new skills and information while having fun. I highly recommend it!”

For more information on Carbal Medical Services and the initiatives undertaken to support First Nations health, please go here.

Carbal Medical Services, Jannah De-Bressac successfully completed the First Nations Immunisation Course. Image source: Carbal Medical Services.

Raising awareness of blood borne viruses

The WA Department of Health has launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of blood-borne viruses (BBVs), and the importance of BBV prevention among Aboriginal people aged 16-39 years. Blood-borne viruses – such as hepatitis B (Healthy WA), hepatitis C (Healthy WA) and HIV (Healthy WA) – are transmitted by blood, and hepatitis B and HIV can also be transmitted through sexual activity (sexual transmission of hepatitis C is also possible if blood is present). The campaign was developed in consultation with Aboriginal health workers and leaders from regional and metropolitan areas and community-based organisations including a peer organisation for people who inject drugs. Interviews with Aboriginal people in WA that have a lived experience of hepatitis C and HIV also shaped the campaign development.

People with blood-borne viruses often look and feel healthy, so encouraging people at risk to get tested is a key factor in addressing blood-borne viruses. Hepatitis C notifications are disproportionally high in the Aboriginal population. In WA, hepatitis C notifications in Aboriginal people are 13-times higher than reported among non-Aboriginal people. Injecting drug use also contributes to a proportion of newly diagnosed HIV infections in WA.

Testing is crucial as a range of treatments are now making it possible for people with blood-borne viruses to continue to live long and healthy lives. Treatments are now available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. A cure is now possible for 95% of people with chronic hepatitis C. Highly effective treatments are also available for people living with HIV.

Encourage your community to get tested for blood-borne viruses.

To learn more about the campaign, go here.

WA Department of Health Look After Your Blood campaign tile.

Aspiring doctor wants more “familiar faces” in health

From bandaging up mannequins at the local TAFE, to studying medicine at the University of Western Australia, Kahlie Lockyer has always wanted to make a difference. The Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Yawuru and Nyulnyul woman from Port Hedland grew up travelling to remote communities with her mother, a nurse who taught first aid and health courses to First Nations people. Her mum was her first inspiration.

“She really wanted to make a difference,” Ms Lockyer told AAP.

“Trying to help educate our people as well … I guess it was her way of doing her part to close the gap in Indigenous health.”

But it was when the accomplished 35-year-old artist had her second son, who was born with congenital complications, that she was propelled into the world of medicine.

“I knew what it felt like being an Indigenous mother and not having an understanding of what was going on with my boy, and coming up against a lot of racism,” she said.

“Some of the paediatricians we encountered were so amazing … I thought, we need more paediatricians that can provide the health care that our people need.”

Ms Lockyer is in her third year of medical school and after receiving the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship to help with her studies said she feels empowered and excited for the future.

Getting through university has had its challenges but Ms Lockyer has loved her studies and she knows how important it is to have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the health sector.

“If an Indigenous person can get the care from someone who has the same understanding of how things are different for us and be a familiar face, it could give them more trust in the healthcare system,” she said.

To read the full article, go here.

Artist Kahlie Lockyer (centre) is the latest recipient of the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship. (Image: HANDOUT/AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION).

Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) bus visit to Winnunga

Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjha was pleased and honoured to welcome the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) to Winnunga Nimmityjah last month. KBHAC is a Stolen Generations Survivor led organisation which was established by the survivors of Kinchela Boys Home.

The Home was run by the NSW Government for over 50 years to assimilate Aboriginal boys who, in their words, were kidnapped from their families. KBHAC was represented during the visit by three Kinchela “boys, notably Uncles Roger Jarrett, Richard Campbell and Willy Nixon, each of whom had spent their childhoods, in the 1950’s and 60’s at the Kinchela Boys Home after being forcefully removed, or in their words “kidnapped”, from their families. The “boys” were accompanied on the visit to Winnunga Nimmityjah by Aunty Lesley.

Before addressing staff a heartbreaking film, produced by KBHAC and which focussed on life at the Kinchela boys home, highlighted the inhuman and heartless treatment and abuse endured by the boys detained at the “home”.

KBHAC has developed a wide range of programs and services aimed at addressing the reconstruction of identity, restoration of family structures and improving social inclusion in the community. They also provide a range of services focussed on supporting Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants.

To read the full story, go here.

Shannan Dodson, Uncle Roger Jarrett, Julie Tongs, Uncle Willy Nixon, Aunty Lesley and Uncle Richard Campbell. Image source: Winnunga Nimmityjha.

Path to healthcare advocacy

In Yarrabah, Charanti Andrews found her calling at home. Her close-knit family, especially her grandfather, played a pivotal role. After he suffered a stroke in 2019, Ms Andrews cared for him during his rehabilitation. Once he recovered, she focused on her two younger nephews, both diagnosed with ADHD, and one also with autism, dedicating time to helping them manage their challenges. These experiences clarified her purpose: to make a meaningful impact in healthcare and transform lives with compassion.

Ms Andrews was fortunate to have supportive parents who valued hard work and resilience. Her mum, the CEO of the local health service, and her dad, the Mayor of Yarrabah, inspired her through their leadership. With their encouragement, Ms Andrews applied for and was accepted into the Cape York Leaders Program, securing a scholarship to attend one of Queensland’s top boarding high schools.

Joining the University of Queensland’s Health Science Camp, her passion for health sciences was clear, but the opportunity to explore disciplines like occupational therapy, nursing, dentistry, psychology, midwifery, and pathology provided the clarity she needed.

“I liked being surrounded by other Indigenous kids who have a passion for health, and I really enjoyed visiting the Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Centre,” Ms Andrews said.

“I love interacting with people with sensory disabilities. It just makes me happy.”

She has now completed Year 12 and has started turning her dream into a reality after enrolling in a Bachelor of Public Health at The Queensland University of Technology.

To read the full National Indigenous Times article, go here.

Charanti Andrews’ shift from family caregiving to healthcare advocacy shows her commitment to compassionate change. (Image: Cape York Partnership).

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

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

17 June 2024

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

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

New guaranteed funding boosts ACCHOs nationwide

First Nations health services will have certainty to plan for the medium-term future, as the federal government announced four-year rolling funding agreements from 1 July, along with a $300m funding boost. ACCHOs play an integral role in First Nations health and self-determination, delivering holistic, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate health care to the community which controls it. Last year, 120 ACCHOs delivered health care to more than 410,000 people in First Nations communities across the country. NACCHO Acting CEO Dawn Casey said the new rolling arrangements and increased funding would provide “crucial financial stability” for the sector. “This recognition further reflects the Sector’s longstanding provision of healthcare across diverse settings, from very remote to urban areas,” Dr Casey said.

Indigenous Minister Linda Burney said the government knows “communities have the solutions to so many challenges that face us. This new funding agreement will give ACCHOs the certainty they need to plan for the future, and work towards long term solutions.” Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy said ACCHOs “are a place that’s culturally safe for First Nations people to go to. They are also fluent in languages; for example, in Miwatj with the Yolngu language in central Australia, there are certainly languages there that need to be spoken and interpreted. So, it is a place that First Nations people feel they can go to talk about really important health issues.”

She highlighted the role ACCHOs play in education, noting it is a key component of chronic disease prevention. In reference to the NT – where more than 30% of residents identify as First Nations – Senator McCarthy said places such as Ampilatwatja which will see its funding increase by 5%, while there will also be increases for Anyinginyi in Tennant Creek, Katherine West, the Laynhapuy Homelands in northeast Arnhem Land and the Marthakal Homelands Aboriginal Corporation.

To view the National Indigenous Times article New funding and four-year guarantee boosts Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations nationwide in full click here.

Linda Burney and Malarndirri McCarthy

L-R: Linda Burney and Malarndirri McCarthy say ACCHOs are vital for First Nations health outcomes. Photo: AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Telstra outage causes ACCHOs to temporarily shut

Two SA Aboriginal health services say they have had to temporarily close their clinics due to a nationwide data outage impacting some Telstra customers, which has also left three councils unable to perform critical services for almost two weeks. Yadu Health Aboriginal Corporation in Ceduna, on the west coast of SA, is one of the organisations impacted. Its CEO, Simon Prideaux, said the corporation had been without access to patient medical records, allergy information, specialist letters or appointment bookings since 1 June, prompting it to temporarily close its clinic this week.

“It’s extremely limiting the medical care that we’re able to provide safely … [and] it’s very concerning considering most of our cohort are Aboriginal people with chronic illnesses,” Mr Prideaux said. “We’ve had a loss of specialists coming over with their flights, their salaries and their accommodation that we’ve already pre-paid. We’ve had to cancel diabetes educators because we’re unable to access their bookings and phone numbers for clients, so the list is quite extensive.”

The Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service in Whyalla has also had to cancel its services, including visiting specialists. “It’s very frustrating not only for the backlog of work that people are going to have to do, but for all of the patients who are really quite vulnerable, walking around not being able to access healthcare,” Nunyara CEO Cindy Zbierski said. “It’s a lot safer to not provide a service and so we’ve been providing transport to other services and the hospital.”

To view the ABC News article Telstra outage forces Aboriginal health clinics to temporarily shut and causes ‘frustrating’ disruptions at regional councils in full click here.

sign at front of Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service Inc indicating location of parking

The Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service at Whyalla is one of the medical clinics that has been forced to shut. Photo: Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service. Image source: ABC News.

Telehealth program to provide support after infant loss

Cassidy Barlow’s friends didn’t understand when she told them her daughter was born sleeping. Health workers and relatives couldn’t always find the right words to comfort the 18-year-old after Delylah was stillborn at 24 weeks in 2020. With the Queensland health system in lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barlow was often alone without any visitors. Then when she tried to access mental health support, she was turned away due to long waiting lists. “Having a healthy baby is isolating on its own but having a baby where you don’t get to bring them home is even more isolating,” Barlow said.

Barlow is one of many women whose stories informed the launch of a new national perinatal psychology service. The telehealth program is run by social enterprise Rural Health Connect. It is funded by the federal government for four years to support rural, Indigenous, migrant and young women and families after infant loss. Rural Health Connect founder Megan Gomez said the service aims to overcome common barriers to accessing care, like distance, social stigma, long waiting times and high costs.

“Telehealth has really changed everything for people living in the bush,” Gomez said. “Before, you had to drive to the practitioner you wanted to see and you didn’t have any choice in who you could see. Now, suddenly, you can access an expert in a particular field even if they live in another state.” The platform’s psychologists have been given specialist training in perinatal support, including culturally sensitive care. Patients need to be referred by their GP and bulk billing or low gap fees are available for those in financial need.

To view the SBS News article When Cassidy’s baby was stillborn, she couldn’t access support. Now, that’s changing in full click here.

Waminda midwife Mel Briggs

Waminda midwife Mel Briggs says stillbirth can be reduced in Aboriginal communities through early and frequent access to trusted, professional and community-based maternity care that is immersed in tradition and culture. Photo: Janie Barrett. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

‘If the land is sick, so are we’

First Nations peoples have been present on the Australian continent for more than 65,000 years. During this time, they have managed to develop and maintain continuous, unbroken connections with the land, water and sky. Understanding the deep interrelatedness between humans and their (human and nonhuman) kin and ancestors instilled a sense of responsibility, through custodianship of their environment. The aim of this was to survive, and to promote a sense of ecological and cosmological balance. Indigenous Australian spiritualities understand this balance, which is essential to living in harmony with all things in creation.

More than two-thirds of young Australians are experiencing eco-anxiety, while almost half of Australians believe our country is in “decline”. First Nations spiritualities may have some answers. First Nations spirituality promotes a strong sense of interrelatedness and interconnectedness between all things, particularly people and the planet. Aboriginal Elders have said we are a reflection of the Country: if the land is sick, so are we. If the land is healthy (or punyu), so are we.

Wik First Nations scholar Tyson Yunkaporta says our collective wellbeing can only be sustained through a life of communication with a sentient landscape and all things on it. In a time when we as a global human population are navigating the complex challenges of modernity, an immersion into First Nations’ spirituality may help us better live in harmony with all things – and importantly, ourselves and each other. We can explore the depths of these teachings and learn to appreciate them (rather than appropriating them) by reconnecting with the land in meaningful ways, under the guidance of First Nations Elders and Traditional Custodians.

To view The Conversation article ‘If the land is sick, so are we’: Australian First Nations spirituality explained in full click here. 

Nourlangie Rock, the site of Aboriginal rock art in the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park

Nourlangie Rock, the site of Aboriginal rock art in the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP. Image source: The Conversation.

Indigenous knowledge and global health strategies

The first regional World Health Summit took place in Melbourne earlier this year (22–24 April 2024), bringing together participants from around the world to explore the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health. Under the bold theme, “Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific”, this ground-breaking conference, the first of its kind in the region, united over 1,100 participants from Australia, the Pacific region and worldwide from diverse spheres of global health. During the Summit emphasis was placed on the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health.

The health of Indigenous peoples, and their long-held world views were repeatedly highlighted for inclusion and respect in global health strategies. The challenges and opportunities presented by the intertwined issues of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health are vast and demand a hopeful and deeply considered approach to discourse and action. The way forward must be collaborative, integrating scientific research with Indigenous wisdom to develop health strategies that are effective, sustainable and culturally respectful.

The summit’s focus on planetary health, emphasised by the presence of global health leaders and Indigenous scholars, sends a strong message: the health of humanity is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. This realisation should drive all stakeholders, including governments, health care providers and academia, to pursue a more integrated approach to health that respects and learns from Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. The Summit set the stage for continued dialogue and action that bridges Indigenous knowledge and scientific research to tackle the pressing health challenges of our time. As we move forward, it is essential that these discussions translate into actionable strategies that prioritise the health of both the planet and its people, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

To view the InSight+ article Indigenous knowledge meets global health strategies at regional World Health Summit in full click here. 

gathering of World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre foyer

The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Photo: World Health Summit Melbourne. Image source: InSight+.

Bra fittings helping save rural women’s lives

Not far from yacht clubs, shimmering beaches and five star resorts, a homeless woman had sought shelter from the summer heat and humidity. Crisis counsellor Jane Holmes found her beneath the Sundale Bridge on Queensland’s Gold Coast, in agony. Lily quietly lifted her shirt to reveal severe chafing, having never been able to afford a bra. “It was absolutely horrific, it really shook me to the core,” Ms Holmes said. “I couldn’t believe in a first world country that is so wealthy we had a person in a situation where she couldn’t afford a bra.”

Lily was the catalyst for Ms Holmes to launch the charity Support the Girls, which offers free bra fittings, underwear and menstrual products to women in rural and Indigenous communities. A van dubbed Brabarella hits the road with volunteers and donated items on board, reaching more than 2,000 women in regional Queensland and NSW each year. The organisation has partnered with BreastScreen NSW and Aboriginal health organisations to encourage more than 400 Indigenous women to have mammograms since last May.

The program boosted screening rates from 9% to 74%in some areas, providing scans and fittings in culturally safe environments that fostered conversation and compassion. It’s crucial to reach Indigenous women, who are often highly reluctant to get checked, BreastScreen NSW health promotion officer Heather Hillam says. “For Aboriginal women, the idea of being vulnerable and standing naked from the waist up and having someone touch and move their breast … a word you hear a lot is ‘shame’,” she said. “But the prospect of having a bra fitting and a lovely, supportive women-only environment has been enough to get a lot of women over that fear.”

To view the Australian Associated Press article How bra fittings are helping save rural women’s lives in full click here.

Support the Girls worker sorting bras

Support the Girls offers free bra fittings to rural and Indigenous women. Photo: Support the Girls/AAP. Image source: The Advocate.

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

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

11 June 2024

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

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

Every Yarn Counts campaign launched to tackle hepatitis C in Indigenous communities

A new campaign ‘Every Yarn Counts,’ was launched Tuesday to normalise discussions about hepatitis C in the community; eliminating barriers, stigma and misconceptions associated with the disease to encourage people to get tested and treated.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately represented in hepatitis C cases, largely driven by social factors including poverty, lack of access to culturally safe health services, incarceration, and intergenerational trauma.

While hepatitis C rates are steadily declining across Australia, the trend is not reflected in Aboriginal population, where the need for accelerated treatment remains critical.

Bundjalung man and program manager of Burnet Institute’s Aboriginal Health Plan, Troy Combo, said Aboriginal people are being left behind because they aren’t receiving the necessary treatment.

“Hepatitis C is curable. There is no shame in being treated, and treatment is now easier and more accessible,” he said.

The campaign is being implemented by a network of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across the country, to reach people in their communities. It was co-designed for the community, by the community.

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey, said the campaign will empower Aboriginal people to take charge of their health.

“Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations are best placed to deliver hepatitis C education, harm minimisation and health promotion to ensure culturally safe and responsive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples nationally,” she said.

“The co-design of Every yarn Counts ensures the campaign is tackling the issue head on without the shame or stigma often associated with hepatitis C.”

To learn more about Every Yarn Counts, go here.

To read the full National Indigenous Times article, go here.

Image: Kristoffer Paulsen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pharmacy Leadership Grant applications closing soon

Applications for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pharmacy Leadership Grant close tomorrow, Wednesday June 12. A significant initiative supported by Pfizer Australia, this grant aims to support two early to mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacists or pharmacy students to develop invaluable leadership skills through an international and cross-cultural experience. By empowering future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacist leaders, we aim to amplify their voices, advocate for community needs, and enhance the cultural safety and effectiveness of healthcare delivery.

The grant offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacists and pharmacy students the opportunity to embark on an international journey to exchange experiences, gain knowledge, and foster leadership capabilities. Through interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacist representatives in other countries, grant holders will build networks, share best practices, and identify effective strategies. Grant recipients will return to Australia and share their insights with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector.

Building the skills of future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacist leaders is a critical part of ensuring improved visibility of the profession for prospective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and allowing leaders to champion the priorities and medicines needs of Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander people across the health sector, including improving the cultural safety, appropriateness, and effectiveness of care.

The grant, funded by Pfizer Australia, includes up to $15,000 for travel and accommodation per successful applicant.

For more information, go here. 

Have your say on guidelines for the new National Lung Cancer Screening Program

We are looking for people who want to share their ideas about how the guidelines for the new National Lung Cancer Screening Program should be made to best meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This part of the project is led by the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the ANU.

We’re looking to speak with:

  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • People who are eligible for the lung cancer screening program or will be in the next five years:
    • Aged 45-70 years
    • Have a history of smoking or have experience with lung cancer personally or as a caregiver

We also want to hear from healthcare professionals who work with Indigenous peoples and communities, especially those involved in helping people quit smoking and vaping.

Please share with your clients who may be interested or register your interest via the EOI link, here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

Nourishing Australia mid-term review

Nourishing Australia: A decadal plan for the science of nutrition was published by the National Committee for Nutrition (NCN) in July 2019. In 2024, the NCN will undertake a mid-term review (MTR) of the plan, to be launched in November 2024. This review of Nourishing Australia will:

  • review the main goals and priorities of the decadal plan and provide a succinct update on the state of Australian nutrition science and significant changes since the completion of the decadal plan.
  • review the recommendations of the decadal plan, reporting on the extent to which they have been accomplished, and whether recommendations remain appropriate or require revision.
  • review current plans for implementing the original or updated recommendations of the decadal plan, and provide revised implementation plans with priorities and contingencies, focusing on the period 2025-2029 and addressing the longer term where appropriate.

The NCN is seeking input from sector organisations to identify research, initiatives, and activities that have emerged since the plan’s publication, particularly in relation to its four key pillars. This is an opportunity to add First Nations perspective to the body of work.

To complete the survey, go here.

For more information, go here.

Nourishing Australia: A decadal plan for the science of nutrition.

QLD launches new Health Workforce Strategy

The Miles Government today launched the Health Workforce Strategy for QLD to 2032 and a significant funding boost to help grow, sustain and develop the state’s healthcare workforce.

QLD’s healthcare system is experiencing ongoing pressure. A growing and ageing population, coupled with an increase in service usage due to less people using private health care and a contraction of some private services into public hospitals, is creating significant demand. This, combined with rising costs, is impacting the public hospital system.

In recognition of the state’s growing healthcare needs, the 2024-25 State Budget allocates more than $1 billion (budget to budget) extra for frontline workforce growth.

$30.8 million will be used to grow the First Nations talent pipeline. This includes initiatives recognise and support existing First Nations healthcare workers, along with adapting work practices to deliver more equitable services.

To read the full statement, go here.

Image source: Queensland Health.

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

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

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week – 10-16 June 2024

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week runs every June to highlight the importance of babies’ emotional wellbeing and development. This year’s theme is ‘Speak up for babies’.

Infant mental health is an often overlooked and misunderstood subject. Infant Mental Health Awareness Week provides an annual opportunity to discuss the importance of babies’ mental health and wellbeing as well as some issues that affect it.

Research shows that the experiences and relationships we have in the earliest years of our lives, including before birth, impact on the development of our brains. Stress and adversity experienced during pregnancy can have a negative impact on babies’ physical and mental health as they grow, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The services in place to support mothers, birthing people, partners and families in pregnancy can make a huge difference. Once born, babies that are scared and overwhelmed by disrupted relationships with their parent or main carer are more likely to develop mental health conditions in childhood. Early intervention and support can help mitigate the impact on these vulnerable babies and families.

For more information on Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, go here.

Image source: Eventbrite Queensland Infant Mental Health Symposium 2024 webpage.

7 June 2024

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

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

Long-term harm to health, wellbeing and life chances

SA’s Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People says First Nations children’s rights are being “trampled on” by what she describes as an “institutionally racist” child protection system. In the Holding on to Our Future report tabled in SA parliament this week, Commissioner April Lawrie found that in a single calendar year, one-in-two SA Aboriginal children are reported at least once to child protection authorities, and one-in-10 are placed in out-of-home care.

The 176-page report has made 48 findings and 32 recommendations to reduce the number of First Nations children in the child protection system. “The state is unnecessarily removing disproportionate and growing numbers of Aboriginal children from their families and communities, causing long-term harm to their health, wellbeing and life chances,” Ms Lawrie said.

The report found there was not enough funding for early intervention services for vulnerable Aboriginal children, the Department for Child Protection’s (DCP) cultural responsiveness was “severely lacking”, and there was a lack of consultation with Aboriginal families and communities on decision-making. It recommended that child protection laws be amended to insert the Child Placement Principle and that DCP work in partnership with the Aboriginal community to improve outcomes for First Nations children. Ms Lawrie said “unnecessary removals” of children from families were often used as the first option rather than a last resort and were “preventable. Our families could have been afforded referrals into early help services to address the underlying causes of the issues in the first place that have them, before child protection.”

To view the ABC News article Aboriginal children ‘unnecessarily’ removed from families, communities in SA, report finds in full click here.

SA's Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People April Lawrie

SA’s Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People April Lawrie. Photo: Che Chorley. Image source: ABC News.

R U OK? Conversation Convoy visits Karratha

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

The R U OK? organisation has well and truly permeated the Australian consciousness. Each advertisement, yellow wristband, or slogan iced on office cupcakes is a reminder of the organisations core message – to talk to one another earnestly about how we are feeling. However, what many Australians might not know is that the organisation which breeds such positivity is rooted in a tragic, though common, story. Gavin Larkin founded R U OK? in 2009 in response to losing his father to suicide as a teenager.

The national campaign aimed to shift negative stigma that surrounded mental health issues, and carve a space in Australian society for open dialogues on the matter. R U OK? remains vigilant on spreading their message to every Australian and achieves this through their Conversation Convoy Program. The Conversation Convoy involves a travelling series of buses loaded with R U OK employees as well as mental health professionals, who stop off in regional towns and set up a day of activities and foster community discussion.

The program stopped off In Karratha this week on Tuesday 4 June and was warmly welcomed by a chorus of Pilbara residents. Residents were deeply moved by the space R U OK? provided for them to gather, share a cup of tea, and support each other’s wellbeing. It’s events such as these that leader of the R U OK? Stronger Together campaign for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Steven Satour believes can erode the shame some men have about discussing mental health, “The conversation convoy’s and the R U OK men’s sheds really do a lot to shift the toxic male stereotype that says being a man means never talking about your feelings.”

To view the Busselton Dunsborough Times article R U OK? Conversation Convoy fills Karratha Community Cup in full click here.

3 images: R U OK? Conversation Convoy visit to Karratha - R U OK? banners, umbrellas, Jenga game with mental health Qs.

Photos: R U OK?. Image source: Busselton Dunsborough Times.

13 Yarn (13 92 76)
Brother-to-brother (1800 435 799)
Lifeline (13 11 14 + online chat)
Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800 + webchat)

Other support lines:
MensLine Australia (1300 78 99 78)
Suicide callback service (1300 659 467)
Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636)
Qlife – anonymous LGBTIQ support (1800 184 527 + webchat)

WA student awarded Indigenous Medical Scholarship

Kahlie Lockyer, an accomplished artist and medical student at the University of WA, has been awarded an AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship. The scholarship will be presented at the AMA-AIDA Taskforce on Indigenous Health meeting today on Ngunnawal land in Canberra, where health leaders will discuss strategies to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly will address the taskforce, attended by representatives from the AMA, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and NACCHO.

Ms Lockyer said her heart is in developmental paediatrics with a focus on early intervention of health issues in young Indigenous children. “I believe our children are our future, and if we can start with managing preventable diseases in young Indigenous children, then that can lead to them having a better education and better outcomes for their future,” Ms Lockyer said. “There is growing evidence showing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are being missed by the health system in diagnosis, whether it’s a learning disability, neurodivergence, or other conditions, which consequently leads to lower education, health literacy, employment rates and higher incarceration rates.

“This is all intertwined and I believe the childhood years is where the biggest impact can be made.” The 35-year-old — belonging to the Ngarluma and Karriyarra people from the Pilbara region and the Yawuru and NyulNyul people from the Kimberley region — grew up in Port Hedland, WA. It was here the seed was planted for a promising future in medicine. “My interest in health started in my childhood as my mother was a nurse. She would go out and teach first aid and health courses in different communities, and I would always be the kid that would tag along and help her,” Ms Lockyer said.

To view the AMA media release WA student with passion for developmental paediatrics awarded AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship in full click here.

WA uni medical student Kahlie Lockyer

University of WA medical student Kahlie Lockyer. Image source: AMA website.

Health funding projected to decline in real terms

According to an analysis by Charles Maskell-Knight PSM, who was a senior public servant in the Commonwealth Department of Health for over 25 years before retiring in 2021, “We could take the Government’s commitment to closing the gap more seriously if it was prepared to commit funding over the medium term, allowing grant-funded organisations stability and certainty.” Mr Maskell-Knight suggests that spending on health functions and programs should grow by a combination of price growth and population growth, together with an allowance for utilisation growth due to ageing.

However, this year’s Budget showed that only three health and aged care programs (MBS, public hospitals, and aged care) were growing faster than price and population growth. PBS and private health insurance rebate spending were barely growing in nominal terms, due to the success of price reduction mechanisms under the PBS, and the presumed stable number of private health insurance policyholders.

Other programs such as First Nations health, health services (population health, medical research, mental health, blood and blood products, other allied health services, and health infrastructure), and administration (including funding for primary healthcare and coordination, investment in health workforce measures, and support for rural health initiatives, as well as the Government’s general administrative costs associated with healthcare) were declining between 2024–25 and 2026–27.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Documenting funding concerns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and other important programs in full click here.

fluorescent white light in shape of descending arrow

Photo: Samuel Regan-Asante, Unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Project promotes mental health of young LGBTQA+ mob

Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge) is a national research project, run by Telethon Kids Institute, Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (Murdoch University), Edith Cowan University and the University of WA and is funded by the NHMRC. The project aims to understand and promote the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people, and to work with services to develop appropriate interventions.

In a recent podcast Shakara Liddelow-Hunt and Tahlia Blow discuss the report and the themes of health, pride, joy, and culture. Peter (Ngaya Ngarigu), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Educator at Thorne Harbour Health was a guest co-host of this episode.

You can listen to the podcast episode Rainbow Mob Health – Reconciliation Week in full click here.

tile with text 'Walkern Katatdjin - Rainbow Knowledge' & logo JOY 94.9 Radio WELL WELL WELL

Image source: Joy Media website.

First Nations doctors need support

AMA Queensland is calling for funding in the state budget to roll out Townsville’s successful Indigenous Intern Pathway across all the state Hospital and Health Services. AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim says the  successful program should be introduced across all Queensland Hospital and Health Services (HHSs).

The AMA Queensland Budget Submission 2024-25 calls for Queensland Health to fund and implement programs such as the Townsville HHS Indigenous Intern Pathway as a priority, “It is disgraceful that First Nations people continue to experience unacceptable differences in health outcomes compared to the general population,” AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim said. “First Nations doctors are an essential component in eliminating this gap – yet we know about 30% of Indigenous doctors leave the profession altogether. Our First Nations communities must receive the culturally appropriate, best practice health care they deserve.”

AMA Queensland is also calling for investment and support for programs advocated for by First Nations health organisations including the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC). These include Mob Link, Birthing in Our Community, Surgery Pathways, Deadly Choices, and the Indigenous Hospital Network Wisdom Group. “We are also calling on the government to reverse its decision to prohibit Aboriginal health services from owning local community pharmacies,” Dr Yim said.

To view the AMA Queensland article First Nations doctors need support in full click here.

Dr Rebecca Alverez, Ngunnawal woman & junior doctor at Townsville Uni Hospital

Dr Rebecca Alverez (R) was the first doctor to take part in the Indigenous Intern Pathway, a mentorship program designed to provide culturally appropriate support for Indigenous doctors. Image source: Qld Government website.

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

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

3 June 2024

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

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

Organ donation would be higher if more education

Leslie Schultz spent years watching birds flit past his window. But without their song in his ears, the scent of eucalypts in his nostrils nor the glorious outback sun on his back, the sight only made him homesick for the bush. For the Ngadju Elder, spending hour after hour, day after day, shut inside was one of the worst things about kidney failure. Sometimes it felt his entire life revolved around sitting in a chair, waiting for toxins to be flushed from his blood.

That was until the kindness of a stranger and their family gave him back his freedom. According to a recent inquiry, Australia’s organ donation and transplantation rates are among the lowest in the developed world, and only 36% of eligible adults are on the organ donation register. In 2022, 34 people died while on the waiting list for an organ.

Indigenous West Australians are among those most impacted by the shortfall. The community experiences chronic kidney disease at almost seven times the rate of the wider population — the biggest disparity of all Australian jurisdictions — yet, for a range of complex reasons, are far less likely to ever have the life-saving procedure.

To view the ABC News article Organ donation content rates would be better if there were more education about it, advocate says in full click here.

older ATSI man Leslie Schultz in hospital for kidney transplant

Leslie Schultz had his transplant about three years ago. Photo supplied by: Les Schultz. Image source: ABC News.

NT remote communities way behind on menstrual health

The NT is “behind the rest of Australia” regarding period health, claims a leading menstrual health advocate, who is calling on the Lawler government to make tampons and pads more accessible for remote communities. The claim comes after the Albanese government pledged $12.5m in period products toward remote Indigenous communities as part of the 2024–25 Budget announced in May. Rochelle Courtenay, who founded Share the Dignity – a not-for-profit charity dedicated to making period products accessible to vulnerable women says “The top half of Australia is where we spend most of our (organisation’s) money supporting women.”

This year, Share the Dignity launched a nationwide survey – the Big Bloody Survey – to understand the issues that Australian women face. The survey, which remains live, has garnered more than 150,000 responses so far, however less than 2,000 of the respondents were Territory-based. “There are barriers – not everyone has a laptop or even knows there is an online survey and because of that we don’t hear their voice.” Ms Courtenay said the survey’s preliminary findings were “really sad”. “So far, we know more than 25% of Australian women can’t afford period products and we know that in remote Indigenous communities this is much higher,” she said.

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo said her government had facilitated and signed 15 Local Decision Agreements where the community voices their priorities and are involved in solutions that work for their communities, which often include health priorities. “As part of this, close to half the Territory’s remote primary health centres are run by ACCHOs with local leadership for decision making.” Ms Courtenay, however, said the Territory had engaged with her organisation the least of any jurisdiction and maintained she would reapproach the NT government in the coming months.

The above is an extract from the article Northern Territory’s remote communities ‘way behind’ on menstrual health, says Share the Dignity founder published in the NT News yesterday, 2 June 2024.

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo says the government has empowered local communities to make decisions around health issues. Image source: NT News.

Health campus native landscape use improving wellbeing

Health campuses across Australia can improve wellbeing for both patients and staff by incorporating the natural environment using biophilic design. Biophilic design is an architectural approach to the built environment that enhances human function through nurturing connectivity with nature. It seeks to improve cultural security and health outcomes for Indigenous peoples who are over-represented in Australian hospitals.

A volunteer project at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) is using native landscapes to adapt to climate while enhancing wellbeing, Indigenous cultural security and local biodiversity. Hospital-based care at RDH may be world-class from a Western perspective, but imposes cultural challenges for Indigenous patients who constitute almost 31% of the NT’s population but 56% of inpatients and 83% of renal dialysis patients. National Indigenous rates of “discharge against medical advice” are five times higher than than non-Indigenous rates, reflecting culturally unsafe hospital environments.

The causes for this disparity are complex, but encompass patients reporting loneliness, isolation and lack of cultural safety. 70% of Territorians who live remotely are Indigenous and reside in one of 600 communities or remote outstations. Access to specialist care by these patients comes at a price: separation from country, supportive family networks and place-based spiritual, cultural and healing practices that include the use of bush medicines. Many Indigenous patients prefer to sit outside where they can also avoid constraint by walls and the built environment. This creates a double jeopardy of reducing access to health care that the Western paradigm restricts to hospital interiors, and socialises the perverse view of Indigenous “non-compliance” with ward-based care.

To view the InSight+ article Top End hospital leads the green revolution in health care in full click here.

vegetation planted at the Royal Darwin Hospital

Vegetation planted at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Photo: Mark de Souza. Image source: InSight+.

Football team missing three future leaders this season

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family. This article also contains references to suicide.

Kids and teenagers flock to an AFL field of a coastal Aboriginal community, 1,000 kms east of Darwin to watch the men of the Djarrak football club. Run by Elders of the Rirratjiŋu clan, Djarrak is one of four Aussie Rules clubs on the Gove Peninsula, where kids grow up on the sidelines of the footy field. But three of the club’s brightest leaders will be missing this season. The three Yolŋu men died in a series of sudden tragedies last year. The health crisis in north-east Arnhem Land is also playing out in First Nations communities across the NT and Australia. According to the AIHW, of the 10 Indigenous regions in Australia with the highest rates of avoidable deaths in 2018, six were in the NT.

Steve Rossingh, CEO of Miwatj Health, an ACCHO in NE Arnhem Land says that without the strong cultural leadership of Elders Yolŋu health would be far worse. But Mr Rossingh says barriers in the region including severe overcrowding, limited job opportunities, feelings of disempowerment and the impacts of colonialism and racism make it difficult to have a healthy lifestyle. “If you wanted to nail it onto one thing, it’s that people are living in poverty – which is really hard to believe in a first-world country like Australia, that we’ve got big cohorts in pockets of the country where people are living in poverty,” he says.

And when Yolŋu die young, Mr Rossingh says, the impacts ripple throughout the community, “They are the future leaders, and the less future potential leaders you have, the greater the difficulty in maintaining culture and maintaining order within communities.”

To view the ABC News article Arnhem Land football team without three future leaders this season following series of sudden tragedies in full click here.

Miwatj Health workers at a health promotion stand at the scratch match

Miwatj Health workers at a health promotion stand at the scratch match. Photo: Lillian Rangiah, ABC News.

If you need someone to talk to, call:

Call for First Nations Board member EOIs

The Australian Physiotherapy Council (the Council) is the accreditation authority for physiotherapy education and overseas practitioners who wish to practice physiotherapy in Australia. The Council’s purpose of ‘Ensuring tomorrow’s physiotherapy workforce through providing world class accreditation and assessment services’ is underpinned by a passionate and committed team of people.

As part of their ongoing commitment to diversity and representation, the Council are currently recruiting several Board member roles, including another First Nations Board member to join their Chair Elect Michael Reynolds.

For more details about the role and the application process, please refer to the Call for Expression of Interest, here. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Council’s Company Secretary Emily Wiltshire here.

Australian Physiotherapy Council logo & vector image ATSI hand holding weight tile from CAAC physiotherapy webpage

Image sources: Australian Physiotherapy Council website; Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Physiotherapy webpage.

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

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

Mabo Day – 3 June 2024

 

Mabo Day is marked annually on 3 June. It commemorates Mer Island man Eddie Koiki Mabo and his successful efforts to overturn the legal fiction of terra nullius, or ‘land belonging to no-one’. Short for Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992), the Mabo case, led by Eddie Koiki Mabo, an activist for the 1967 Referendum, fought the legal concept that Australia and the Torres Strait Islands were not owned by Indigenous peoples because they did not ‘use’ the land in ways Europeans believed constituted some kind of legal possession.

Despite the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occupied the land, spoke their own languages and had their own laws and customs before the British arrived in 1788, ‘Terra nullis’ was an attempt to give ‘legitimacy’ for the British and Australian governments to allow the dispossession of all Indigenous peoples of their land. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also had – and continue to have – a strong connection to ‘Country’ – the Australian land.

The Mabo case was heard over ten years, starting in the Queensland Supreme Court and progressed through to the High Court of Australia. Following the Mabo decision, Australia’s Federal Parliament passed the Native Title Act 1993 which established a legal framework for native title claims throughout Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Sadly, Eddie Mabo died 5 months before the historic decision came on 3 June 1992 that ‘native title’ did exist.

You can find more information about Mabo Day and Native Title on the Reconciliation Australia website here.

artwork of Eddie Mabo by Gordon Bennett

Eddie Mabo by Gordon Bennett 1996. Image source: Queensland Art Gallery website.

World Eating Disorders Action Day – 2 June 2024

World Eating Disorders Action Day is a grassroots movement designed for and by people affected by an eating disorder, their families, and the medical and health professionals who support them. Uniting activists across the globe, the aim is to expand global awareness of eating disorders as genetically linked, treatable illnesses that can affect anyone. The below list contains nine truths about eating disorders:

  • Many people with eating disorders may look healthy, yet they may be extremely ill.
  • Families are not to blame, and can be the patients and providers best allies in treatment.
  • An eating disorder diagnosis is a health crisis that disrupts personal and family functioning.
  • Eating disorders are not choices, but serious biologically influenced illnesses.
  • Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes, weights, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
  • Eating disorders carry an increased risk for both suicide and medical complications.
  • Genes and environment play important roles in the development of eating disorders.
  • Genes do not predict who will develop eating disorders.
  • Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Early detection and intervention are important.

You can find more information about eating disorders, including resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, on the Butterfly Foundation website here.

31 May 2024

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

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

Register now to help your community members get screened for bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is a preventable cancer and if caught early it can be successfully treated in more than 90% of cases. We know that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in bowel cancer screening means that more cancers will be prevented or detected early, and more lives will be saved.

June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. ACCHO’s can issue bowel cancer screening kits direct to community. To make sure your ACCHO has enough kits on hand for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, issue kits through the Healthcare Provider Portal.

For more information on bowel cancer screening, go here.

Investment and wide-ranging efforts are needed to improve healthcare outcomes for First Nations people in prisons

Funding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services to play a much bigger role in prison healthcare, and the provision of healing programs are critical for First Nations people in prisons, who too often receive sub-standard, poorly coordinated and culturally unsafe healthcare from mainstream services, a CroakeyLIVE webinar was told this week.

Indigenous prison health experts also highlighted the need to challenge and rewrite harmful public and policy narratives that contribute to shocking levels of overincarceration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the need to transform services that inflict harm and punishment rather than delivering therapeutic care to those who have experienced racism, violence and trauma.

“A lot of these men and women, they were victims before they were perpetrators,” said Julie Tongs OAM, a Wiradjuri woman and CEO of the Canberra-based Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, one of the few Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services contracted to work directly in prisons.

“What we’re dealing with is poverty, trauma and addiction,” she told the webinar.

Tongs said Winnunga Nimmityjah’s prison health service provides doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, a forensic psychologist, mental health nurse, optometrists, and an Aboriginal support worker to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people held in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC), the ACT’s mixed prison.

Winnunga also offers a justice reinvestment program and is awaiting approval for a 24-bed cultural residential rehabilitation centre, with medicinal gardens, where residents will be able to learn about how to make traditional medicine and art and share in family gatherings. Critically, the Winnunga AMC Health and Wellbeing Service is run as part of the overall Winnunga service, allowing integration of care between prison and community.

However, many improvements are needed, ranging from adequate funding overall to timely access to medical appointments outside the prison, improved access to outpatient specialist services at Canberra Hospital, and more focus on mental health and disability services, she earlier told Croakey.

To read the full Croakey Health Media article, go here.

Panel members: Julie Tongs OAM, Dr Mark Wenitong, Jack Bulman and Professor Megan Williams. Image by Mitchell Ward.

AMA calls for more support for First Nations doctors

About 30% of First Nations doctors leave medicine. AMA Queensland is calling for funding in the state budget to roll out Townsville’s successful Indigenous Intern Pathway across all the state Hospital and Health Services.

“In National Reconciliation Week, we encourage Queensland Health to fund similar programs across the state,” AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim says.

The AMA Queensland Budget Submission 2024-25 calls for Queensland Health to fund and implement programs such as the Townsville HHS Indigenous Intern Pathway as a priority.

“It is disgraceful that First Nations people continue to experience unacceptable differences in health outcomes compared to the general population,” AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim said.

“First Nations doctors are an essential component in eliminating this gap – yet we know about 30 per cent of Indigenous doctors leave the profession altogether.

“…Our First Nations communities must receive the culturally appropriate, best practice health care they deserve.”

AMA Queensland is also calling for investment and support for programs advocated for by First Nations health organisations including the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC). These include Mob Link, Birthing in Our Community, Surgery Pathways, Deadly Choices, and the Indigenous Hospital Network Wisdom Group.

To read more, go here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

Pain management in the outback

Speaking as part of a panel on rural and remote pain management and cultural engagement at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Pain Society in Darwin last month, Dr Matthew Bryant, director of rural and Indigenous medical services at the Townsville Hospital and Health Service, shared his experiences in providing culturally informed care in remote areas.

Dr Bryant spoke about the importance of involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in clinical and research initiatives as equals from the outset, rather than bringing them in last minute as a tokenistic gesture.

“It’s important that we put the relationships before the business,” he said.

Ms Marayah Taylor, indigenous hospital liaison officer at Townsville Hospital, encouraged delegates to become familiar with clinical yarning – a patient-centred approach where relationships are built around finding and sharing common ground.

“Don’t say you’re doing patient-centred work if you don’t know that’s truly at that person’s centre [and] what matters to them. What are their priorities in their life to make health a priority?”

To read the full article, go here.

Image source: The Medical Republic.

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

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

World No Tobacco Day – 31 May 2024

May 31, 2024, marks World No Tobacco Day. The theme for 2024 is “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference,” focusing on preventing the tobacco industry from targeting young people with harmful products and promoting policies that shield them from manipulative practices.

This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what governments are doing to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

iSISTAQUIT are partnering with health services to implement the iSISTAQUIT health professional training, printed materials and digital resources as wrap-around support for pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are wanting to quit smoking/vaping.

To register your Health Service to partner with iSISTAQUIT, reach out to the team today via the iSISTAQUIT Dashboard here.

For wrap-around support for pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are wanting to quit smoking/vaping, visit the iSISTAQUIT website here, or call 13 78 48.

You can also reach out to your local ACCHO, or the Koori Quitline on +61 137848.

Image source: iSISTAQUIT.

29 May 2024

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

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

Allyship essential to achieving health equity

National Reconciliation Week 2024 (27 May-3 June) is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us, particularly non-Indigenous people, that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must continue.

Over six million Australians voted ‘YES’ in the recent Voice to Parliament referendum, so there are still plenty of reasons why non-Indigenous people should stay engaged and connected to reconciliation efforts. Dr Julia McCartan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health and an accredited practising dietitian, believes that the principles of critical allyship offer a positive way forward. A non-Indigenous person and first-generation Australian, Dr McCartan is a firm believer in non-Indigenous academics stepping up to take responsibility for preparing students to be anti-racist health practitioners with the skills to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with equitable healthcare.

Dr McCartan said that teaching Indigenous health equity involved helping non-Indigenous students explore and unpack feelings, biases, and previous learnings and challenging representations of Indigenous people that promote a deficit view. “This is particularly important in health, and especially in my subject area of nutrition and dietetics,” Dr McCartan said. “We teach students to consider not just individual factors and choices, but the current and historical influence of racism and settler colonialism on Indigenous health outcomes.”

To view the Monash University article Critical allyship essential to achieving Indigenous health equity in full click here.

collage: tile text 'Now More Than Ever' & portrait shot of Dr Julia McCartan

Reconciliation Week theme ‘No More Than Ever’. Image source: Reconciliation Australia. Dr Julia McCartan. Image source: X.

A must: solutions developed and delivered at a local level

The First Peoples’ Assembly’s appearance at the Yoorrook Justice Commission yesterday saw the co-chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray argue the impacts of colonisation and previous injustices are still being felt in relation to the outcomes for First Peoples in housing, health and education.

“For too long government policies have actively excluded Aboriginal people from getting ahead in life and we still face unfair barriers and carry the burden of deliberately created disadvantage,” Mr Berg said. “We need to reset the system, so Aboriginal communities have the economic opportunities we’ve been denied. That way we can create prosperity that we can hand down the generations, just like everyone else has been able to do.”

The Assembly will soon enter into treaty negotiations with the Victorian government, and the “voice” of First Peoples in the state repeatedly arguing that nothing was “off the table”. Mr Berg said one of the focuses of the talks was going to centre on how to best transfer the decision-making powers from the Government to First Peoples. “Obviously Aboriginal people are the experts when it comes to Aboriginal matters,” he said. “So, when it comes to Aboriginal communities and cultures and things like looking after our sacred sites and burial grounds and so on, of course we think it should be us making the decisions.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article “Develop and deliver practical solutions at a local level”: First Peoples’ Assembly argue Treaty will empower Aboriginal communities in full click here.

Ngarra Murray & Reuben Berg at Smoking Ceremony

Ngarra Murray and Reuben Berg say Treaty will empower Aboriginal communities at a local level. Photo: Joel Carrett, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Yoorrook Commission resumes public hearings

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

 The death of a young Aboriginal woman who died by suicide inside a Melbourne hospital earlier this year has been raised at Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry as part of its new investigation into injustice in the state’s health systems. VACCHO CEO Aunty Jill Gallagher told the Yoorrook Justice Commission she was concerned that three Aboriginal people had died by suicide in Victorian hospitals in the past two years. “They were not going there to die,” she said. “They were going there for help and to live.”

The Yoorrook Justice Commission has resumed public hearings this week with a focus on injustice and racism in the state’s health, housing and education systems. Designed and led by First Nations people, the Yoorrook Justice Commission is Victoria’s truth-telling process. It has the powers of a royal commission and is hearing evidence about the past and ongoing impacts of colonisation in Victoria.

This week, it heard evidence that Aboriginal Victorians were three times more likely than non-Aboriginal Victorians to experience high or very high levels of psychological distress. Self-harm emergency department admissions for First Nations people were four times the rate of non-Aboriginal Victorians, Yoorrook heard. Australian National University epidemiologist Ray Lovett gave evidence that, according to his research, a significant proportion of the increased distress experienced by Aboriginal people could be attributed to their experiences of racism.

To view the ABC News article Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry begins examining gaps in housing, health and education in full click here.

VACCHO CEO Gill Gallagher addresses Yoorrook Commission

VACCHO CEO Gill Gallagher. Photo: James Ross, AAP. Image source: ABC News.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

How bikes are changing lives of at-risk WA kids

A bike is more than just a bike. It can be: transport, exercise and sport, health, freedom, and importantly can build a sense of connection and community. That’s the ideology behind the Cycling Development Foundation’s (CDF) Indigenous bike education program in remote WA, which uses the power of the bike to engage with, educate and empower, at-risk and Indigenous youth and communities.

The CDF’s Laverton Cycling Project started as a two-week trial in 2018 in the Goldfields town of Laverton, 1,100 km east of Perth. Hosted alongside the Laverton school and with support from the Laverton Leonora Cross Cultural Association, the goal was the mentoring of youths through rebuilding second-hand bikes and providing guidance and practical skills, by fostering a sense of community, self-sustainability, and pride. It also incorporated an exercise program using cycling to educate the local community about how exercise could be brief, effective, and improve health and wellbeing.

Six years on, the project is now the longest running dedicated Indigenous cycling program in Australia, and continues to grow each year, CDF managing director Brad Hall said. “It keeps scaling up each year, and with that comes an increase in service,” Hall explains. “We are now running programs in some of the Aboriginal communities in Cosmo Newbery and Mulga Queen in really remote communities where they haven’t seen non-government organisations working out there. It’s a nice frontier to be working on with these kids and providing opportunity for them to access cycling.”

To view the AusCycling article How bikes are changing the lives of at-risk and Indigenous kids in remote Western Australia in full click here.

instructor assisting young Aboriginal child to ride a bicycle

The program has this year expanded into Mulga Queen. Image source: AusCycling Nat.

Wee Waa student now registered psychologist

Michelle Combo’s natural leadership skills, outstanding academic abilities and strong work ethic meant she was always destined to achieve great success, according to former Wee Waa Public School teacher Kath Hamilton. While Michelle still considers Wee Waa home, she is currently living in Brisbane with her family, where her career progression continues to go from strength to strength.

“I am a registered psychologist, and I am currently working at the Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy and Planning Branch as the manager, First Nations. “I wanted to pursue psychology because people had been coming to me for pseudo-counselling during high school years, possibly due to my personality or just being able to listen to their problems. I also had grown up observing what I perceived to be mental health issues around our community and wanted to find a way to help, especially for Aboriginal people – being mindful of historical trauma and the ongoing impacts of colonisation.”

“Seeing and experiencing the difference I can and have made as an Aboriginal woman working in mental health and addictions – has been incredibly rewarding and confirmed my initial thoughts that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would access mental health help if they could do so with someone who they felt safe and comfortable to speak to.” A true testament to the saying ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’, Michelle has stepped up as an incredible role model and confidante to many, creating positive changes while providing professional guidance and comforting assistance.

To view The Courier article WWPS and high school graduate goes from strength to strength in full click here.

Michelle Combo with former teacher Kath Hamilton & mum Colleen Combo

Michelle Combo with her former teacher Kath Hamilton and mum Colleen Combo. Michelle Combo is a Wee Waa Public and High School graduate who has achieved great success, she is now a registered psychologist working for the Queensland health department. Image source: The Courier.

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

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

White Wreath Day – 29 May 2024

The White Wreath Association (WWA) established National White Wreath Day, held annually on 29 May, in remembrance of all those who have died by suicide. All around Australia thousands of white wreaths are laid in remembrance of individuals who have died tragically by suicide circumstances.

According to WWA, in Australia, we have to come to terms with the trauma of thousands of our fellow citizens (men, women and children) dying by suicide every year. Society’s response to these surviving families and friends is vastly different from the help offered in other kinds of medical and social tragedies. WWA says the families and friends of those who die by suicide are in as much need of help, support, understanding and respect as the family and friends of people who die from other causes. WWA aims to bring awareness to the Australian society that people who die by suicide are not statistic figures but dearly loved human beings loved by their family, carers and friends.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A recent study found that ‘silence’ around suicide, the ‘ripple’ effect of trauma and feeling ‘powerless’ to prevent suicide were important drivers of barriers to discussing suicide and seeking assistance for Aboriginal people when experiencing a suicide crisis. The findings highlight the interrelatedness between individual and community-level barriers of fear and shame and system-level considerations that result in Aboriginal people not receiving appropriate mental health care.

Authors of the study argue that to be effective, future suicide prevention initiatives must address both the ‘silence’ around suicide and the ‘ripple effect’ of trauma that already exists within Aboriginal communities and seek to improve access to culturally competent mental health care for Aboriginal communities.  Caution must be exercised in attempts to address these factors independently, as this may unintentionally result in an increased risk of suicide. Instead, a holistic and community-led approach is required.

You can also find more information about White Wreath Day on the White Wreath Association Ltd “Action Against Suicide” website here and read the related article The ripple effect, silence and powerlessness: hidden barriers to discussing suicide in Australian Aboriginal communities published in BMC Psychology on 7 February 2022 here.