Tag Archives: Aboriginal Health

NACCHO Aboriginal Health #NRW2019 and #ClosingTheGap @KenWyattMP ‘s First speech and major interview as Minister for #Indigenous Australians ” A reflection on how far we’ve come on the journey of Reconciliation #GroundedinTruth

” On Friday Ken Wyatt stood in front of an audience in Perth, his home town, and promised to lead his people towards a better future as the nation’s first Aboriginal Minister for Indigenous Australians.

He was not the man who was supposed to be standing on the podium as keynote speaker marking the end of National Reconciliation Week. The original choice had been Pat Dodson, invited to speak as the father of reconciliation rather than as Labor’s aspirant for the job that Wyatt has since ­landed.

Dodson pulled out from Friday event soon after Labor’s May 18 election defeat, prompting Reconciliation WA co-chairwoman Carol Innes to pick up the phone to her friend Wyatt, also her local MP in the Perth hills electorate of Hasluck and now her federal minister. ”

Read the full The Australian Inquirer May 31 or Part 2 Below

 ” One of my priorities in this role is working on a refreshed Closing the Gap framework.

As the Prime Minister said earlier this year, the original Closing the Gap process was good-hearted and well-intentioned, but it took a top-down approach, not one based on true partnership. It failed on its own tests.

In refreshing that approach, we now have an opportunity to do things differently. To do things in partnership.

We’ve set up a partnership with a coalition of peak organisations, and a Joint Council through COAG.

But of course the key is partnering with people on the ground, so that they can drive local, community-led solutions.

And though the approach has changed, the heart and soul of Closing the Gap has not. “

Minister Ken Wyatt WA Reconciliation Breakfast speech : Read in full Part 1 Below

” Just announced the establishment of NIAA the National Indigenous Australians Agency- to lead and coordinate the development and implementation of Australia’s Closing the Gap targets in partnership with Indigenous Australians ”

See full details Part 3 Below 

Part 1

In Noongar language, I say kaya wangju – hello and welcome.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we’re meeting today, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, and pay my respects to our Elders past, present and emerging.

And all distinguished guests joining us today.

What an amazing gathering – it warms my heart to see more than 1300 people together here this morning, to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and contributions.

To celebrate our deep past and enduring presence, across this great state and our vast country.

What a privilege that I have been made the first Aboriginal Minister for Indigenous Australians, during National Reconciliation Week.

This morning I want to reflect on how far we’ve come on the journey of Reconciliation – how I got here, with a bit of my story – and how far we’ve come as a nation.

Any of us who are old enough to remember the 50s and 60s will tell you it’s a long, long way.

I was born in 1952 and raised on Roelands Mission, the eldest of 10 kids. My dad was a railway ganger. My mum was a member of the Stolen Generations.

In those days, they had to get permission to marry. Permission to travel. They could be arrested if they were out after 6pm.

If the Department of Native Welfare came around and thought you weren’t providing good care, they could take your children away.

We then lived in a tiny place called Nannine, just south of Meekatharra. My schooling at first was by correspondence – working a radio with a foot pedal, like an old sewing machine, for two hours at a time.

Soon afterwards, my parents moved down to Corrigin. At that point, my life changed.

It’s no exaggeration to say I’m standing here today because of my parents’ dedication to our family and their commitment to going to school and getting an education – and that started with my Year One teacher, Mrs Abernethy.

She saw that I was behind the other kids, so she got me to come to school half an hour early every day. When I was home with whooping cough, she came over every afternoon.

She believed in me, supported me, never gave up on me. And fifty years later, she even campaigned for me in the seat of Hasluck!

While she was building my confidence – and my vocabulary – there was a petition circling to get the Aboriginal families kicked out of Corrigin.

It failed. The townspeople wanted us to stay.

Just a few years later, Australia voted overwhelmingly for inclusion in the 1967 Referendum.

I was in high school in Perth, and Fremantle had the second highest ‘Yes’ vote in the nation.

Things were changing. We were making progress. For the first time, we had a sense that as Australians we were indeed walking together.

Four years later, Neville Bonner became the first Aboriginal person in parliament as a Senator for Queensland.

The next year, 1972, saw the creation of the first Department of Aboriginal Affairs – the precursor to the new Agency I will now lead.

In the mid-70s we got the Racial Discrimination Act and the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.

These were landmark reforms that opened the way for every move toward rights and equality that have followed.

In fact, between the 1960s and the 1990s, the law of the land changed so much.

And in the decades since then, I know we’ve seen a big cultural shift.

The Reconciliation movement, and the work Senator Pat Dodson did all those years ago, has driven a great deal of that change.

It started small, but its ripple effect outwards has been tremendous.

It’s had an incredible impact not only at the local level, but in the way big corporates have embraced it, and undertaken commitments in Reconciliation Action Plans that would have been unthinkable 25 years ago.

I believe it’s been one of the major social reforms in Australia.

Its impact shows up in Reconciliation Australia’s recurring study.

Every two years since 2008, the Australian Reconciliation Barometer has measured attitudes and perceptions towards reconciliation on five overlapping dimensions: Race Relations, Equality and Equity, Institutional Integrity, Unity, and Historical Acceptance.

What the latest study shows is that the overwhelming majority of Australians believe that the linkages between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are important, and that knowing our history and truth-telling are vital to this relationship.

80 per cent of Australians support formal truth-telling processes, and 86 per cent believe it’s important to learn our shared history.

Still more encouragingly, 95 per cent of people agree it’s important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say in matters that affect them.

This echoes the ‘Yes’ of 1967. And it resonates with my appointment as Minister for Indigenous Australians.

The days of complete control by the police or the bureaucracy over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives are long gone.

Since those days we’ve travelled more or less steadily towards greater freedom, autonomy, and equality.

And, crucially, we’ve travelled together.

As I said after my swearing-in this week, policy won’t be made in my office. It will be made in conjunction with Indigenous Australians.

I firmly believe it’s only through genuine partnership, through walking together, that we will solve our problems.

We need to jettison forever – as it seems the broader population has already jettisoned – the historic mindset of our people as passive recipients of services and programs.

We need instead partnerships based on mutual respect, mutual resolve – and mutual responsibility. Indigenous Australians must be truly regarded as equal and active partners, involved and informed.

One of my priorities in this role is working on a refreshed Closing the Gap framework.

As the Prime Minister said earlier this year, the original Closing the Gap process was good-hearted and well-intentioned, but it took a top-down approach, not one based on true partnership. It failed on its own tests.

In refreshing that approach, we now have an opportunity to do things differently. To do things in partnership.

We’ve set up a partnership with a coalition of peak organisations, and a Joint Council through COAG.

But of course the key is partnering with people on the ground, so that they can drive local, community-led solutions.

And though the approach has changed, the heart and soul of Closing the Gap has not.

We want to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids getting the best start in life, the same opportunities, schooling, healthcare, and life outcomes as their peers.

As well as Closing the Gap, we remain committed to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution.

We will continue to work with Indigenous communities to design a model for constitutional change that suits their needs and aspirations, and we will hold a referendum once we’ve settled on the right model.

This is a long-term process. We want to get it right. If we don’t, we risk putting this issue on hold for another 30 or 40 years.

In keeping with the ARB finding that a majority of Australians support learning about the past and undertaking a formal truth-telling process, we have committed to work on that with Indigenous communities.

And as part of that process, we will support the establishment of a National Resting Place.

For more than 150 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestral remains were removed from Country and placed in museums, universities and private collections in Australia and overseas.

The National Resting Place will be a central place for commemoration, reflection and healing. A place for ancestral remains to rest in honour and peace, where all Australians can celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

In all this work, we will be partners, walking together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Looking back across this shared journey – my own and the much larger story of reconciliation – I can see the progress we’ve made.

Now, I could have told you some other stories today.

The primary teacher who told me I should leave school and get a job, because nobody would employ me as an adult.

The birthday party where half the kids invited didn’t show up because I was invited too.

The comments and emails I got when I was running in Hasluck – just 10 years ago, not back in the 1950s.

But those aren’t the stories that have shaped my life.

Those things scar you. Of course they do.

But they don’t define you.

I apply the same lens to our larger journey of reconciliation. Yes, we acknowledge the suffering and the wounds. Indeed we can’t go forward unless we tell the truth about the past.

But every step we take, every progression we make, is because of hope.

It’s because of optimism – because we choose trust over distrust, and courage over fear.

As I said at the beginning of this Reconciliation Week – we must ensure the greatness of our many nations is reflected in the greatness of our Australian nation, now and forever.

I believe with all my heart that the only way forward is together. I’ve seen the power and strength of sitting together, of listening and talking together, and of walking and working together.  Grounded in truth. Walking with courage.

As we say in the traditional Noongar of the country on which we’re meeting:

“Ngyung moort ngarla moort, ngyung boodja ngarla boodja.”

Meaning: “My people our people, my country our country.”

That’s the reason we’ve come so far.

Together.

That’s the force that will take us forward.

Thank you.

 

Part 2 : Continued from opening :

Carol Innes has known Wyatt since she learned that her mother and his mother shared years in a native welfare institution learning domestic skills. She watched him rise through health and education public service ranks in Western Australia, then become a commonwealth bureaucrat.

She rang and congratulated him when he made history in 2010 as the first indigenous person elected to the House of Representatives; then again when he became the first indigenous man in a ministerial portfolio in 2016; and now in the coveted cabinet role that no other indigenous person — except Dodson — has come even close to achieving.

“Ken’s a learned man, a quiet achiever, and now he’s been given the loudest voice,” says Innes.

“He’s had a passion for his people, and it was courageous of him to go into politics. The election before this one, he had a whole dossier of hate mail from voters saying if they’d known he was Aboriginal they wouldn’t have voted for him.”

Today’s Reconciliation breakfast in Perth will include business figures such as BHP’s iron ore head Edgar Basto and Rio Tinto senior executives, community leaders in football codes and senior Aboriginal leaders such as Nolan Hunter, chairman of the National Native Title Tribunal.

Many in the 1300-strong crowd have lent public support to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls for a referendum on constitutional reform and an indigenous voice to parliament. Wyatt himself supported the statement two years ago before his own party — including Scott Morrison — rejected it. It now has tentative support under the Prime Minister, dependent on the outcome of a ­future inquiry.

Not a single person in the room will have missed the symbolism that, despite such setbacks, Australia has just witnessed two Aboriginal men from WA poised to occupy the indigenous affairs portfolio, one a southwest ­Nyoongar and the other a Yawuru man from the Kimberley.

It was Wyatt, wearing his traditional Nyoongar kangaroo cloak, who made history as he was sworn in by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove on Wednesday. So, the audience might ask, why not dream that an embrace of the Uluru Statement, the hope for a constitutional voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, might be closer?

Wyatt tells The Australian the wellspring of emotion he felt at the swearing-in ceremony was “10 out of 10”.

It has been an intensely ­emotional week, in fact, starting when Morrison rang him at home last Sunday on National Sorry Day.

“It was after 10am and I was hanging out the washing,” says Wyatt. “Anna (Wyatt’s historian wife) and I had been talking about the 1967 referendum and reconciliation week.

“The Prime Minister said: ‘I’d like to offer you the opportunity to become the minister for indigenous Australians.’ I just couldn’t respond to him. He said: ‘Given your silence, I’ll accept that as a yes.’ ”

Wyatt says his speech today will begin by explaining “how along the way in my life, reconciliation has happened even though there was then no process”.

He will describe how decent “whitefella” institutions in the town where he grew up — the Country Women’s Association ladies and the Rotary Club that offered a scholarship — and his schoolteacher Lyn ­Abernethy “began the journey of believing in me as an Aboriginal kid”.

Born in 1952, he was the eldest of 10 children to a railway ganger father of Yamatji-Irish background and a Nyoongar mother. In the wheatbelt town of Corrigin, where his parents had settled for the children’s education, young Ken’s academic promise was rewarded with an annual fountain pen from native welfare and the faith of Abernethy, who would bring spelling books to his house.

“She epitomises what reconciliation is; she taught me, she walked with me,” he says. “Years later, she came back to hand out how-to-vote cards at my first election.”

To the thousands of indigenous elders and leaders with whom Wyatt has already worked as indigenous health minister, to those who urge him to lead the way toward fulfilment of the Uluru Statement, Wyatt says to wait a little longer. “The government is committed to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution. There needs to be more work done on what model we take to a referendum, which is why we are funding a $7.3 million consultation process.”

Is a referendum for an indigenous constitutional voice likely within his first ministerial term?

Wyatt says: “I do not want to rush something that fails. Because if it fails, like the referendum on becoming a republic, it could take another 30 years to be resurrected again. We have to get this right.”

Meanwhile, Wyatt says he wants to sit down and read the parliamentary reports tabled by Dodson and Liberal MP Julian Leeser, co-chairmen of parliament’s constitutional recognition committee. “Then I’ll turn my mind to the pathways we will take as a nation. But I’ll do that in concert with the Prime Minister.”

He says Dodson’s idea for regional assemblies has merit: “You don’t want a national body that’s disconnected from communities.”

He has promised to establish Circle of Elders meetings “to air local issues, to hear about what is working and to receive regular input ­directly from elders, families and communities”.

Wyatt has already handed Morrison his blueprint for a commission of elected elders that would have a say over government policies, taskforces, probes and complaints, The Courier-Mail reported yesterday.

Wyatt sent his plan to the Prime Minister in February as a “potential way forward to address the issue of constitutional recognition”, the newspaper said.

Asked about the proposal last night, Wyatt told The Australian: “This is not government policy.”

Wyatt’s elevation to serious power is a far cry, in tone and symbolism, from what happened after the Malcolm Turnbull leadership spill last year, when Morrison anointed Tony Abbott as special envoy for indigenous affairs.

Wyatt’s close relative Ben Wyatt, who is Western Australia’s Treasurer, was scathing, saying the term special envoy suggested “Aboriginal people are some ­foreign, unknowable nation in need of a special diplomatic mission. Led by the country’s worst diplomat.”

But Ben Wyatt this week praised the elevation of the man he calls “Uncle Ken” to Minister for Indigenous Australians, a role that Wyatt junior also holds in the state’s Labor government.

Like several men in the Wyatt wider family circle — Ben’s father, Cedric, and another uncle, Brian — Ken Wyatt has had a solid career as a public servant, including as director of Aboriginal education in WA and director of Aboriginal health in NSW. In 1996 he was awarded an Order of Australia.

Closing the Gap

If constitutional recognition is ­uppermost in many Aboriginal leaders’ minds, Closing the Gap is another urgent priority.

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation head Pat Turner has welcomed Wyatt’s appointment as an opportunity to continue “some good work” he did in indigenous health.

“To close the gap, it will require a cross-portfolio effort, not just from Ken, from all ministers, and for all of them to put their hands in their pockets from their port­folios,” she says.

Fred Chaney, Aboriginal affairs minister in the Fraser government, agrees Wyatt will need to bring along with him those ministers in other portfolios — social security, health and justice — that touch directly on the lives of Aboriginal people. He cites the example of “the obsession governments have with the healthy welfare card that has led to top-down control and a massively disproportionate number of social security breaches by Aboriginal people”.

Chaney counts Wyatt as a friend and handed out voting cards for him in his Hasluck electorate (“The only person I’ve ever done that for”). He says Labor’s ­utterances of support for Wyatt’s appointment “will presage a period of bipartisanship in which they can find some real answers”.

“The portents for co-operation are good,” he says.

Wyatt says reducing the number of young people committing suicide is a priority that needs new approaches.

“We can’t prevent them all but I want to make sure there’s support. There may be structures outside the ‘8 to 5’ service model,” he says.

“Someone said to me, ‘We need nocturnal workers in com­munities who kids know they can go to.”

He says he will be aided by a new administrative structure for Aboriginal affairs in which “all of the people who were once in Prime Minister and Cabinet are now in a new unit focused on priorities ­government has been working on. And they will work directly to me.”

Nyoongar man’s burden

Then will begin the true test of Wyatt’s ability, which some observers of his performance in the scandal-plagued aged-care sector have questioned.

“It always sounded like he was defending the system and not the aged,” one commentator tells The Australian. “He has a long history as a bureaucrat.”

Other critics point to the internal upheavals last year within Wyatt’s own office. A bitter disagreement between staff members led to an order by then prime minister Turnbull’s office for an investigation, whose outcome remains ­secret.

“The office wasn’t in shambles. It was an individual who wasn’t happy and raised a series of incorrect allegations,” says Wyatt.

“An independent report refuted those claims.”

As for his performance in the aged-care portfolio: “People told me they are disappointed I’m not continuing with them. I worked very closely with consumers, families and those who were dissatisfied. That’s why we set up the royal commission.”

Wyatt’s burden of expectation may hang rather more heavily than the “booka” kangaroo cape he was given by Nyoongar elders. Is he worried some people will expect him to be the ministerial “saviour” of his people?

“That may be a perception but I’ll be working closely with our people on the changes that are needed and I’ll set realistic priorities,” he says.

Innes says the roomful of people at today’s Reconciliation event will be on his side.

“He’s a Nyoongar man from Western Australia who’s got a big job ahead of him. But the beauty is we’ll be walking alongside him.”=

Wyatt’s rise from days of Rabbit-Proof Fence

The Wyatt ascendancy demonstrates that progress in black-white relations can be made in one man’s lifetime.

Now aged 66, Ken Wyatt came under the eye of native welfare when he was a boy. The department kept a file marked “Kenneth George Wyatt”. In one entry, it states: “This lad has potential but whether he has the capability is the issue.”

Exactly one year ago, Ken and his relative Ben Wyatt — also an indigenous affairs minister, in the West Australian government — marked a far sadder moment in their shared family history.

The two men stood next to the graves of Aboriginal inmates of Moore River settlement, the most notorious of WA’s native camps housing mixed-race Stolen Generations children.

Moore River was immortalised in Phillip Noyce’s film Rabbit-Proof Fence, depicting the true story of three girls who escaped and walked hundreds of kilometres back to their desert home. One of those girls was Ken Wyatt’s great-aunt Molly, whose daughter Doris Pilkington wrote Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, a book based on her mother’s account. Ben Wyatt’s connection is even more poignant — his father, Cedric, was born there in 1940, a child soon removed from his family who refused to talk of it again.

“It’s a very personal story for me,” Ken Wyatt told The Australian that day. “But Ben was walking back into the place his father grew up in for a short time.

“Moore River reflects the history of removing people from around the state,” he said. “We’ve got to keep it as a reminder of policies that didn’t, in the end, dampen the spirits of people who lived there.”

Victoria Laurie is a senior reporter and feature writer in the Perth bureau of The Australian newspaper.

Part 3

Just announced the establishment of NIAA the National Indigenous Australians Agency- to lead and coordinate the development and implementation of Australia’s Closing the Gap targets in partnership with Indigenous Australians;

Aboriginal Health and Smoking #WNTD2019 31 May News Alerts #CommunityControl #YourHealthYourFuture: Over 7 years 130 Plus articles Including 20 myths about smoking that will not die

“Smoking kills. Smoking robs people, including young people, of their health.

Governments must do more to help people to stop smoking, or to not take up the deadly habit in the first place.

Strong government actions, including making packaging unappealing, keeping tobacco products out of view, and keeping tobacco prices high, have helped to encourage people to quit, or young people not to start.

The Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt, is to be commended for continuing funding of $183.7 million over four years for the Tackling Indigenous Smoking program.

Releasing the AMA/ACOSH National Tobacco Control Scoreboard on World No Tobacco Day, AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone

NACCHO and Croakey followers are invited to join Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in New South Wales in a Twitter Festival focused on tobacco control initiatives and successes across Australia.

NACCHO will be posting 8.45 to 9.00 AM Follow NACCHO

Follow the discussions on Twitter and contribute your views by using the hashtags #CommunityControl and #YourHealthYourFuture.

Please encourage your networks and organisations to support the event by following the discussion and retweeting as much as possible.

See full program 8.00 to 1.00 Pm HERE

Our special thanks to Tom Calma who has been our NO 1 promoter of our alerts 

Read or subscribe to NACCHO Daily Aboriginal Health News Alerts

“Across forty years I’ve come to recognise many factoid-driven myths about smoking that just won’t die. If I asked for a dollar each time I had to refute these statements, I’d have accumulated a small fortune.

Their persistence owes much to their being a vehicle for those who utter them to express unvoiced but clear sub-texts that reflect deeply held beliefs about women, the disadvantaged, mental illness, government health campaigns and the “natural”.

Let’s drive a stake through the heart of ten of the most common myths.”

Simon Chapman  Emeritus Professor in Public Health, University of Sydney

Originally published in The Conversation 

1. Women and girls smoke more than men and boys

Women have never smoked more than men. Occasionally, a survey will show one age band where it’s the other way around, but from the earliest mass uptake of smoking in the first decades of last century, men streaked out way ahead of women.

In 1945 in Australia, 72% of men and 26% of women smoked. By 1976, men had fallen to 43% and women had risen to 33%.

As a result, men’s tobacco-caused death rates have always been much higher than those of women. Women’s lung cancer rates, for example, seem unlikely to reach even half the peak rates that we saw among men in the 1970s.

Currently in Australia, 15% of men and 12% of women smoke daily.

But what about all the “young girls” you can see smoking, I’m always being told. In 2014, 13% of 17-year-old male high school students and 11% of females smoked. In two younger age bands, girls smoked more (by a single percentage point).

Those who keep on insisting girls smoke more are probably just letting their sexist outrage show about noticing girls’ smoking than their ignorance about the data.

2. Quit campaigns don’t work on low socioeconomic smokers

In Australia, 11% of those in the highest quintile of economic advantage smoke, compared with 27.6% in the lowest quintile. More than double.

So does this mean that our quit campaigns “don’t work” on the least well-off?

Smoking prevalence data reflect two things: the proportion of people who ever smoked, and the proportion who quit.

If we look at the most disadvantaged group, we find that a far higher proportion take up smoking than in their more well-to-do counterparts. Only 39.5% have never smoked compared with 50.4% of the most advantaged – see table 9.2.6).

When it comes to quitting, 46% of the most disadvantaged have quit compared to 66% of the least disadvantaged (see table 9.2.9).

There is a higher percentage of the disadvantaged who smoke mainly because more take it up, not because disadvantaged smokers can’t or won’t quit. With 27.6% of the most disadvantaged smoking today, the good news is that nearly three-quarters don’t. Smoking and disadvantage are hardly inseparable.

3. Scare campaigns ‘don’t work’

Countless studies have asked ex-smokers why they stopped and current smokers about why they are trying to stop. I have never seen such a study when there was not daylight between the first reason cited (worry about health consequences) and the second most nominated reason (usually cost).

For example, this national US study covering 13 years showed “concern for your own current or future health” was nominated by 91.6% of ex-smokers as the main reason they quit, compared with 58.7% naming expense and 55.7% being concerned about the impact of their smoking on others.

If information and warnings about the dire consequences of smoking “don’t work”, then from where do all these ex-smokers ever get these top-of-mind concerns? They don’t pop into their heads by magic. They encounter them via anti-smoking campaigns, pack warnings, news stories about research and personal experiences with dying family and friends. The scare campaigns work.

4. Roll-your-own tobacco is more ‘natural’ than factory made

People who smoke rollies often look you in the eye and tell you that factory made cigarettes are full of chemical additives, while roll-your-own tobacco is “natural” – it’s just tobacco. The reasoning here that we are supposed to understand is that it’s these chemicals that are the problem, while the tobacco, being “natural”, is somehow OK.

This myth was first turned very unceremoniously on its head when New Zealand authorities ordered the tobacco companies to provide them with data on the total weight of additives in factory made cigarettes, roll-your-own and pipe tobacco.

For example, data from 1991 supplied by WD & HO Wills showed that in 879,219kg of cigarettes, there was 1,803kg of additives (0.2%). While in 366,036kg of roll-your-own tobacco, there was 82,456kg of additives (22.5%)!

Roll-your-own tobacco is pickled in flavouring and humectant chemicals, the latter being used to keep the tobacco from drying out when smokers expose the tobacco to the air 20 or more times a day when they remove tobacco to roll up a cigarette.

5. Nearly all people with schizophrenia smoke

It’s true that people with mental health problems are much more likely to smoke than those without diagnosed mental health conditions. A meta-analysis of 42 studies on tobacco smoking by those with schizophrenia found an average 62% smoking prevalence (range 14%-88%). But guess which study in these 42 gets cited and quoted far more than any of the others?

If you said the one reporting 88% smoking prevalence you’d be correct. This small 1986 US study of just 277 outpatients with schizophrenia has today been cited a remarkable 1,135 times. With colleagues, I investigated this flagrant example of citation bias (where startling but atypical results stand out in literature searches and get high citations – “wow! This one’s got a high number, let’s quote that one!”).

By googling “How many schizophrenics smoke”, we showed how this percolates into the community via media reports where figures are rounded up in statements such as, “As many as 90% of schizophrenic patients smoke.”

Endlessly repeating that “90%” of those with schizophrenia smoke does these people a real disservice. We would not tolerate such inaccuracy about any other group.

6. Everyone knows the risks of smoking

Knowledge about the risks of smoking can exist at four levels:

  • Level 1: having heard that smoking increases health risks.
  • Level 2: being aware that specific diseases are caused by smoking.
  • Level 3: accurately appreciating the meaning, severity, and probabilities of developing tobacco related diseases.

Level 4: personally accepting that the risks inherent in levels 1–3 apply to one’s own risk of contracting such diseases.

Level 1 knowledge is very high, but as you move up the levels, knowledge and understanding greatly diminish. Very few people, for example, are likely to know that two in three long term smokers will die of a smoking caused disease, nor the average number of years that smokers lose off normal life expectancy.

7. You can reduce the health risks of smoking by just cutting down

It’s true that if you smoke five cigarettes a day rather than 20, your lifetime risk of early death is less (although check the risks for one to four cigarettes a day here).

But trying to “reverse engineer” the risk by just cutting down rather than quitting has been shown in at least four large cohort studies such as this one to confer no harm reduction.

If you want to reduce risk, quitting altogether should be your goal.

8. Air pollution is the real cause of lung cancer

Air pollution is unequivocally a major health risk. By “pollution”, those who make this argument don’t mean natural particulate matter such as pollen and soil dusts, they mean nasty industrial and vehicle pollution.

The most polluted areas of Australia are cities where pollution from industry and motor vehicle emissions are most concentrated. Remote regions of the country are the least polluted, so if we wanted to consider the relative contributions of air pollution and smoking to smoking-caused diseases, an obvious question to ask would be “does the incidence of lung cancer differ between heavily polluted cities and very unpolluted remote areas?”

Yes it does. Lung cancer incidence is highest in Australia in (wait for this …) in the least polluted very remote regions of the country, where smoking prevalence happens also to be highest.

9. Smokers should not try to quit without professional help or drugs

If you ask 100 ex-smokers how they quit, between two-thirds and three-quarters will tell you they quit unaided: on their final successful quit attempt, they did not use nicotine replacement therapy, prescribed drugs, or go to some dedicated smoking cessation clinic or experience the laying on of hands from some alternative medicine therapist. They quit unaided.

So if you ask the question: “What method is used by most successful quitters when they quit?” The answer is cold turkey.

Fine print on this English National Health Service poster states a bald-faced lie by saying that “There are some people who can go cold turkey and stop. But there aren’t many of them.” In the years before nicotine-replacement threapy and other drugs were available, many millions – including heavy smokers – quit smoking without any assistance. That’s a message that the pharmaceutical industry was rather not megaphoned

10. Many smokers live into very old age: so it can’t be that harmful

In just the way that five out of six participants in a round of deadly Russian roulette might proclaim that putting a loaded gun to their head and pulling the trigger caused no harm, those who use this argument are just ignorant of risks and probability.

Many probably buy lottery tickets with the same deep knowing that they have a good chance of winning.

11. Today’s smokers are all hard core, addicted smokers who can’t or won’t give up

This claim is the essence of what is known as the “hardening hypothesis”: the idea that decades of effort to motivate smokers to quit has seen all the low-hanging fruit fall from the tree, leaving only deeply addicted, heavy smokers today.

The key index of addicted smoking is the number of cigarettes smoked per day. This creates a small problem for the hardening hypothesis: in nations and states where smoking has reduced most, the average number of cigarettes smoked daily by continuing smokers has gone down, not up. This is exactly the opposite of what the hardening hypothesis would predict if remaining smokers were mostly hard core.

12. Smoking is pleasurable

Repeated studies have found that around 90% of smokers regret having started, and some 40% make an attempt to quit each year. There’s no other product with even a fraction of such customer disloyalty.

But I’m always amused at some die-hard smokers’ efforts explain that they smoke for pleasure and so efforts to persuade them to stop are essentially just anti-hedonistic tirades. Many studies have documented that the “pleasure” of smoking centres around the relief smokers get when they have not smoked for a while. The next nicotine hit takes away the discomfort and craving they have been experiencing.

This argument is a bit like saying that being beaten up every day is something you want to continue with, because hey, it feels so good when the beating stops for a while.

13. Light and mild cigarettes deliver far less tar and nicotine to the smoker than standard varieties

Several nations have outlawed cigarette descriptors such as “light” and “mild” because of evidence that such products do not deliver lower amounts of tar and nicotine to smokers, and so are deceptive.

The allegedly lower yields from cigarettes labelled this way resulted from a massive consumer fraud.

Cigarette manufacturers obtained these low readings by laboratory smoking machine protocols which took a standardized number of puffs, at a standardized puff velocity. The smoke inhaled by the machine was then collected in glass “lungs” behind the machine and the tar and nicotine weighed to give the readings per cigarette.

But the companies didn’t tell smokers two things. So-called light or mild cigarettes had tiny, near-invisible pin-prick perforations just on the filter (see picture). These holes are not covered by the “lips” or “fingers” of the laboratory smoking machine, allowing extra air to be inhaled and thus diluting the dose of tar and nicotine being collected.

But when smokers use these products, two things happen. Their lips and fingers partially occlude the tiny ventilation holes, thus allowing more smoke to be inhaled. Smokers unconsciously “titrate” their smoking to obtain the dose of nicotine that their brain’s addiction centres demand: they can take more puffs, inhale more deeply, leave shorter butt lengths or smoke more cigarettes.

Today, where use of these descriptors has been stopped, the consumer deception continues with the companies using pack colours to loudly hint to smokers about which varieties are “safer”.

Magnification and location of filter ventilation holes. Author collection

14. Filters on cigarettes remove most of the nasty stuff from cigarettes

We’ve all seen the brown stain in a discarded cigarette butt. But what few have seen is how much of that same muck enters the lungs and how much stays there.

This utterly compelling video demonstration shows how ineffective filters are in removing this deadly sludge. A smoker demonstrates holding the smoke in his mouth and then exhales it through a tissue paper, leaving a tell-tale brown stain. He then inhales a drag deep into his lungs, and exhales it into a tissue. The residue is still there, but in a much reduced amount. So where has the remainder gone? It’s still in the lungs!

15. Governments don’t want smoking to fall because they are addicted to tobacco tax and don’t want to kill a goose that lays golden eggs

This is perhaps the silliest and most fiscally illiterate argument we hear about smoking. If governments really want to maximise smoking and tax receipts, they are doing a shockingly bad job of it. Smoking in Australia has fallen almost continuously since the early 1960s. In five of the 11 years to 2011, the Australian government received less tobacco tax receipts than it did the year before (see Table 13.6.6).

Plainly, as smoking continues to decline, diminishing tax returns will occur, although this will be cushioned by the rising population which will include some smokers.

In the meantime, tobacco tax is a win-win for governments and the community. It reduces smoking like nothing else, and it provides substantial transfer of funds from smokers to government for public expenditure.

Those of us who don’t smoke do not squirrel away what we would have otherwise spent on smoking in a jam jar under the bed. We spend it on other goods and services, benefiting the economy too.

16. Most smokers die from smoking caused diseases late in life, and we’ve all got to die from something

Smoking increases the risk of many different diseases, and collectively these take about ten years off normal life expectancy from those who get them.

Smoking is by far the greatest risk factor for lung cancer. In Australia, the average age of death for people with lung cancer is 71.4 (see Table 4.2), while life expectancy is currently 80.1 for men and 84.3 for women.

This means that, on average, men diagnosed with lung cancer lose 8.7 years and women 12.9 years (mean 10.8 years). Of course, some lose many more (Beatle George Harrison died at just 58, Nat King Cole at 45).

If a 20-a-day smoker starts at 17 and dies at 71, 54 years of smoking would see 394,470 cigarettes smoked. At ten puffs per cigarette, that’s some 3.94 million point-blank lung bastings.

It takes about six minutes to smoke a cigarette. So at 20 a day, smokers smoke for two hours each day. Across 54 years, that’s a cumulative 1,644 days of smoking (4.5 years of continual smoking if you put it all together).

So by losing ten years off life expectancy, each cigarette smoked takes about 2.2 times the time it takes to smoke it off the life expectancy that might otherwise have been enjoyed.

17. Smokers cost the health system far less than the government receives from tobacco tax

In June 2015, a senior staff member of Australian libertarian Senator David Leyonhjelm, Helen Dale tweeted:

In Australia, a now old report looking at 2004/05 data estimated the gross health care costs attributable to smoking “before adjustment for savings due to premature death” were $A1.836 billion. In that financial year, the government received $A7,816.35 billion in customs and excise duty and GST on tobacco.

Someone who thought that the fiscal ledger was all that mattered in good government might conclude from this that smokers easily pay their way and perhaps we should even encourage smoking as a citizen’s patriotic duty.

With smokers being considerate enough to die early, these noble citizens lay down their lives early and thus contribute “savings due to premature death” like failing to draw a state pension or needing aged care services late in life. Philip Morris notoriously gave this advice to the new Czech government in 1999.

Other assessments, though, might well point to the values inherent in such assessments. History’s worst regimes have often seen economically non-productive people as human detritus deserving death. Primo Levi’s unforgettable witnessing of this mentality in Auschwitz comes to mind.

18. Big Tobacco is starting to invade low-income nations, now that smoking is on the wane in the wealthiest nations

Sorry, but US and British manufacturers have been aggressively marketing cigarettes in places such as China since the early years of last century. These collectable posters show many featuring Chinese women.

The large populations, the often lax tobacco-control policies and the higher corruption indexes of many low- and middle-income nations makes many of these nirvanas for Big Tobacco.

There are fewer more nauseating experiences than reading the corporate social responsibility reports of tobacco transnationals and then seeing how they operate in smokers’ paradises such as Indonesia. This documentary says it all.

19. Millions of cigarette butts on the world’s beaches leach lots of toxic chemicals into oceans

Cigarette butts are the most discarded items in all litter. Every year uncounted millions if not billions are washed down gutters in storm water and find their way into rivers, harbours and oceans. Cigarette filters and butts contain toxic residue and experiments have shown that placing laboratory fish in containers for 48 hours with leachate extracted from used cigarette butts, 50% of the fish die. From this, we sometimes hear people exclaim that cigarette butts are not just unsightly, but they “poison the oceans”.

But a confined laboratory container does not remotely mirror real life exposures in oceans or rivers. There are some 1,338,000,000 cubic kilometers of water in the world oceans, so the contribution of cigarette butts to the toxification of all this could only excite a homeopath.

If we want to reduce tobacco litter, we need not wander into such dubious justifications. The best way by far is to keep reducing smoking. Industry attempts at portraying themselves as corporately responsible by running dinky little clean-up campaigns or distributing personal butt disposal canisters avoids their efforts to keep as many smoking as possible.

20. Tobacco companies care deeply about their best customers dying early

Naturally, all businesses would rather their customers lived as long as possible so that the cash registers can keep ringing out long and loud. Tobacco companies wish their products didn’t kill so many, but worship the god nicotine for its iron grip on so many.

Visit any tobacco transnational’s website and you will find lots of earnest and caring talk about the companies’ dedication to doing all they can to reduce the terrible harm caused by their products. All the major companies have now invested heavily in electronic cigarettes, so isn’t this a sign that they taking harm reduction seriously?

It might be if the same companies were showing any sign of taking their feet off the turbo-drive accelerator of opposing effective tobacco control policies. But they are doing nothing of the sort. All continue to aggressively attack and delay any policy like tax hikes, graphic health warnings, plain packaging and advertising bans wherever in the world these are planned for introduction.

For all their unctuous hand-wringing about their mission to reduce harm, they are all utterly determined to keep as many smoking as possible. Big Tobacco’s business plan is not smoking or ecigarettes. It’s smoking and ecigarettes. Smoke when you are able to, vape when you can’t. It’s called dual use and some 70% of vapers are doing just that. The tragedy now playing out in some nations is that too many gormless tobacco control experts are blind to this big picture.

NACCHO and RACGP Podcast

Do you smoke?’ A simple preventive activity for clinicians to engage with every patient.

With over 30 years’ experience in Indigenous health, Professor David Thomas from the Menzies School of Health Research discusses updates to the smoking topic from Chapter 1: Lifestyle, in the third edition

Listen to Episode one:

Smoking & Smoking Cessation with Prof David Thomas on The National Guide Podcast 

NACCHO Aboriginal Health @NACCHOChair Press Release and Media wrap #SorryDay #BridgeWalk @TheLongWalkOz @DeadlyChoices #Racism and @RecAustralia #ReconciliationWeek #NRW2019 a time to encourage national conversation on truth-telling and cultural understanding

 In this special NACCHO Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Edition

1.NACCHO Chair Press Release

2.National Sorry Day : School resources

3.Sorry Day Bridge Walk Canberra

4.National Reconciliation Week : Download the Guide

5. NRL and AFL  Indigenous Round will see moving ceremonies and grand sentiments — and then what?

6. The Long Walk : Racism #DreamtimeatheG

“National Sorry Day and Reconciliation week remind us that Australia’s colonial past has resulted in different outcomes for different people. Our shared story of Australia needs to be grounded in truth so that we can cultivate positive race relations and work to make our country stronger, together

As a nation we must continue to speak about our history as a way to understand and heal deep wounds suffered as a result of our colonial past which laid the groundwork for decades of harmful policies directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We must continue to work together as a community, and indeed, as a country, to support the health and well-being of those from the Stolen Generations who are still recovering from loss of family, loss of culture and loss of life.

Truth-telling is a difficult yet courageous act. The journey of reconciliation takes time but every step forward creates a more solid foundation for our country to walk together, hand in hand, towards a hopeful future.”

Acting Chair of NACCHO, Ms Donnella Mills.

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) encourages all Australians to take time to engage in conversations about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and reflect on the ways we can support reconciliation in Australia

Download Read in full NACCHO Chair Press Release

2.National Sorry Day : School resources

Sorry Day (26 May) is a time to remember the past policies of forced child removal, and reflect on the sad and painful stories of the Stolen Generations.

It is a time to recognise the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the power of saying Sorry.

Did you know?

  •  The first Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998—exactly one year after the Bringing Them Home Report was presented to the Parliament.
  •  The Bringing Them Home Report was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, and recommends both an apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reparations.
  •  The term “Stolen Generations” refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed as children from their families by government, welfare, or church authorities, and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families.
  •  The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the mid-1800s and continued until the 1970s.

The Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Resource Kit for Teachers and Students has been created to educate young people about the Stolen Generations.

It makes it easy for school communities to start the conversation and inform classroom discussions using facts, real examples and stories.

Cultural consultation and guidance from Stolen Generations members has been an essential part of this project. The Healing Foundation has also worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous teachers, parents, early childhood specialists and curriculum writers.

This teaching resource has been developed to introduce students from Foundation to Year 9 to the firsthand experiences of Stolen Generations members. While the policies and suffering of the Stolen Generations is only one part of the ongoing story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it is an essential one to learn and to teach so students have a full understanding of the history of Australia.

Cultural consultation and guidance from Stolen Generations members has been an essential part of creating this project.

We would like to acknowledge the Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Reference Group members who guided the development of this project.

DOWNLOAD THE OVERVIEW

3.Sorry Day Bridge Walk Canberra

Our NACCHO , Winnunga ACCHO and Reconciliation Australia staff joined thousand of marchers on 24 May : The walk each year is organised by Julie Tongs CEO Winnunga

4.National Reconciliation Week : Download the Guide

Our purpose is to inspire and enable all Australians to contribute to the reconciliation of the nation.

Our vision is for a just, equitable and reconciled Australia.

Reconciliation Australia was established in 2001 and is the lead body for reconciliation in the nation. We are an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes and facilitates reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our vision of national reconciliation is based on five critical dimensions: race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity and historical acceptance. These five dimensions do not exist in isolation; they are inter-related and Australia can only achieve full reconciliation if we progress in all five Case Studies

 Download the 22 Page Reconciliation 2019 Guide

ra-nrw-2019-guide_v8

5. AFL, NRL Indigenous Round will see moving ceremonies and grand sentiments — and then what?

Over the weekend, both the AFL and NRL celebrated the vast contribution of Indigenous players who provide welcome visibility and wonderful role models for a people too easily overlooked and forgotten.

First published Here on ABC News

There was colourful jerseys,

moving ceremonies, the soothing drone of the didgeridoo and grand sentiments about how much the first Australians have given to the game.

The sights and sounds of 40,000 years of Indigenous culture was symbolised at football grounds across the country before vast audiences and then… what?

The answer lies in whether the AFL and NRL see Indigenous Round as an opportunity to go beyond the comfortable symbolism of inclusion and use the occasion to express support for more direct action and even controversial causes on behalf of their players.

Or whether they are merely appropriating Indigenous culture for yet another orgy of feel-good celebration that does more to advance the corporate interests of Australia’s most predominant football codes than those it purports to honour.

There are many who will argue that it is possible for Indigenous Rounds to be both a powerful celebration of Indigenous culture and politics-free; that unity rather than confrontation will help “bring more Australians along for the ride” on contentious issues such as granting treaty and a voice to Parliament.

The investment of the Indigenous players who design guernseys and choreograph celebrations demonstrate they have now appropriated their own round and are using it to drive their personal messages.

But having created such a powerful platform around Indigenous culture, surely we are also entitled to ask the AFL and NRL where they stand on the really big issues confronting Indigenous Australians.

Same-sex marriage is just one recent example of an issue on which both the AFL and NRL took sides on behalf of their playing groups.

Although, as the non-binding postal ballot proved, they were surfing a wave of public support, not entering the more turbulent political waters of Indigenous affairs.

For the AFL, this Indigenous Round has proven particularly problematic because of the imminent release of The Final Quarter — a reportedly confronting documentary about the treatment of Adam Goodes in the bitter finals seasons, marred by racist jeering.

Typically, AFL officials have been heavily briefed and are “on message” about the documentary. Mea culpas have been issued and we’ve-learned-from-this statements released even before next week’s media preview.

Indeed such are the depths of the AFL’s official contrition you could be forgiven for thinking the league executives, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and other heavyweights, are delighted to have been cast in the most unflattering terms because it will help “show how much we’ve grown as a competition”.

Of course, the AFL’s craven failure to acknowledge and respond to the racist element of Goodes’s awful treatment, for fear of offending the sensibilities of the vilest element of its support base, is not absolved by the current frenzy of self-flagellation.

It merely presents a challenge: Do much better next time when confronted with similar circumstances or be condemned as opportunistic cause merchants who use the Indigenous brand to satisfy the clauses in government contracts and project good corporate citizenship.

The NRL’s more tactile message

As it is, even as the lights go out and 80,000 fans celebrate the “Dreamtime at the G”, there will be an uncomfortable sense that Indigenous Round merely highlights how out of touch the AFL remains with the real, dirt-under-the-fingernails problems confronting Indigenous Australians.

You might even argue that the symbolism of Indigenous Round is being used to absolve the league from confronting the hardcore issues in the communities from which many of its Indigenous players emerge.

The AFL’s relatively strong response to the racial vilification of Nicky Winmar and Michael Long is rightly celebrated on Indigenous Round, along with their bravery.

Yet it is only six years since then Adelaide Crows recruiting chief Matthew Rendell lost his job for clumsily stating clubs would not recruit an Indigenous player unless he had one white parent — a statement rightly condemned, but which also revealed the massive disconnection between clubs intoxicated by what they once called “Aboriginal magic” and the everyday realities of the players they seek to recruit.

If the AFL sells an ethereal message around Indigenous Round, there is something more tactile about the NRL version.

That stems from the more organic connection between the regions and the clubs from which Indigenous players have come, compared with the AFL where there remains a sense Indigenous stars are “imported” from another planet.

As a consequence, the NRL has seemed better placed to use the Indigenous message to create practical solutions, such as the initiative whereby Indigenous youths were given jerseys if they met certain health conditions. Note Deadly Choices 715 Health Checks

Great to have Indigenous players and legend stop in at our activation as we launch our partnership with Winnunga Nimmityjah AH&CS – at GIO Stadium

This direct connection with community is exemplified by Sydney Roosters star Latrell Mitchell’s words in The Daily Telegraph about what he hopes to achieve in his Indigenous jersey this weekend.

“Because with Indigenous Australians there’s this stereotype that says we’re lazy, on the dole, get given houses,” Mitchell said.

“Well, I want kids to know I’ve never been on the dole in my life. Want them to know I finished school and just went out and got myself a house. It wasn’t given to me for free. I bought it.”

6. The Long Walk

Website

Stand against racism 

VAHS ACCHO Thanks  to Essendon Football Club and The Long Walk for allowing our Deadly Choices Students to do a guard of honour at Dreamtime At The G.

All students enjoyed themselves. Also thanks to our schools for selecting the students on our behalf. #vahsdc

Treaty

NACCHO Our Members #Aboriginal Health Deadly Good News Stories : Features #NT @AMSANTaus @ailcleaders #NSW #715HealthChecks @awabakalltd #Werin #VIC @DeadlyChoices @VAHS1972 #BADAC #QLD @GidgeeHealing #SA Pika Wiya #WA

1.1 Our CEO Pat Turner and Acting Chair Donnella Mills congratulate the newly elected Morrison Government

2.1 NT :  AMSANT and Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre enter into Leadership Development Partnership

2.2  NT : Red Lily Health Board in Jabiru now in the hands of a community controlled health board .

3.1 NSW : Werin ACCHO : Ngambaga Bindarry Girrwaa Elders win 21st Elders Olympics held in Port Macquarie

3.2 NSW : Awabakal ACCHO Newcastle : Your health is in your hands, says the 715 Health Checks team 

3.3 NSW : Greater Western ACCHO and Deadly Choices last night launched a partnership with the at BankWest Stadium.

4.1 VIC : VAHS would like to thank all 300+ community members who attended our Epping community day to help celebrate VAHS new Epping Clinic.

4.2 VIC : Deadly Choices facilitator training in beautiful Bendigo with the BDAC team

5. QLD : Gidgee Healing Mt Isa . Big day for Mt Isa’s first Deadly Choices Indigenous Senior Elders Games

6.SA : Pika Wiya Health Corporation provides the 715 health check and runs a range of support programs

7.1 WA : Her Rules Her Game is proud to support the BGA leadership camp to Melbourne.

7.2 WA : Team AHCWA up and running

8. TAS  2019-20 Budget: Investing in Tasmania’s Aboriginal communities

How to submit in 2019 a NACCHO Affiliate  or Members Good News Story ?

Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media 

Mobile 0401 331 251 

Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication Thursday /Friday

1.1 Our CEO Pat Turner and Acting Chair Donnella Mills congratulate the newly elected Morrison Government

CEO of The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Pat Turner, spoke on the ABC News Channel on Sunday

Our thanks to Croakey for this report .

Turner congratulated the newly elected Government and said she hoped that the Parliament would take a bipartisan approach to dealing with all matters for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

She also thanked the Labor party for all the hard work they did in putting forward their policy platform which “unfortunately the Australian people decided they weren’t ready to take on”.

“Regardless of the election result,” Turner said, “we need a radical rethink by governments  regarding the way they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Turner said NACCHO was grateful for Scott Morrison’s leadership on closing the gap.

We need to see the colour of the money and I’m hoping that the Prime Minister will announce that very soon.

We also urge all the state and territory governments to work with us on a collaborative basis, to ensure the self-determination of our people is given legs.”

Turner said self determination had been a policy since the early 1970’s but that infrastructure and support for Indigenous systems of government  “to ensure our cultural values remain, our languages remain and our culture is strong” had not been forthcoming:

The resources need to be directed at the Aboriginal communities and through Aboriginal controlled organisations.

The old way of doing things and business as usual are over. Scott Morrison has the mandate to ensure that he takes on our advice.”

She also said the days of government appointed advisory bodies were over:

Aboriginal people need a real say in who they want to speak for them.

The community controlled organisations should be respected, and have a seat at the negotiating table, making sure the decisions are made in partnership with us.”

Turner said there were more than 40 organisations in the Coalition of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Bodies and that they were “extremely united” in their efforts to close the gap.

We came together because we were devastated over the past.

We would like the 500 million dollars taken out of the Aboriginal Affairs budget by Abbott and Hockey reinvested in Aboriginal community control.”

She said the states and local government also need to be more accountable for the programs they are responsible for.

We are always accountable as Aboriginal people and we will continue. We want the responsibility and we have to be given the role, to play it.”

Turner thanked Scott Morrison for his commitment to ending youth suicide and invited him to visit one of the high risk areas to meet the people on the ground and “make sure we really hear from our communities how we can overcome this tragedy of youth suicide.”

Ten proposals from NACCHO

NACCHO’s Acting Chair Donnella Mills presented ten policy proposals (fleshed out in this statement,) to “seize the moment and make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health a national priority”.

Read full Release HERE

2.1 NT :  AMSANT and Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre enter into Leadership Development Partnership

“Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands remains fundamental to the success and growth of our services throughout the NT.

We need to be empowered and inspired to continue to grow our leadership capacity to meet demands of today and the future.

Whilst our leadership journeys continue beyond training, the right training and motivation to spark and drive ideas provides the perfect starting point.

This partnership is testament of how working together can reap real and meaningful gains as we support and invest in our future leaders “.

CEO of AMSANT, John Paterson

Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (AMSANT) and The Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC) last week embarked on a new partnership to work together to continue to deliver Regional Leadership Workshops to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service staff and other related service staff throughout the Northern Territory.

The parties signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding to formalise the relationship between the two organisations, and build on and further strengthen the success of the program which AMSANT has delivered since 2006.

This partnership comes at an opportune time as AILC now have a permanent presence here in the NT.  AILC are the experts in delivery of leadership training and AMSANT are the peak body of a membership of 25 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the NT. The partnership is a practical and mutually beneficial arrangement where each organisation can bring their collective capacity to the table to make certain that the commitment to Aboriginal Health Leadership training continues and our future leaders are supported to realise their aspirations and to continue to develop and grow the sector.

Following the success of a trial of regional leadership workshops held in Alice Springs last year, the regional model and approach will remain a feature of how they are planned and delivered under the term of this partnership.

Robyn Forester, CEO AILC welcomed the partnership. “The AILC is excited for the partnership with AMSANT. It provides both organisations with the opportunity to support and grow current and emerging Aboriginal Leadership in the NT. It will also allow the AILC to be accessible to many communities that have not benefited from AILC training in the past”, Ms Forester said.

2.2  NT : Red Lily Health Board in Jabiru now in the hands of a community controlled health board .

“The Red Lily Health Board acknowledges the assistance provided over many years by elders and community members in the West Arnhem region as well as Top End Health Service, NT Health, AMSANT, Northern Territory PHN and the Commonwealth Department of Health.”

“Communities have local advisory groups who are actively involved in the community control of health services to determine their priorities “

Red Lily Health Board Chair, Reuben Cooper

Photo attached – Left to Right:

Andrew Bell (Independent Director), Rosemary Nabulwad (Director – Gunbalanya Outstations), Mary Djurundudu (Director – Warruwi (South Goulburn Island)), Health Minister Natasha Fyles, Reuben Cooper (Chair, representing Cobourg Peninsula), Steven Fejo (Director – Minjilang (Croker Island)), Steve Hayes (Transition Manager

Local Decision Making has been put into the hands of a community controlled health board in Jabiru.

The Red Lily Health Board is now overseeing the provision of public health services in Jabiru after the transfer of funding from Northern Territory PHN in April.

The Territory Labor Government is determined to restore local decision making to communities.

Minister for Health Natasha Fyles has personally congratulated the board while they were in Darwin for meetings.

Most of the board members have been on the board since 2008 and are confident they are well prepared to deliver the care required by their communities. These communities include Gunbalanya, Jabiru, Minjilang, Warruwi, and related Homelands/Outstations.

Red Lily Health Board has plans underway to broaden the promotion of health and wellness to the Aboriginal people of the West Arnhem region with Red Lily commencing planning to transfer further health service delivery in the coming year.

Quotes from the Minister of Health, Natasha Fyles:

“Transitioning health services to community control is a key election commitment of the Territory Labor Government and I look forward to Red Lily’s success with managing additional services in the year ahead.”

“The Red Lily Health Board members should be recognised for their dedication to promoting health and wellness to the Aboriginal people of the West Arnhem region.”

Quotes from the Member for Arafura, Lawrence Costa:

“To build a strong Territory we must have strong communities. Transitioning to Aboriginal controlled health services is an important part of delivering this.”

“This is a key milestone for communities in West Arnhem Land.”

3.1 NSW : Werin ACCHO : Ngambaga Bindarry Girrwaa Elders win 21st Elders Olympics held in Port Macquarie

What legends! After a drought of nearly 20 years our Ngambaga Bindarry Girrwaa Elders from the Nambucca Valley have brought home a swag of medals and won the overall event at the Elders Olympics held in Port Macquarie last month.

The 2019 Elders Olympics are being hailed as the best ever.

Originally published HERE

Organised by the Werin Aboriginal Elders team, representing their auspicing body Werin Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre, 519 competitors and support workers participated on the day.

There was also plenty of spectators on hand to soak up the atmosphere.

Ngambaga with two teams of ten, it was Team 2 that scored the runs … or rather the shots, the hits and more as they competed in egg and spoon races, quoits, netball, bean bags, softball and of course a relay.

Absolute champion of the day was Noelene Ballangarry – she broke the record for shots in Pass the Football, which requires players to shoot a big ball through a little hole.

“She just kept slotting them through, and I’m saying go, go, go,” Ngambaga chair Aunty Ann Edwards said.

The Elders Olympics started back in 2001 in the Nambucca Valley – with two teams. Now there are 38 teams from all around NSW, including Tamworth, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Inverell, Dubbo and Moree.

“It is the best time – we all look forward to it, to seeing friends and family and having a good chin wag,” Aunty Ann said.

What about training?

“Oh I think we threw a few bean bags once!” Aunty Val Balir laughed.

Already thoughts have turned to next year … even more so because Bowraville will host it.

3.2 NSW : Awabakal ACCHO Newcastle : Your health is in your hands, says the 715 Health Checks team 

For more than 40 years, Awabakal has been looking after the health of the Newcastle mob.

The New South Wales mid north coast region is home to one of the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.

The 715 health check is a preventative health assessment designed specifically to support the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“A 715 health check is critical to the overall health of our Aboriginal community. We need to make sure that our community are coming in, accessing the service and getting their health check completed.

“It is important GP’s build rapport with our patients and our community to get them the health support that they actually need. We want to get to know you, as a person, your health is a key part of that.”

Toni Johnston A/g CEO Awabakal Medical Service NSW

“The 715 Health Check is a really important part of how we keep our mob healthy. It’s a really good health assessment that checks on physical, social and emotional health to keep us all as healthy as we can be.

After a 715 Health Check we see that people are more aware of what their health is like, as it is. They’re more aware of what they need to do to improve their health, and we have a better connection in terms of medical staff and patients to work together to help health improve.”

Dr Joyce Hyde, General Practitioner, Awabakal Medical Service NSW

For born and bred local, Rod Smith, the 715 health check has helped him look after his mental health.

“Like many Aboriginal men, I grew up thinking that men don’t cry – that men have to be tough. I’d always been a happy go lucky person but as I got older I experienced a few hurdles in life. I got to a point one day where I started thinking negative,” says Rod.

“Like most men out there, I thought, if I go and talk for a doctor about mental health, does that mean I’m crazy?

“It was that fear creeping in. That’s a big reason why a lot of Aboriginal people don’t go for a health check, is it’s the fear of what they’re going to find out.

“But I did it, I got the 715 health check and I found the mental health aspects of the 715 so valuable. I’m now a member of the Awabakal team myself, looking after our promotions.”

It’s a whole of team commitment to looking after the mob’s health at Awabakal. Simone Jordan, Community Relations manager, helps people like Rod to overcome the fear and other barriers to going to the Doctor and getting a health check.

“There are different barriers for people. I think the main one is making the time. Reminding people to look after themselves, have that self-care. Aboriginal mothers, we tend to look after everyone else and forget ourselves. So, we’re trying to instil that your own health is important,” says Simone.

Patients that complete the 715 health check are able to access a range of support services to better manage conditions and stay in good health. At Awabakal, this includes nutrition and diet programs, dental care and family and youth support services.

“I can’t stress how important they are. A 715 health check gives us a whole range of options then to refer you to our other services. We look at how we can make looking after your health, part of everyday normal life,” says Simone.

Dr Joyce has a simple message for the region.

“Come on in, have a yarn to us and get your 715 health check done today. Your Health is in Your Hands,” says Dr Joyce.

“Yes! Looking after your health, you’ll be kicking goals!” adds Toni, Awabakal Acting CEO.

The 715 health check is free at Aboriginal Medical Services and bulk billing clinics, and is available annually to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages. Further information, including resources for patients and health practitioners is available at http://www.health.gov.au/715-health-check.

3.3 NSW : Greater Western ACCHO and Deadly Choices last night launched a partnership with the at BankWest Stadium.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members who complete a 715 Health Check can receive one of these Deadly Eels Jerseys.

4. 1 VIC : VAHS would like to thank all 300+ community members who attended our Epping community day to help celebrate VAHS new Epping Clinic.

 

There was heaps of smiles, laughs and all positives vibes from everyone.

We’ve captured a great number of people who wasn’t accessing VAHS regularly who lives in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, the reason why VAHS established a new clinic in Epping and hosted this event to engage with families to start accessing VAHS services more regularly.

Videos from this day will be uploaded onto our social media very soon.

4.2 VIC : Deadly Choices facilitator training in beautiful Bendigo with the BDAC team.

Day 2 with the Bendigo team

Nutrition  

Physical Activity  

Harmful Substances  

Healthy Relationships

Great to have so many passionate mob keen to deliver the program

5.QLD : Gidgee Healing Mt Isa . Big day for Mt Isa’s first Deadly Choices Indigenous Senior Elders Games

Big day for Mt Isa’s first Deadly Choices Indigenous Senior Elders Games – a atmosphere of country music playing (Charlie Pride) lots of cheers, laugher and competition

 Gidgee Healing thank you too our inspirational elders. Patrick Johnson

6.SA : Pika Wiya Health Corporation provides the 715 health check and runs a range of support programs

Aboriginal residents in Port Augusta are being encouraged to get their annual 715 health check in a bid to help curb the early mortality rate of the First Nation peoples.

The free yearly check up ensures Aboriginal people receive primary health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis and intervention for common and treatable conditions

The Pika Wiya Health Corporation provides the 715 health check and runs a range of support programs, from birth right through to parenthood, encouraging residents to undertake their regular check.

Amy Walters runs the Kinderling’s program at Pika Wiya, which is designed for babies from birth through to six years old.

“715 health checks on our babies are very important. It gives us a benchmark on where they are at birth and makes sure they’re growing healthy and meeting development milestones throughout their childhood,” Ms Walters said.

“While they’re here, we talk to the mums, making sure it’s a safe environment for them to come to to talk about health.”

The Kinderling’s program provides incentives to help encourage mums to make sure their babies health checks are up to date.

“We give them or their babies free clothing – we have little onesies, t-shirts, dresses – the mothers love the dresses!” Ms Walters said.

Pika Wiya also offers a Well Women’s program, designed to help new mums look after their own health too.

The ‘Well Women’s House’ provides education and counselling about diet, social and emotional wellbeing, and offer a veggie pack when mums complete their 715.

Local GP Dr Julia Nook said the annual health check is a critical first step to engage with patients about their health needs.

“It’s not just about having a 715 health check. We use the initial screening consultations to build trust with our patients, getting to know them and their family,” she said.

“We work together to try and look at issues identified in the health check, like tackling smoking or weight, and when people are ready, we refer them to follow up services like a dietitian.

“Sometimes there are underlying issues that might be causing some of their health issues and we can explore those further with patients too.”

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are 2.3 times more likely to experience burden of disease than non-Indigenous Australians.

The 715 health check is free at Aboriginal Medical Services and bulk billing clinics for people of all ages.

7.1 WA : Her Rules Her Game is proud to support the BGA leadership camp to Melbourne.

How great is this update on their visit to Essendon Football Club

7.2 WA : Team AHCWA up and running

This morning AHCWA staff members (and Taj) took part in all 3 categories of the HBF Run for a Reason, the 4km, 12km and 21km, finishing at Gloucester Park.

Congratulations to Marianne (missing from the photo) who ran the 21km half marathon. Well done everyone 😊
#hbfrun

8. TAS  2019-20 Budget: Investing in Tasmania’s Aboriginal communities

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to our Reset agenda with the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, while investing to grow social, cultural and economic outcomes and to promote greater understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture.

To further support the Reset, the 2019-20 State Budget includes new funding of $542,000 across the forward estimates to support activities and initiatives that demonstrate that our commitment today to the Reset is as strong as ever.

This includes:

  •  $90,000 per annum to support greater involvement of Aboriginal communities in government decisions, consistent with the Statement of Intent between the Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Alliance and the Tasmanian Government;
  •  New funding to support the Young Tasmanian Aboriginal Women Leader’s Awards to support emerging female leaders and to promote and advance career and academic pathways for Aboriginal girls.

Across Government we are also working to close the gap in inequalities experienced by Aboriginal people.

This includes initiatives such as continued support for Aboriginal Tasmanian’s impacted by family violence, and permanent funding to support a coordinated approach to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed in the State Service.

There is also ongoing funding to enable the Cultural Management Group to continue its work with nongovernment Aboriginal organisations and other stakeholders on the management of cultural values, tourism and a program for Aboriginal Tasmanians to access important resources within the TWWHA, as well as for Aboriginal Trainee Rangers to work in our national parks and reserves.

This Government has a genuine desire to make a positive difference – a true difference that recognises a remarkable 40,000 plus years of Aboriginal heritage and culture, and one that points to a brighter future for Aboriginal Tasmanians.

NACCHO Aboriginal Health and #SuicidePrevention : WA Government releases preliminary response to Aboriginal youth suicide reports and  accepts all 86 recommendations : Download report HERE

“It is beyond distressing to see report after report about young Aboriginal people who see their lives as so bleak that they see no other option but to take their own lives.

The Statement of Intent underscores the Government will co-design services with Aboriginal people.

We are committed to be a Government that listens to and works with Aboriginal people to make a real difference in this area.

We are also determined to working with the Commonwealth Government and local groups in order to bring about a truly co-operative and collaborative approach to addressing this problem.”

WA Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt

“Young Aboriginal people continue to take their own lives at an unfathomable rate. I extend my deepest sympathies to those families and communities that have been heartbroken by these tragic events.

The issues are complex and it is clear that we need to develop a comprehensive reform agenda that is informed by the community, designed by the community and driven by the community.

The Statement of Intent makes it clear that our Government is absolutely committed to addressing the recommendations of the Coroner’s Inquest and the Message Stick report, to deliver real, long-term positive change for Aboriginal people.

The McGowan Government is determined to work across community and governments to ensure that this does not become another report that collects dust.”

Deputy Premier Roger Cook

  • McGowan Government releases preliminary response to the Coroner’s Inquest into Aboriginal youth suicide in the Kimberley and the Message Stick Inquiry
  • McGowan Government accepts all 86 recommendations, combined in both reports
  • Statement of Intent outlines Government’s commitment to work with Aboriginal people to tackle the issues that contribute to Aboriginal youth suicide
  • A reform agenda will be developed in partnership with local Aboriginal people to address the recommendations
  • Following further consultation with Aboriginal communities, full response expected by end of the year

The McGowan Government today released its preliminary response to the State Coroner’s Inquest into the deaths of 13 children and young people in the Kimberley and the 2016 Message Stick Inquiry into Aboriginal youth suicide in remote areas.

 

Download Here Statement-of-Intent-Aboriginal-youth-suicide

The Statement of Intent outlines the McGowan Government’s unwavering commitment to a partnership approach to address the recommendations from the Coroner’s Inquest and Message Stick Inquiry.

Of the combined 86 recommendations included in both reports, the Government has fully accepted 22, accepted 33 in principle, has already implemented or started implementing 16 and is still considering the feasibility or implications of a further 11. Four of the Message Stick recommendations have been superseded by subsequent events.

The McGowan Government will be working with Aboriginal people to develop a whole-ofgovernment reform agenda to address the recommendations, and a comprehensive response to the reports is expected by the end of the year.

The Government will co-design place-based initiatives in partnership with Aboriginal people, communities and organisations, which will positively impact the livelihood of young Aboriginal people.

4.Address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide rates 

  • Provide $50 million over four years to ACCHOs to address the national crisis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth suicide in vulnerable communities o Fund new Aboriginal support staff to provide immediate assistance to children and young people at risk of self-harm and improved case management
  • Fund regionally based multi-disciplinary teams, comprising paediatricians, child psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses and Aboriginal health practitioners who are culturally safe and respectful, to ensure ready access to professional assistance; and
  • Provide accredited training to ACCHOs to upskill in areas of mental health, childhood development, youth services, environment health, health and wellbeing screening and service delivery

Read all previous 140 NACCHO Aboriginal Health and Suicide Prevention Articles HERE

The McGowan Government is committed to addressing Aboriginal youth suicide, and a number of initiatives are included in this year’s State Budget that support Aboriginal youth wellbeing:

  • $6.5 million for the Aboriginal Community Connectors program to improve community safety and reduce community consequences of alcohol and other drugs and related ‘at risk’ behaviours;
  • Diversionary programs in the Kimberley, including the Kununurra PCYC ($2 million) and the West Kimberley Youth and Resilience Hub ($1.3 million);
  • $20.1 million for the North West Drug and Alcohol Support Program to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Mid-West;
  • Continued support for the work of the Mental Health Commission in reducing suicide risk in Western Australia via the Suicide Prevention: 2020 strategy ($8.1 million); and
  • A Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy ($900,000) to develop place-based prevention and diversion initiatives for young people across the Kimberley.

The Statement of Intent, which includes the Government’s preliminary response to the Coroner’s Inquest and Message Stick Inquiry, can be downloaded from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet’s website.

Useful Links

2018 Message Stick Response

State Coroner’s Inquest into the deaths of 13 children and young person in the Kimberley Region

The former Health and Education Standing Committee 2016 report, Learnings from the message stick: the report of the inquiry into Aboriginal youth suicide in remote areas.

Contact Us

If you wish to make contact with regard to the Western Australian Government’s response to the Statement of Intent, please do so via the details below:

Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Dumas House
2 Havelock Street
West Perth
Western Australia 6005

Email: AboriginalPolicy@dpc.wa.gov.au

If you would like a response, please include your preferred contact details.

 

 

NACCHO #Jobalerts Aboriginal Health : Nationwide ACCHO Employment Opportunities to #CloseTheGap : Features #NSW CEO @ahmrc #WA CEO Derbarl Yerrigan ACCHO #Vic Rumbalara #QLD @IUIH_ ACCHO #Doctors #NT @DanilaDilba #Sunrise ACCHO Plus #NSW #SA #ACT #TAS #VIC

Before completing a job application please check with the ACCHO that the job is still open

ACCHO Workforce News

Free training through The Benchmarque Group, with the Federal Department of Health providing a fully funded program to address ear disease within Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.

1.1 Job/s of the week 

2.Queensland

    2.1 Apunipima ACCHO Cape York

    2.2 IUIH ACCHO Deadly Choices Brisbane and throughout Queensland

    2.3 ATSICHS ACCHO Brisbane

    2.4 Wuchopperen Health Service ACCHO CAIRNS

3.NT Jobs Alice Spring ,Darwin East Arnhem Land and Katherine

   3.1 Congress ACCHO Alice Spring

   3.2 Miwatj Health ACCHO Arnhem Land

   3.3 Wurli ACCHO Katherine

   3.4 Sunrise ACCHO Katherine

4. South Australia

4.1 Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc

5. Western Australia

  5.1 Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc

  5.2 Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS)

6.Victoria

6.1 Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)

6.2 Mallee District Aboriginal Services Mildura Swan Hill Etc 

6.3 : Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative 

7.New South Wales

7.1 AHMRC Sydney and Rural 

7.2 Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service 

7.3 Katungul ACCHO 

8. Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre ACCHO 

9.Canberra ACT Winnunga ACCHO

10. Other : Stakeholders Indigenous Health 

Over 302 ACCHO clinics See all websites by state territory 

NACCHO Affiliate , Member , Government Department or stakeholders

If you have a job vacancy in Indigenous Health 

Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media

Tuesday by 4.30 pm for publication each Wednesday

1. ACCHO Training News : Free training through The Benchmarque Group, with the Federal Department of Health providing a fully funded program to address ear disease within Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The opportunity exists to receive free training through The Benchmarque Group, with the Federal Department of Health providing a fully funded program to address ear disease within Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The Course in Tympanometry (10637NAT) is designed to provide the skills and knowledge for a range of health professionals and others working within Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health to undertake tympanometric screening and tympanometry.

Using as its foundation the ‘Recommendations for Clinical Care Guidelines on the Management of Otitis Media in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Populations’*, the course enables students to provide client-centred education, health promotion and the provision of basic care and advice in relation to the management of otitis media.

The course includes a 1-day workshop, skills activities and online assessment. Students must have completed Otitis Media Management Program prior to attending the Tympanometry workshop.

About The Benchmarque Group

The Benchmarque Group is a registered training organisation delivering a range of clinical skills programs to meet the needs of a broad range of health professionals across Australia.

The Benchmarque Group has been engaged by the Federal Department of Health to deliver training programs that will be suitable for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, nurses, general practitioners and a range of clinicians supporting improvements in ear health.

The number of courses available are strictly limited. To express your interest, please click here and complete the expression of interest form, or for more information, visit www.benchmarquegroup.com.au

* Recommendations for Clinical Care Guidelines on the Management of Otitis Media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Populations (April 2010), Australian Government Department of Health.

The Benchmarque Group | 1300 855 568 | courses@benchmarquegroup.com.au

1.1 Jobs of the week

Chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW.

About AH&MRC

We are looking for a Chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW. The Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC ) is the peak representative body and voice of Aboriginal communities on health in NSW. We represent our members, the Aboriginal Community

Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) that deliver culturally appropriate comprehensive primary health care to their communities.

Aboriginal Community Control has its origins in Aboriginal people’s right to self-determination. This is the right to be involved in health service delivery and decision-making according to the protocols or procedures determined by Aboriginal communities based on the Aboriginal definition of health:

Aboriginal health means not just the physical well-being of an individual but the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole Community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of their Community. It is a whole of life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life.
About the Job
The CEO will be responsible to the Board of Directors (the ‘Board’) for implementing strategic and operational policy and for the continued growth and viability of the organisation. The primary purpose of the role is to develop and grow the organisation’s services to members and to provide strategies and advice to the Board. In addition, the position is accountable for managing the day-to-day operations of all business units and operating in the best interests of members.

The position also performs the function of Company Secretary to the Board of AH&MRC.
Responsibilities

  • AH&MRC governance
  • Business operations
  • Strategic planning
  • Financial management
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Risk management
  • People management
  • Reporting
  • Company secretary functions

About You
To be successful you will have;

  • Tertiary qualifications in Business / Law / Health and/or extensive Executive Management experience
  • Comprehensive knowledge of relevant legislation, policies and procedures related to Aboriginal Community and Controlled Health organisations
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills in a complex environment
  • Ability to lead, motivate and manage a team, demonstrating effective understanding and experience in human resource management, leadership and motivational skills at strategic and operational levels
  • Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills in relationship management, establishing and maintaining partnerships and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders
  • A knowledge of and understanding of Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) societies and cultures and an understanding of the issues, particularly in the health area which are affecting Aboriginal people as well as a demonstrated ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal people.

We Offer

  • Generous professional development opportunities
  • Salary sacrificing
  • Flexible working arrangements

The constitution provides that there is a requirement for the CEO to be an Aboriginal person and to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to AH&MRC objectives, and Aboriginal community.

A competitive remuneration package that reflects the senior nature of this role will be negotiated.

The application form 

Derbarl Yerrigan ACCHO Chief Executive Officer Closes 27 May

About the Organisation

The name “Derbarl Yerrigan” is the Wadjuk Noongar name for the Swan River.  The Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation (DYHSAC) is an Aboriginal community controlled health organisation which was established in 1974 as the Perth Aboriginal Medical Service and has been an integral part of the Perth metropolitan primary healthcare landscape for the past 45 years.

DYHSAC provides holistic and integrated primary health care services to Aboriginal people living in the Perth metropolitan region. We employ 118 staff, have an annual turnover of $14 million and our GP services are delivered from clinics located at East Perth, Maddington, Midland and Mirrabooka.

DYHSAC targets the social, emotional, cultural and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal people living on Noongar country. Our clinic services are robust and delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians.

About the Opportunity

DYHSAC is seeking to appoint an experienced and highly competent Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The position provides an exciting and challenging opportunity for a suitably experienced professional, with the ability to oversee the day-to-day operations of a well-established Aboriginal community controlled health service currently operating through an extensive change management process.

The CEO will work directly with the DYHSAC Board of Directors, Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA) and the Executive Management Team, managing the day to day operations and delivery of primary healthcare services to the local Aboriginal communities across four sites in the in the Perth metropolitan region (East Perth, Midland, Mirrabooka and Maddington).

Currently operating through a period of change, DYHSAC is seeking an individual with extensive executive management experience including a proven ability to achieve key strategic objectives in a dynamic and challenging environment.

Key Selection Criteria includes:

  1. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander pursuant to Section 50D of the Equal Opportunity
  2. Demonstrable leadership experience within an Aboriginal Community Controlled organisation or medium sized Not for Profit of similar size and complexity.
  3. Outstanding team leadership skills with a focus on developing a positive workplace culture and the development and mentoring of staff.
  4. Thorough knowledge and appreciation of contemporary issues in Aboriginal health and well-being.
  5. Strong operational and financial management skills.
  6. Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
  7. Tertiary qualifications in Business, Health Management or related fields.

Contact Details

All enquiries regarding this position and the application process should be directed to Ms Ceri Writer – Human Resources Manager at ceri.writer@dyhs.org.au or on (08) 9421 3857.

How to Apply

Please apply through SEEK and applications should include a cover letter, current resume including a contact number and a document addressing the selection criteria.

The Application Information Pack containing the Position Description can be obtained from contacting Ms Ceri Writer – Human Resources Manager on 08 9421 3857 or email ceri.writer@dyhs.org.au.

Applications close: 4.00pm Monday May 27th 2019.

APPLY HERE 

Please note that the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation is an equal opportunity institution, providing educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, colour, gender, age, or disability.

The Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation reserves the right to contact the current or most recent employer and evaluate past employment records of applicants selected for interview. The organisation reserves the right to re-advertise the position or to delay indefinitely final selection if it is deemed that applicants for the position do not constitute an adequate applicant pool.

General Practitioners – Sunrise Health Katherine Region

About the Opportunity

Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation is now seeking two General Practitioners to join their dedicated team in the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory.

These roles are being offered on a permanent full-time basis, however shared job arrangements (such as 2 months on, 2 months off) would be considered. We also require a GP from early May to early September 2019 each year.

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, led by the Director of Public Health and Planning, this position is responsible for providing direct primary healthcare services, support for and sharing of skills with other health centre staff, and participating in key primary healthcare initiatives and community consultation.

You will work across a number of the nine communities that Sunriseservices, primarily carrying out clinic-based work. The extended team you’ll work with on a day to day basis includes a range of Allied Health Professionals who provide both clinical and health promotional activities.

About the Benefits

If you’re looking for an opportunity to contribute to the improved health of remote Aboriginal communities, this could be the position for you!

Your dedication will be rewarded with a highly attractive base salary circa $250,000 – $280,000 plus super and a range of benefits including:

  • 6 weeks leave per year;
  • Up to 10 days study leave;
  • Phone and laptop;
  • Vehicle for work and personal use;
  • Annual housing allowance of $20,000 while in Katherine;
  • Accommodation for any overnight stays while working in the communities;
  • Salary packaging options up to $15,899 per packaging year; and
  • Annual flight back to your point of hire.

Working at Sunrise Health Service and living in the Katherine region has lifestyle benefits that are unique to the Northern Territory. With the Katherine Gorge on your doorstep and an incredible outdoor lifestyle on offer, combined with some of the best fishing in the world, the Northern Territory is the place to be to make the most of life’s adventures.

For more information and to apply, please click “Apply Now”.

Leaving Care and Independence Development Worker –

CAREER CHANGING OPPORTUNITY!!

Rumbalara Engagement and Family Services now have the following vacancy based at the Rumbalara Road, Mooroopna office

Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative – Better Futures

Leaving Care and Independence Development Worker –

Part Time position – 30.4 Hours per week – Fixed Term (12 months)

We advertise this position as an Identified Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander position only in line with ‘special measures’ under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 Section 12 example 1.

The role

Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in partnership the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) and Berry Street are working to develop a practice framework, resources and tools for young people transitioning from out-of-home care into independence. This is the Better Futures framework.

The Better Futures framework will be trialled in the Goulburn Area (East Division) and delivered by Rumbalara Engagement and Family Services and Berry Street.

Primarily, this position will apply an advantage thinking approach through a key development worker to Aboriginal young people eligible for Leaving Care services and their families, services and agencies connected to the young person.

The role will work directly with the case management and care teams ensuring a shared understanding of key issues related to: theoretical frameworks including attachment theory, trauma theory, brain development, ages and stages of development, resilience theory, advantaged thinking approach, adult learning principles and the neurobiological development of maltreated children.

Minimum qualifications required to be considered for this position include: Tertiary qualification in Community Services, Social Work, Youth Work or related discipline.

Salary Packaging is a benefit available for Part or Full Time Employees

For further information on each individual role and to download the position description, please visit www.rumbalara.org.au/vacancies alternatively contact Marieta Martin on (03) 5820 6405 or

Email: marieta.martin@raclimited.com.au

To be considered for an interview, applications must include resume, cover letter and a statement addressing the key selection criteria on a separate document and are to be submitted by 4pm, Wednesday 29th May, 2019 and addressed to:

Human Resources Dept.

Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative

PO Box 614

Mooroopna Vic 3629

Your application must include a copy of your Victorian Employee Working with Children Check and a National Police Check obtained within the last 2 months.

Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative – Kinship Case Manager

POSITION VACANT

CAREER CHANGING OPPORTUNITY!!

Rumbalara Engagement and Family Services now have the following vacancy based at the Rumbalara Road, Mooroopna office

Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative – Kinship Case Manager

Two Full time position – 38 Hours per week – Fixed Term (12 months)

The role

The primary focus of the kinship case management position is to manage contracted Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) child protection cases by supporting Aboriginal children and young people, who are unable to live with their parents, to reside with family within their extended family. The role will work directly within case management and care teams ensuring a shared understanding of key issues related to: theoretical frameworks including attachment theory, trauma theory, brain development, ages and stages of development, resilience theory, strength-based approach and the neurobiological development of maltreated children.

Minimum qualifications required to be considered for this position include: Tertiary qualification in Community Services, Social Work, Youth Work or related discipline.

Salary Packaging is a benefit available for Part or Full Time Employees

For further information on each individual role and to download the position description, please visit www.rumbalara.org.au/vacancies alternatively contact Marieta Martin on (03) 5820 6405 or

Email: marieta.martin@raclimited.com.au

To be considered for an interview, applications must include resume, cover letter and a statement addressing the key selection criteria on a separate document and are to be submitted by 4pm, Wednesday 29th May, 2019 and addressed to:

Human Resources Dept.

Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative

PO Box 614

Mooroopna Vic 3629

Your application must include a copy of your Victorian Employee Working with Children Check and a National Police Check obtained within the last 2 months.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community are encouraged to apply

2.1 JOBS AT Apunipima ACCHO Cairns and Cape York

The links to  job vacancies are on website


www.apunipima.org.au/work-for-us

As part of our commitment to providing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Brisbane with a comprehensive range of primary health care, youth, child safety, mental health, dental and aged care services, we employ approximately 150 people across our locations at Woolloongabba, Woodridge, Northgate, Acacia Ridge, Browns Plains, Eagleby and East Brisbane.

The roles at ATSICHS are diverse and include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Aboriginal Health Workers
  • Registered Nurses
  • Transport Drivers
  • Medical Receptionists
  • Administrative and Management roles
  • Medical professionals
  • Dentists and Dental Assistants
  • Allied Health Staff
  • Support Workers

Current vacancies

2.4 Wuchopperen Health Service ACCHO CAIRNS 

Wuchopperen Health Service Limited has been providing primary health care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for over 35 years. Our workforce has a range of professional, clinical, allied health, social emotional wellbeing and administration positions.

  • We have two sites in Cairns and a growing number of supplementary services and partnerships.
  • We have a diverse workforce of over 200 employees
  • 70 percent of our team identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Our team is dedicated to the Wuchopperen vision: Improving the Quality of Life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. If you would like to make a difference, and improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, please apply today.

Expressions of Interest

We invite Expressions of Interest from:

  • Aboriginal Health Workers
  • Clinical Psychologists
  • Dietitians
  • Diabetes Educators
  • Exercise Physiologists
  • Medical Officers (FAACGP / FACCRM)
  • Registered Nurses
  • Midwives
  • Optometrists
  • Podiatrists
  • Speech Pathologists

In accordance with Wuchopperen’s privacy processes, we will keep your EOI on file for three months.

 Current Vacancies

See WEBSITE 

NT Jobs Alice Spring ,Darwin East Arnhem Land and Katherine

3.1 JOBS at Congress Alice Springs including

More info and apply HERE

3.2 There are 20 + JOBS at Miwatj Health Arnhem Land

 

More info and apply HERE

3.3  JOBS at Wurli Katherine

More info and apply HERE

3.4 Sunrise ACCHO Katherine

Sunrise Job site

4. South Australia

   4.1 Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc

Nunkuwarrin Yunti places a strong focus on a client centred approach to the delivery of services and a collaborative working culture to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients. View our current vacancies here.

NUNKU SA JOB WEBSITE 

5. Western Australia

5.1 Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc

Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc. is passionate about creating a strong and dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander workforce. We are committed to providing mentorship and training to our team members to enhance their skills for them to be able to create career pathways and opportunities in life.

On occasions we may have vacancies for the positions listed below:

  • Medical Receptionists – casual pool
  • Transport Drivers – casual pool
  • General Hands – casual pool, rotating shifts
  • Aboriginal Health Workers (Cert IV in Primary Health) –casual pool

*These positions are based in one or all of our sites – East Perth, Midland, Maddington, Mirrabooka or Bayswater.

To apply for a position with us, you will need to provide the following documents:

  • Detailed CV
  • WA National Police Clearance – no older than 6 months
  • WA Driver’s License – full license
  • Contact details of 2 work related referees
  • Copies of all relevant certificates and qualifications

We may also accept Expression of Interests for other medical related positions which form part of our services. However please note, due to the volume on interests we may not be able to respond to all applications and apologise for that in advance.

All complete applications must be submitted to our HR department or emailed to HR

Also in accordance with updated privacy legislation acts, please download, complete and return this Permission to Retain Resume form

Attn: Human Resources
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services Inc.
156 Wittenoom Street
East Perth WA 6004

+61 (8) 9421 3888

 

DYHS JOB WEBSITE

 5.2 Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS)

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS)

https://kamsc-iframe.applynow.net.au/

KAMS JOB WEBSITE

6.Victoria

6.1 Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)

 

Thank you for your interest in working at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)

If you would like to lodge an expression of interest or to apply for any of our jobs advertised at VAHS we have two types of applications for you to consider.

Expression of interest

Submit an expression of interest for a position that may become available to: employment@vahs.org.au

This should include a covering letter outlining your job interest(s), an up to date resume and two current employment referees

Your details will remain on file for a period of 12 months. Resumes on file are referred to from time to time as positions arise with VAHS and you may be contacted if another job matches your skills, experience and/or qualifications. Expressions of interest are destroyed in a confidential manner after 12 months.

Applying for a Current Vacancy

Unless the advertisement specifies otherwise, please follow the directions below when applying

Your application/cover letter should include:

  • Current name, address and contact details
  • A brief discussion on why you feel you would be the appropriate candidate for the position
  • Response to the key selection criteria should be included – discussing how you meet these

Your Resume should include:

  • Current name, address and contact details
  • Summary of your career showing how you have progressed to where you are today. Most recent employment should be first. For each job that you have been employed in state the Job Title, the Employer, dates of employment, your duties and responsibilities and a brief summary of your achievements in the role
  • Education, include TAFE or University studies completed and the dates. Give details of any subjects studies that you believe give you skills relevant to the position applied for
  • References, where possible, please include 2 employment-related references and one personal character reference. Employment references must not be from colleagues, but from supervisors or managers that had direct responsibility of your position.

Ensure that any referees on your resume are aware of this and permission should be granted.

How to apply:

Send your application, response to the key selection criteria and your resume to:

employment@vahs.org.au

All applications must be received by the due date unless the previous extension is granted.

When applying for vacant positions at VAHS, it is important to know the successful applicants are chosen on merit and suitability for the role.

VAHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to ensuring that staff selection procedures are fair to all applicants regardless of their sex, race, marital status, sexual orientation, religious political affiliations, disability, or any other matter covered by the Equal Opportunity Act

You will be assessed based on a variety of criteria:

  • Your application, which includes your application letter which address the key selection criteria and your resume
  • Verification of education and qualifications
  • An interview (if you are shortlisted for an interview)
  • Discussions with your referees (if you are shortlisted for an interview)
  • You must have the right to live and work in Australia
  • Employment is conditional upon the receipt of:
    • A current Working with Children Check
    • A current National Police Check
    • Any licenses, certificates and insurances

6.2 Mallee District Aboriginal Services Mildura Swan Hill Etc 

 

MDAS Jobs website 

6.3 : Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative 2 POSITIONS VACANT

.

http://www.rumbalara.org.au/vacancies

 

7.1 AHMRC Sydney and Rural 

 

Check website for current Opportunities

7.2 Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service 

Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service (GWAHS) is an entity of Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service. GWAHS provides a culturally appropriate comprehensive primary health care service for the local Aboriginal communities of western Sydney and the Nepean Blue Mountains. GWAHS provides multidisciplinary services from sites located in Mt Druitt and Penrith.

The clinical service model includes general practitioners (GPs), Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners, nursing staff, reception and transport staff. The service also offers a number of wraparound services and programs focused on child and maternal health, social and emotional wellbeing, Drug and Alcohol Support, chronic disease, as well as population health activities.

GWAHS is committed to ensuring that patients have access to and receive high quality, culturally appropriate care and services that meet the needs of local Aboriginal communities.

WEBSITE

7.3 Katungul ACCHO

Download position descriptions HERE 

8. Tasmania

 

 

TAC JOBS AND TRAINING WEBSITE

9.Canberra ACT Winnunga ACCHO

 

Winnunga ACCHO Job opportunites 

10. Other : Stakeholders Indigenous Health 

NACCHO Aboriginal Health Conferences and Events #SaveADate : This weeks feature : @fam_matters_au #BecauseOfThemWeMust #FamilyMatters Plus #NRW2019 and #FPDN #community#humanrights

This weeks featured NACCHO SAVE A DATE events

20 – 26 May Family Matters Week of Action 

29th  – 30th  August 2019 NACCHO OCHRE DAY

4 November NACCHO Youth Conference -Darwin NT

5 – 7 November NACCHO Conference and AGM  -Darwin NT

Download the 2019 Health Awareness Days Calendar 

21 May First Peoples Disability Network, Is hosting a Human Rights Literacy forum

24 May National Sorry Day Bridge Walk Canberra

24-26 May AMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE – #amanatcon

25 May The Long Walk Melbourne

27 May to 5 June National Reconciliation Week #NRW2019

18 -20 June Lowitja Health Conference Darwin

2019 Dr Tracey Westerman’s Workshops 

5 July NAIDOC week Symposium

6 July National NAIDOC Awards Canberra

7 -14 July 2019 National NAIDOC Grant funding round opens

2-5 August Garma Festival 

29th  – 30th  August 2019 NACCHO OCHRE DAY

23 -25 September IAHA Conference Darwin

24 -26 September 2019 CATSINaM National Professional Development Conference

9-10 October 2019 NATSIHWA 10 Year Anniversary Conference

16 October Melbourne Uni: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing Conference

4 November NACCHO Youth Conference -Darwin NT

5 – 7 November NACCHO Conference and AGM  -Darwin NT

5-8 November The Lime Network Conference New Zealand 

Featured Save a dates date

20-26 May 2019 Family Matters Week of Action

” SNAICC congratulates the returning Coalition Government, and is ready to work alongside a new Indigenous Affairs Minister and Social Services Minister to prioritise better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

We believe that this most urgently requires a national strategy, with generational targets, to eliminate over-representation of our children in out-of home care and address the causes of child removal, as well as ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have adequate access to quality education in the early years of their lives.

The complexity and depth of the issue – spanning both federal and state government powers – requires a holistic national strategy if we are to make any real dents. The incoming Federal Government has a responsibility to demonstrate commitment and leadership by starting this process, premised on the principles of self-determination and partnership agreed under the Closing the Gap refresh process.”

Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chairperson

Download the Full Press Release

Family Matters Press Release

“ We need to see better commitment from our federal leaders to break the cycle of trauma for our children and families, and support evidence-based, community-led solutions.

So many Aboriginal children aren’t able to access early years education, which is such a crucial time in their education journey. It’s clearly an area that Australia should and must be doing better.

There are over 17,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-ofhome care at this very minute, having been removed from their families; there’s no denying that’s a national crisis. Through the Closing the Gap refresh, the government has shown a clear desire to work with communities to address this crisis, and we’re hopeful that a strong relationship with a new minister can produce some real change for our children and families.”

Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chairperson

This week SNAICC is leading the Family Matters campaign National Week of Action, to raise awareness of the causes and solutions to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the out-ofhome care system.

 

Throughout the National Week of Action, from 20-26 May, child welfare organisations and individual supporters from across the country are encouraged to play their part in raising awareness about the escalating number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from family.

 

“Family Matters seeks to foster an environment where there is wellbeing, safety and stability for all children. For Aboriginal children this means fostering a greater sense of belonging by growing up in family and community, and in a society that respects and values who they are as Aboriginal people.”

 

  • Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chairperson

During this week, we highlight the fundamental issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Most importantly, we’re working to shine a light on the disconnection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from community, culture and country.

Take action!

Together, we’ll:

  • inform service providers, policy decision makers, and the Australian public of the national crisis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander over-representation in out-of home care
  • garner support to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe and cared for within family, community and culture
  • ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, communities and organisations are empowered to exercise their responsibilities for the safety and wellbeing of their children

Find out more about what you can do and use our resources below to take action

What you can do

As a Family Matters supporter, we are calling on your organisation to further support Family Matters by hosting an event and promoting the National Week of Action via your organisation’s website, social media and other communications channels.

Our policy asks

Learn more about the policy changes we’re asking for

Join us in demanding for political action.

Events

Hold an event in your workplace, engage your supporters, members and staff in discussions about the escalating number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their family, and the power you have to influence change.

REGISTER YOUR EVENT

Photos

Take a photo of you and your mob holding our campaign sign and share it on social media.

Use our resources to promote on social media.

Social media

Share our election priorities on social media.

Share this video: Let’s Start the Conversation

And copy and paste the following messaging to use on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook

Check back soon for a Facebook frame so you can change your profile to show your support for the campaign.

Twitter

On Twitter, use the hashtag #BecauseOfThemWeMust

[I / We / your organisation] believe/s that #FamilyMatters. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11x more likely to be removed from their families than other Australian children. Our children deserve better. #BecauseOfThemWeMust

USE OUR RESOURCES

Without real change now, the story remains the same. It’s time for a new approach. Together, we can break the cycle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child removal.

Download the NACCHO 2019 Calendar Health Awareness Days

For many years ACCHO organisations have said they wished they had a list of the many Indigenous “ Days “ and Aboriginal health or awareness days/weeks/events.

With thanks to our friends at ZockMelon here they both are!

It even has a handy list of the hashtags for the event.

Download the 53 Page 2019 Health days and events calendar HERE

naccho zockmelon 2019 health days and events calendar

We hope that this document helps you with your planning for the year ahead.

Every Tuesday we will update these listings with new events and What’s on for the week ahead

To submit your events or update your info

Contact: Colin Cowell www.nacchocommunique.com

NACCHO Social Media Editor Tel 0401 331 251

Email : nacchonews@naccho.org.au

21 May First Peoples Disability Network, Is hosting a Human Rights Literacy forum. #FPDN #community#humanrights #Indigenous #culture

All welcome, Catering will be provided.
Location: Aboriginal Advancement League
THORNBURY, Tuesday 21 May 2019

 

24 May National Sorry Day Bridge Walk Canberra

24-26 May AMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE – #amanatcon

 

The 2019 AMA National Conference at Sofitel Brisbane, from 24-26 May, will feature an impressive line-up of influential health leaders, speakers and panellists, prestigious awards, and international speakers.

International speakers include Dr Barbara McAneny, the President of the American Medical Association, and Dr Michael Myers, a specialist in doctors’ health and the author or co-author of 150 scientific publications and eight books, including Why Physicians Die By Suicide: Lessons Learned from Their Families and Others Who Cared.

Policy sessions include: Doctors’ Health – Protecting Doctors and Their Families: A Call to Action; Aged Care – Improving Clinical Care in an Era of Financial Constraint; Artificial Intelligence in Health Care; and Reforming Australia’s Mental Health System.

Delegates will also debate key contemporary health issues from the floor of the Conference.

For highlights of the Conference see attached

AMA National Conference 2019 – Brisbane 24-26 May

25 May The Long Walk Melbourne

Reconciliation Australia is proud to sponsor  again in 2019. Head down to  in Melbourne on 25 May for food, activities, and musical performances by , , and more. Learn more: 

27 May to 5 June National Reconciliation Week #NRW2019 

At the heart of reconciliation is the relationship between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To foster positive race relations, our relationship must be grounded in a foundation of truth.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long called for a comprehensive process of truth-telling about Australia’s colonial history. Our nation’s past is reflected in the present, and will continue to play out in future unless we heal historical wounds.

Today, 80 per cent of Australians believe it is important to undertake formal truth telling processes, according to the 2018 Australian Reconciliation Barometer. Australians are ready to come to terms with our history as a crucial step towards a unified future, in which we understand, value and respect each other.

Whether you’re engaging in challenging conversations or unlearning and relearning what you know, this journey requires all of us to walk together with courage. This National Reconciliation Week, we invite Australians from all backgrounds to contribute to our national movement towards a unified future.

What is National Reconciliation Week?

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time 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.

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Resources HERE

18 -20 June Lowitja Health Conference Darwin


At the Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2019 delegates from around the world will discuss the role of First Nations in leading change and will showcase Indigenous solutions.

The conference program will highlight ways of thinking, speaking and being for the benefit of Indigenous peoples everywhere.

Join Indigenous leaders, researchers, health professionals, decision makers, community representatives, and our non-Indigenous colleagues in this important conversation.

More Info 

​2019 Dr Tracey Westerman’s Workshops 

More info and dates

5 July NAIDOC week Symposium

Symposium: Our Voice, Our Truth
Kick off NAIDOC week in Canberra with a Symposium event with keynote speakers and expert panel on the topic of good governance through strong leadership. A daylong event, fully catered with morning and afternoon tea, lunch and post-event drinks and canapes with entertainment to conclude.
This is an exclusive ticketed event in a stunning lakeside venue with limited seats available. Save the date – July 5 – and follow https://www.facebook.com/ailcleaders/ on Facebook to be the first in line to book tickets
6 July National NAIDOC Awards Canberra

7 -14 July 2019 National NAIDOC Grant funding round opens

VOICE. TREATY. TRUTH.

We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

The Indigenous voice of this country is over 65,000 plus years old.

They are the first words spoken on this continent. Languages that passed down lore, culture and knowledge for over millennia. They are precious to our nation.

It’s that Indigenous voice that include know-how, practices, skills and innovations – found in a wide variety of contexts, such as agricultural, scientific, technical, ecological and medicinal fields, as well as biodiversity-related knowledge.  They are words connecting us to country, an understanding of country and of a people who are the oldest continuing culture on the planet.

And with 2019 being celebrated as the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, it’s time for our knowledge to be heard through our voice.

For generations, we have sought recognition of our unique place in Australian history and society today. We need to be the architects of our lives and futures.

For generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have looked for significant and lasting change.

Voice. Treaty. Truth. were three key elements to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. These reforms represent the unified position of First Nations Australians.

However, the Uluru Statement built on generations of consultation and discussions among Indigenous people on a range of issues and grievances. Consultations about the further reforms necessary to secure and underpin our rights and to ensure they can be exercised and enjoyed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

It specifically sequenced a set of reforms: first, a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution and second, a Makarrata Commission to supervise treaty processes and truth-telling.

(Makarrata is a word from the language of the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land. The Yolngu concept of Makarrata captures the idea of two parties coming together after a struggle, healing the divisions of the past. It is about acknowledging that something has been done wrong, and it seeks to make things right.)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want their voice to be heard. First Nations were excluded from the Constitutional convention debates of the 1800’s when the Australian Constitution came into force.  Indigenous people were excluded from the bargaining table.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always wanted an enhanced role in decision-making in Australia’s democracy.

In the European settlement of Australia, there were no treaties, no formal settlements, no compacts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people therefore did not cede sovereignty to our land. It was taken away from us. That will remain a continuing source of dispute.

Our sovereignty has never been ceded – not in 1788, not in 1967, not with the Native Title Act, not with the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It coexists with the sovereignty of the Crown and should never be extinguished.

Australia is one of the few liberal democracies around the world which still does not have a treaty or treaties or some other kind of formal acknowledgement or arrangement with its Indigenous minorities.

A substantive treaty has always been the primary aspiration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander movement.

Critically, treaties are inseparable from Truth.

Lasting and effective agreement cannot be achieved unless we have a shared, truthful understanding of the nature of the dispute, of the history, of how we got to where we stand.

The true story of colonisation must be told, must be heard, must be acknowledged.

But hearing this history is necessary before we can come to some true reconciliation, some genuine healing for both sides.

And of course, this is not just the history of our First Peoples – it is the history of all of us, of all of Australia, and we need to own it.

Then we can move forward together.

Let’s work together for a shared future.

Download the National NAIDOC Logo and other social media resources.

2-5 August Garma Festival 

Garma Website

29th  – 30th  Aug 2019 NACCHO OCHRE DAY

Venue: Pullman Hotel – 192 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne Vic 3000

Website to be launched soon

23 -25 September IAHA Conference Darwin

24 September

A night of celebrating excellence and action – the Gala Dinner is the premier national networking event in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health.

The purpose of the IAHA National Indigenous Allied Health Awards is to recognise the contribution of IAHA members to their profession and/or improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The IAHA National Indigenous Allied Health Awards showcase the outstanding achievements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health and provides identifiable allied health role models to inspire all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to consider and pursue a career in allied health.

The awards this year will be known as “10 for 10” to honour the 10 Year Anniversary of IAHA. We will be announcing 4 new awards in addition to the 6 existing below.

Read about the categories HERE.

24 -26 September 2019 CATSINaM National Professional Development Conference

 

 

The 2019 CATSINaM National Professional Development Conference will be held in Sydney, 24th – 26th September 2019. Make sure you save the dates in your calendar.

Further information to follow soon.

Date: Tuesday the 24th to Thursday the 26th September 2019

Location: Sydney, Australia

Organiser: Chloe Peters

Phone: 02 6262 5761

Email: admin@catsinam.org.au

9-10 October 2019 NATSIHWA 10 Year Anniversary Conference

SAVE THE DATE for the 2019 NATSIHWA 10 Year Anniversary Conference!!!

We’re so excited to announce the date of our 10 Year Anniversary Conference –
A Decade of Footprints, Driving Recognition!!! 

NATSIHWA recognises that importance of members sharing and learning from each other, and our key partners within the Health Sector. We hold a biennial conference for all NATSIHWA members to attend. The conference content focusses on the professional support and development of the Health Workers and Health Practitioners, with key side events to support networking among attendees.  We seek feedback from our Membership to make the conferences relevant to their professional needs and expectations and ensure that they are offered in accessible formats and/or locations.The conference is a time to celebrate the important contribution of Health Workers and Health Practitioners, and the Services that support this important profession.

We hold the NATSIHWA Legends Award night at the conference Gala Dinner. Award categories include: Young Warrior, Health Worker Legend, Health Service Legend and Individual Champion.

Watch this space for the release of more dates for registrations, award nominations etc.

16 October Melbourne Uni: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing Conference

The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health are pleased to advise that abstract
submissions are now being invited that address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and
wellbeing.

The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Conference is an opportunity for sharing information and connecting people that are committed to reforming the practice and research of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health and celebrates Aboriginal knowledge systems and strength-based approaches to improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal communities.

This is an opportunity to present evidence-based approaches, Aboriginal methods and models of
practice, Aboriginal perspectives and contribution to health or community led solutions, underpinned by cultural theories to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.
In 2018 the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Conference attracted over 180 delegates from across the community and state.

We welcome submissions from collaborators whose expertise and interests are embedded in Aboriginal health and wellbeing, and particularly presented or co-presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and community members.

If you are interested in presenting, please complete the speaker registration link

closing date for abstract submission is Friday 3 rd May 2019.
As per speaker registration link request please email your professional photo for our program or any conference enquiries to E. aboriginal-health@unimelb.edu.au.

Kind regards
Leah Lindrea-Morrison
Aboriginal Partnerships and Community Engagement Officer
Department of Rural Health, University of Melbourne T. 03 5823 4554 E. leah.lindrea@unimelb.edu.au

4 November NACCHO Youth Conference -Darwin NT

Darwin Convention Centre

Website to be launched soon

Conference Co-Coordinator Ben Mitchell 02 6246 9309

ben.mitchell@naccho.org.au

5 – 7 November NACCHO Conference and AGM  -Darwin NT

Darwin Convention Centre

Website to be launched soon

Conference Co-Coordinator Ben Mitchell 02 6246 9309

ben.mitchell@naccho.org.au

5-8 November The Lime Network Conference New Zealand 

This years  whakatauki (theme for the conference) was developed by the Scientific Committee, along with Māori elder, Te Marino Lenihan & Tania Huria from .

To read about the conference & theme, check out the  website. 

NACCHO Aboriginal Health #AusVotesHealth #VoteACCHO #ClosetheGap #ClosingtheGap : @ScottMorrisonMP @KenWyattMP @LiberalAus Finally release an #Election2019 policy to support Indigenous Australia

” The Morrison Government is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to provide the same opportunities as for every other Australian.

We know and believe that, to deliver real outcomes, we need to work in partnership.

We’ve drawn a line in the sand in regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policies and programs.

We need to refresh what we’re doing because, while the 2019 Closing the Gap report highlighted successes across the country, only two of the seven targets are on track to be met.

The original targets were well-intentioned but developed without the collaboration and accountability of the states and territories or input from Indigenous Australians.

Under the Morrison Government, Australia’s Closing the Gap targets will be redeveloped in partnership with Indigenous Australians for the first time. ”

From the Liberal Party Website 

When it comes to delivering the services needed, we believe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations are best placed and we are increasing their number under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

Our Empowered Communities initiative, co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, is a prime example of our reforms.

We are working with the Empowered Communities leaders and across each region to improve our engagement and delivery in partnership with local community leaders.

The Morrison Government has provided over $30 million to support local engagement and capacity building to eight Empowered Communities regional bodies throughout the country. Empowered Communities leaders are now directly involved in determining how funding is allocated in their regions.

We are also increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses winning contracts with the Commonwealth. From July 2019, the Indigenous Procurement Policy 2.0 will introduce a target of 3 per cent of the value of Commonwealth contracts to be awarded to Indigenous businesses within a decade. This builds on the highly successful IPP target that was introduced in 2015: where 3 per cent of the number of Commonwealth contracts are to go to Indigenous businesses.

We remain committed to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution.

The recognition of First Australians in our nation’s founding document would acknowledge our shared history and the value we place on our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.

We also acknowledge the importance of telling and sharing our nation’s story: especially the history and culture of the oldest living culture on Earth. Supporting a process of truth telling and healing is an important part of our nation’s journey to reconciliation.

OUR RECORD

The Liberal Nationals Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) delivers $5.2 billion in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities: ensuring children are attending school, adults are in jobs and communities are safe.

As partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, we have done a power of work.

Across the IAS, funding is increasingly delivered by Indigenous organisations operating in their communities, ensuring high quality and culturally appropriate services.

We have doubled the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations delivering services under the IAS – up from 30 per cent before its introduction to 60 per cent now.

Under our Government’s Indigenous Procurement Policy, over 1473 Indigenous businesses have won contracts delivering goods and services worth more than $1.83 billion, up from just 30 businesses receiving $6.2 million in 2012-13.

We have remained steadfast in our commitment to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution.

We established a Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition (the Committee) to examine how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are consulted and engaged with and to consider options for constitutional change. We did this because the Referendum Council did not do its job – it did not provide a clear path to a successful referendum.

We are now working to implement the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee so this pathway can be achieved.

We have supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians sharing their stories, languages and cultures through national institutions such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the National Museum of Australia. And we’ve committed an additional $10 million to support the revival and maintenance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians languages.

We are also helping our nation to heal with funding to deliver the support that is needed for surviving members of the Stolen Generations.

We are providing $20 million to the Healing Foundation to support their work, including a comprehensive needs-analysis to better understand the demography of the surviving Stolen Generations.

We are providing almost $50 million a year to fund more than 110 organisations nationwide: supporting social and emotional wellbeing activities, including for Stolen Generations members and their families.

The Morrison Government will continue our efforts to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution – and increase the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the design of policies and delivery of programs that benefit them.

CLOSING THE GAP – A REFRESH

The Closing the Gap process that began in 2008 was born of good heart.

Despite this, it did not truly seek to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The driving belief was that a top-down approach could achieve the change that was rightly desired, through lofty goals and bureaucratic targets.

The Morrison Government has turned a new page.

We are committed to working together and deciding together how future policies are developed – especially at a regional and local level.

We have listened to what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have told us is important.

At COAG in December last year, all governments committed to share ownership of, and responsibility for, frameworks, targets and ongoing monitoring of a refreshed Closing the Gap Agenda with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at its heart.

And under the leadership of Prime Minister Morrison, the Commonwealth, state and territory and local governments in partnership with the National Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations signed an Agreement to change the way government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians work together on Closing the Gap.

We are providing $4.6 million to the National Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations to ensure an equal partnership with governments in designing and monitoring Closing the Gap.

CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS

Since 2013, the Liberal and Nationals Government has maintained the multi-partisan commitment to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution.

We are listening to the recommendations of the bi-partisan Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (chaired by Julian Leeser MP and Senator Patrick Dodson).

The Joint Select Committee recommended that further work was needed to clarify a model for constitutional recognition and how it could best suit the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

We are committed to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the Constitution at the same time as delivering practical outcomes to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. But there needs to be more work done on what model we take to a referendum and what a voice to parliament would be – which is why we are funding a consultation process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This process will develop up a question for a referendum and what a referendum will deliver – because no one can answer what a voice to parliament actually is at the moment.

To deliver on this recommendation, the Morrison Government is providing $7.3 million for the comprehensive co-design of models to improve local and regional decision making and options for constitutional recognition. This work will commence immediately to provide a model and pathway to a successful referendum.

The key issue that we keep hearing is what is this Voice, the ALP cannot tell us what the Voice might look like and how it might operate. We believe if Australians don’t understand what they’re voting for in a referendum, they will vote no, and endanger this important issue for another generation.

The Government will engage and consult with Indigenous communities, organisations and leaders across Australia to deliver this important work.

A referendum will be held once a model has been settled, consistent with the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee.

And we have allocated $160 million in the Budget to run a referendum, with funding remaining in the Contingency Reserve until a referendum model has been determined.

NATIONAL RESTING PLACE

The Morrison Government supports the establishment of a National Resting Place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains as a place of commemoration, healing and reflection. This is consistent with the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee.

The Government has committed $5 million to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to undertake a scoping study and consultation as a first step. This important memorial will recognise the unique contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and history to our nation.

TRUTH TELLING

The Morrison Government supports a process of truth telling as part of our nation’s journey to reconciliation.

A truth telling process would acknowledge the history and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians – and the impacts and consequences.

We will work with local Indigenous communities on this recognition and acknowledgment, supporting a process of local reconciliation for all Australians.

We are also investing almost $2 million in the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) to support the work of its Family History Unit. The unit works with local communities to identify and commemorate past trauma, dispossession and the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The family history research and services support the process of truth telling and healing.

Our Government’s commitment to a National Resting Place also supports the process of truth telling.

A National Resting Place would provide an important memorial for the whole nation to reflect on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians since European settlement.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS

The Morrison Government remains committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

We will continue to work and expand our co-designed Empowered Communities initiative to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are involved in local and regional decision making.

In addition, we will continue to increase the number of Indigenous-owned and operated organisations delivering services to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, we have doubled the number of contracts held by Indigenous organisations from 30 to 60 per cent. We know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations are best placed to deliver services to their communities.

We are committing to increase that by 10 per cent each year with an aspirational target of 100 per cent by 2023.

THE CHOICE

When last in office, Labor failed First Australians for six years.

Labor had no cohesive focus to address decades of entrenched disadvantage.

It delivered the symbolic apology to Indigenous Australians, but then dropped the ball on improving outcomes.

The hopes of many Indigenous people that Labor would deliver real, practical change on the ground on the back of the apology were dashed.

As Labor destroyed the economy and the Budget, leaving $240 billion in cumulative deficits, it turned its back on Indigenous Affairs.

Trapped in the mindset of academics and peak advocacy bodies, Labor lost sight of the urgent need to address poverty and dysfunction.

The process of co-design and listening to Indigenous Australians was what Labor supported last year in Senator Pat Dodson and Julian Leeser’s report and this issue is too important to get wrong.

Now, their only solution is to rush, without adequate consultation to establish The Voice to Parliament – a new national representative body that amounts to a Third Chamber of Parliament just for Indigenous Australians.

Currently there’s no model, and we’ve got the ALP proposing to go to a referendum, and we don’t support the position to go with an unknown referendum question.

The key issue that we keep hearing is what is this Voice, the ALP cannot tell us what the Voice might look like and how it might operate?

We believe if Australians don’t understand what they’re voting for in a referendum, they will vote no, and endanger this important issue for another generation.

This is something that is neither desirable nor likely to be supported by the Australian people.

By contrast, the Morrison Government will focus on real action to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous people – getting kids to school, adults to work and making communities safer.

We are focusing on genuine engagement directly with communities.

And we will work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to deliver constitutional recognition and continue to improve our engagement through local and regional decision making.

We’re working with Traditional Owners, elders and communities to identify the fundamental priorities and policy approaches that will lead to greater engagement in schooling, training and work and lead to safer communities.

We support the representative bodies like Land Councils that Labor wants to ignore.

For the first time in years, we have a clear line of sight to where each and every Indigenous-specific dollar is being spent.

We are ensuring that funding is directed to areas of greatest need and that organisations delivering services are held to account for outcomes.

We have ended the passive racism of lower expectations in the delivery of services to Indigenous people.

We recognise that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are thriving and making a positive contribution to our nation.

Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to deliver the practical change to address Indigenous disadvantage.

Only the Liberal Nationals Government, by keeping the economy strong, will be able to keep up the investment that is needed going forward.

Only the Morrison Government can be trusted to deliver the practical change to address Indigenous disadvantage.

COST

The Morrison Government’s policies to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are funded from the $5.2 billion Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

 

Welcome to our special NACCHO #Election2019 #VoteACCHO resource page for Affiliates, ACCHO members, stakeholders and supporters. The health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is not a partisan political issue and cannot be sidelined any longer.

NACCHO has developed a set of policy #Election2019 recommendations that if adopted, fully funded and implemented by the incoming Federal Government, will provide a pathway forward for improvements in our health outcomes.

We are calling on all political parties to include these recommendations in their election platforms and make a real commitment to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and help us Close the Gap.

With your action and support of our #VoteACCHO campaign we can make the incoming Federal Government accountable.

More info HERE 

NACCHO Acting Chair, Donnella Mills

NACCHO Aboriginal Dental Health #AusVotesHealth #VoteACCHO : Professor @MarcTennant supports our #Electio2019 Recommendation 9 of 10 for more ACCHOs to deliver culturally safe dental services for our mob

” A big focus of our effort is Aboriginal health. We are one of the early teams to work on addressing issues of rural and remote dental health care access for Aboriginal people.

A crazy (in today’s thinking) simple model of fly-in-fly-out support to locally owned and run Aboriginal Medical Service based dental clinics. The gold standard today.

Aboriginal Medical Services can have, run and look after fantastic dental services, it’s right. Proven over decades.

Just do it today! I want to see every 145 ACCHO in Australia with a dental service!

EVERY SINGLE ONE!

Professor Marc Tennant, UWA Orginally published in Croakey 

NACCHO Recommendation 9

The incoming Federal Government fund Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations deliver dental services.

  • Establish a fund to support ACCHOs deliver culturally safe dental services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
  • Allocate Indigenous dental health funding to cover costs associated with staffing and infrastructure requirements.

More info https://www.naccho.org.au/media/voteaccho/

Read over 30 NACCHO Aboriginal Dental Health articles like this HERE

“A proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have good oral health. On average, however, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience poor oral health earlier in their lifespan and in greater severity and prevalence than the rest of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are also less likely to receive treatment to prevent or address poor oral health, resulting in oral health care in the form of emergency treatment.”

From IAHA Website

Photo above : Gari Watson is a Goreng Goreng, Gangulu and Biri Gubba man who grew up in Brisbane, Queensland  Gari was the third Indigenous dentist to graduate from James Cook University (JCU) in 2014. Gari was working at the Institute for Urban Indigenous health in his hometown of Brisbane. “Working in Indigenous health, with my people, is my passion in life,” said Gari. “Working on the frontline to improve oral health and contributing to closing the gap in Indigenous health equality is exactly where I want to be. I’m living the dream.”  

I have spent three decades working in and around dental health/public health and innovation in Australia and other places.

We are a team of many, many people from all over earth – there is more than 100 people working on things with us; from Jeddah to Utah and everywhere in-between.

We have graduate students focused on addressing inequality and building systems to reform health care in Australia and across the world.

Poor dental health has become a condition of poverty and marginalisation over the last five decades.

Today the “average” (actually does NOT exist) Aussie kid has less than one decayed tooth. In fact, over half of kids have NO decay.

But, a small minority of kids have LOTS of decay and suffer a lot. These are more often than not those for poor areas or are at the edge of society.

Why has decay dropped to such a low prevalence in society? Not actually a simple, clean one-line answer. Brushing, eating better, fluoride, toothpaste…. the list goes on.

Amazing turnaround!!! In 1960’s, a 12-year-old had 12 holes in their teeth – today less than ONE! AMAZING.

This started in the late 1960’s so many adults today have low decay levels too. BUT, there are pockets of trouble too!

This trend is now in adults too – the poor suffer far more than the rich with dental disease.

Why? The risk factors are higher for the marginalised, it’s harder to access good preventive care and more risk-taking activity.

Australia has two dental systems ­– private dental care, that are small independent businesses on the whole and are free to charge as they like. This is more than 85 percent of dental care.

AND, a small public system for those on health care cards or similar. Also, here we have Aboriginal Medical Service based dental services too.

PS We also have dental care in some tertiary hospitals for tough problems, cleft lip and palate, oral cancer, jaw fractures and more.

The public dental system is small, often under-resourced, especially as dental disease is now a condition of poverty. It’s the wrong way round now (private: public ratio)

Remember, the public dental systems are run by STATE governments – the federal government does not really have a role in dental (although there are some growing bits of funding now).

Where do we need to go in dental health in Australia?

Everyone says dental should be part of Medicare. If I said the bill for that could be as large as the NDIS as a cost, you can see the problem.

And remember that most dental care is provided by small businesses where the government cannot control prices – there would be payment gaps!

Read more on Medicare Dental at https://croakey.org/a-new-publication-on-oral-health-catch-up-with-some-talkingteeth/ … It will explain in detail why that’s probably not achievable nor actually what would help Australians.

There are alternatives… We have seen some ­– targeted care for those in need subsidised by the government.

There are some efforts around to be targeted and maximising bang for buck. The most efficient models of providing good dental care are actually part of State government care systems.

State government dental care systems across Australia are run down, and the real opportunity now is to re-enforce them and grow them. Get some balance back into the nation

We now have dental workforce to do it!

In 2000, we were at a workforce crisis with a lack of dentists. Today, 20 years later, we have sufficient workforce coming though… In some places there are too many (Sydney and Melbourne) but as a nation we are now safe.

We need to get more dental workforce out of Nedlands, Double Bay and Toorak and into the rest of Australia – that’s the big effort for the next decade.

We need our dental focus to start with those in most need, the poor and marginalised (economically and geographically). This is where dental troubles are. They are not in Toorak or Double Bay.

And people in Toorak or Double Bay have access to care – some of the highest densities of dentists in the world are around those suburbs!!! True.

It is interesting that the Labor Party policy released last week has focused on the elderly. Demographic shift.

As I am explaining, dental disease is reducing in adults and those born from mid 1960’s forward are on the whole dental far better than their elders.

Focus on elder dental health is good! Australia is growing old and we still have dental troubles for people.

The maximisation of bang-for-buck from what I can see is for people to take their “voucher” (if Labor wins) and spend it in the public dental service. Help grow the safety net for others in need.

Obviously, where there is no public system, do use the local private practice but I just wish people would try their darndest to support their fellow Australians by helping grow the public system.

I should say, I am not employed either as a private or public dentist and take no money in sponsorship. I am an academic. (In addition, I do not have a share portfolio!)

And new things to think about. Telehealth is coming to dental. Yes, imagine screening teeth from images you take in your own bathroom.

Telehealth really going to be important in closing geographic gaps. Imagine screening kids to prioritise them for the dental team when they come to town.

There is a digital future in dentistry (I have seen experimental robots doing dental care! – it’s coming)’

An important initiative in dental will be big data and prediction. Well protected (privacy) coupled with good analysis is going to give us great tools to predict risk and predict where needs are.

We do need to see support going into the R&D of these big-data solutions in health. They will squeeze every bit of value from every dollar we spend on dental care. A digital future is coming to public health and dentistry.

NACCHO Aboriginal Health #AusVotesHealth #VoteACCHO @Greens Leader @RichardDiNatale and @SenatorSiewert launch their #Election2019 platform “ Improving #FirstNations health outcomes in partnership with #FirstNations people : Download Here

” First Nations peoples continue to experience much poorer health and wellbeing than the general Australian population in many key areas of health[1]. These include life expectancy, mortality, hospitalisations, education, employment, child and maternal health, and disabilities[2].

For First Nations peoples, good health is more than the absence of disease or illness; it is a holistic concept that includes physical, social, emotional, cultural, spiritual and ecological wellbeing, for both the individual and the community.

This concept of good health emphasises the connectedness of these factors and recognises how social and cultural determinants can affect health[3].

The Greens will work with First Nations peoples and communities to facilitate and fund community-led approaches in access to health care and social services in a wide range of ways which are outlined below. All of these are included in our broader 2019 election policy platform.’

Picture above NACCHO Library : Senator Rachel Siewert visiting the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Centre with Senator Richard Di Natale . Prior to entering parliament, Richard was a general practitioner and public health specialist. He worked in Aboriginal health in the Northern Territory.

Download Stakeholder Statement_First Nations Health_FINAL_RELEASED (2)

ONE: IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES

Following the introduction of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, over $500 million was cut from First Nations programs, including more than $169 million of cuts to health programs4. This Strategy has resulted in funding uncertainty for organisations and a decrease in the number of organisations working in the communities they are serving.

The Australian Greens will restore this funding and work to ensure that this restoration is led by communities[4].

In addition, we will address specific health issues through broader changes to the health system including:

  • Addressing the proportion of First Nations Australians with long term health conditions which is 1.7 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians. The Greens have a plan to reform Medicare to meet the needs of the millions of Australians living with chronic disease through additional funding for GPs and voluntary enrolment to provide coordinated care6.
  • Working with communities and health professionals to design targets and interventions for diseases, such as rheumatic heart disease, trachoma and chronic otitis media, that are more prevalent in First Nations communities.
  • Helping First Nations peoples who have poor access to high quality food, partake in insufficient physical activity and have high obesity7. The Australian Greens will address these challenges through our new independent preventive health commission8.
  • Investing $15 million per year to close the gap in the rates of new HIV diagnoses between Australian-born non-indigenous peoples and First Nations peoples. This funding will be used to ensure the needs of all First Nations peoples, including brotherboys, sistergirls and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people are met in public health prevention and service provision.
  • Investing in suicide prevention programs that work by providing $500 million for community-based assertive outreach programs, with dedicated funding for First Nations peoples.
  • Increasing the numbers of peer workers by providing $166 million to fund a two-year national peer workforce trial with 1,000 places, with a dedicated number of places for First Nations peer workers.
  • Investing in research which is controlled and led research by First Nations peoples. The Greens provide in principle support for increased funding for First Nations controlled and led research, either through the MRFF or the National Health and Medical Research Council and will be investing more money in research and development.
  • Doubling Commonwealth AOD treatment funding to $800 million over three years to improve treatment outcomes

TWO: IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES BY ADDRESSING AUSTRALIA’S UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Australia’s health inequities are closely related to powerlessness, racism and a slow process of reconciliation alongside limited recognition of human, land and sovereign rights9. The Australian Greens will10:

  • Provide $50 million in funding to First Nations peoples’ organisations to support a path towards treaties.
  • Provide $50 million for the establishment of a body, such as the suggested Makaratta commission, with the function of enabling agreement-making and facilitating a process of local and regional justice and truth telling.
  • Support the establishment of such a ‘voice to Parliament’ enshrined in the Constitution to ensure that First Nations Peoples have a voice in decisions that affect them.
  • Find out more at: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20World%20Class%20Universal%20Health.pdf

THREE: IMPROVING ACCESS TO SOCIAL SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT

A person’s health is influenced by their home, school, workplace, community and experiences of social institutions and systems[5]. Household income differences between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples contributes to almost 14% of the overall health gap, followed by differences in employment and hours worked (12%), and level of school completed (8.7%). The

Australian Greens will address these causes by:

  • Allocating a proportion of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) for quality community-controlled and culturally safe integrated early years services[6]. The CCCF provides grants to child care services to help improve access in disadvantaged, regional and remote communities.
  • Funding unlimited free undergraduate university and TAFE. This will make higher education more accessible for all, including First Nations peoples[7][8].
  • Improving access to and the quality of our social safety net by increasing the single rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance by $75 per week[9].
  • Abolishing punitive measures including income management, the Community Development Program and work for the dole[10].
  • Increasing the number of Indigenous Rangers to 5,000 by 2025. The Indigenous Rangers Program has been a resounding success. For every $1 invested, it returns $3 in environmental and socioeconomic benefits[11] .
  • Allocating a proportion of our $200 million Survivor Grant fund to First Nations community-controlled specialist frontline services working with family violence survivors
  • Adopting a housing first policy by setting aside $500 million per year to fund transitional housing and crisis services. We will work with First Nations organisations to ensure access to culturally appropriate crisis housing and long-term housing options for women and children experiencing family violence.

[1] AIHW, Australia’s Health 2018

https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/7c42913d-295f-4bc9-9c24-4e44eff4a04a/aihw-aus-221.pdf.aspx?inline=true  

[2] AIHW, Australia’s Health 2018

https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/7c42913d-295f-4bc9-9c24-4e44eff4a04a/aihw-aus-221.pdf.aspx?inline=true  

[3] AIHW, Australia’s Health 2018 https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/7c42913d-295f-4bc9-9c24-4e44eff4a04a/aihw-aus-221.pdf.aspx?inline=true  4 ​https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-13/budget-2014:-$534-cut-to-indigenous-programs-and-health/5451144 

[4] Find out more at:

[https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2018-12/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20Justice%20for%20First%20Nat​                    i ons%20Peoples.pdf  

 

[5] AIHW, Australia’s Health 2018 https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/7c42913d-295f-4bc9-9c24-4e44eff4a04a/aihw-aus-221.pdf.aspx?inline=true  

[6] Find out more at: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20Child%20care.pdf  

[7] Find out more at​https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2018-12/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform%20-%20Free%20TAFE%20and%20Uni_

[8] .pdf  

[9] Find out more at: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform-%20World%20Class%20Social%20Servic es.pdf  

[10] Find out more at: https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform-%20World%20Class%20Social%20Servic es.pdf  

[11] Find out more at:

https://greens.org.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Greens%202019%20Policy%20Platform-The%20Nature%20Fund.pdf