Tag Archives: Aboriginal Medical Service

Sep 27 2019

NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce : Donnella Mills @NACCHOChair Keynote Address at #CATSINaM19 Building a workforce and embedding #CulturalSafety : Connecting care through culture

” I’m keen to hear your ideas on how we can cooperate across the sector to develop a better workforce with cultural safety embedded throughout the hundreds of clinics and hospitals across the country.

I was impressed by the theme you chose for your conference: ‘connecting care through culture’. That simple phrase captures so much of what we do in our sector each and every day.

Cultural safety, I believe, is what makes us unique and what represents our greatest strength.

In the Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations – the ACCHOs – you have this reinforced through the operating model.

‘Community control’ is not just a term – it is a 48-year-old model – forged at Redern in 1971 – and now exercised in 144 local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country.” 

Donnella Mills Acting Chair, NACCHO Keynote address at the CATSINaM National Professional Development Conference Sydney 26 September 

I would like to acknowledge that this conference is being held on Aboriginal land. I recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation who are the traditional custodians of this place we now call Sydney. I pay my respects to their elders.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a Torres Strait Islander woman with ancestral and family links to Masig and Nagir. I am the Acting Chair of NACCHO, which stands for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

I thank the CATSINaM Board for inviting me to deliver this address. It is a privilege to be talking with you today and a special pleasure to be among so many hard-working and dedicated healthcare professionals.

Without you, the Health gap would be so much wider than it is now. Without you, there would be little cultural safety in our hospitals and medical services. I have seen how important your work is on the ground at Wuchopperen and in the other services I have visited. You are the backbone of Aboriginal health.

I plan to speak for about 25 minutes. That will leave us about 20 minutes for yarning at the end. I’m keen to hear your ideas on how we can cooperate across the sector to develop a better workforce with cultural safety embedded throughout the hundreds of clinics and hospitals across the country.

Community control

Our people trust us with their health. We build ongoing relationships to give continuity of care so that chronic conditions are managed and preventative health care is effectively targeted.

Studies have shown that Aboriginal controlled health services are 23% better at attracting and retaining Aboriginal clients than mainstream providers.

Through local engagement and a proven service delivery model, our clients ‘stick’. The cultural safety in which we provide our services is a key factor of our success. In this way, ACCHOs are already ‘leading the way’.

We also build partnerships that make things work. Leadership is not all about the strength to stand up on your own, it is about being smart enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one another. It is about galvanising support on the ground. It is about forging alliances in the sector and building strategic partnerships at the national level.

Employment

Another strength – one that we tend to overlook – is the sheer size of our sector. Let’s have a look at the ACCHO part of it alone. It is not widely known, but the 144 ACCHOs, collectively, are the single largest employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. That means that one in every 44 Indigenous jobs in Australia is at one of our health services.

If we add the Aboriginal health workers in the mainstream and the rest of the sector, these numbers become all the more impressive.

Our sector is doing more to close the employment gap than any of the employment measures dreamed up by Government agencies.

If the Government really wants to get people off welfare, don’t punish vulnerable people with cashless welfare cards, robo-debts or by sending them off to meaningless Work for the Dole activities.

Work with our sector and grow the Aboriginal workforce together. We have real jobs located in real communities. That is where the investment needs to go.

We should remind our politicians of this when they visit us.

They may see a small clinic somewhere with a few staff, but if they understood that we are part of a huge national network of Aboriginal professionals, they might take more notice of us and realise what we have to offer.

Comprehensive primary health care

Another challenge for us is continuing the development of a comprehensive primary health care model. I think we have been hearing this since the release of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy way back in 1989.

Twenty-one years later, a study concluded that ACCHOs are one of a very few settings where ‘comprehensive primary health care’ is delivered. If we keep offering a comprehensive approach for primary health care across the nation, our people will be much less likely to fall between the cracks.

We can do this through colocation of services or forming partnerships at the local level. This can include clinical care, immunisation and environmental health programs, on-site pharmaceutical dispensing and partnerships with family violence, child protection counselling and legal services.

We can also develop links with sports programs, homelessness services, dental services, aged care and disability support. None of these elements can fully succeed when they stand alone. The voluminous literature on the social determinants of health tell us that. But more importantly, it is what we all know from our own personal experiences.

You don’t need an academic to tell you that comprehensive primary health care is the best approach. We all know this intuitively and from our experiences on the ground.

I am not saying that we should all diversify or ‘dilute’ what we are doing. What I am saying is that while we focus on our core activities, we should also be taking every opportunity we can to link up with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and programs in complementary areas.

From my own experience ….

When you think about it, it should not be hard to promote ourselves; to sell ourselves to a new Government. After all, we provide value for money. ACCHOs result in greater health benefits per dollar spent; measured at a value of $1.19 for every $1 spent.

Studies have also shown that the lifetime health impact of interventions delivered by ACCHOs is 50% greater than if these same interventions were delivered by mainstream health services. This is primarily due to improved Aboriginal access and outcomes.

I don’t need to tell you that we also have some pretty significant challenges ahead of us. And I’d like to address these now, one by one.

Remuneration

If we are serious about workforce development, then we cannot ignore the issue of wages. Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I have heard, remuneration is a big issue for nurses and midwives. The ALP, as part of its election platform in May of this year had much to say about improving wages and conditions in the childcare sector, and justifiably so. Childcare is another industry in which women dominate, but are underpaid.

We need the Commonwealth and State Governments to take a similar approach to nurses and midwives. As you all know, women make up almost 90% of all employed nurses and midwives. Representative bodies like NACCHO and CATSINaM need to work together to drive this message home to Governments across the country. Remuneration is an important aspect in attracting and retaining staff.

Vocational development

I think we need to keep improving the career development opportunities and skills acquisition not just for nurses and midwives, but for all Aboriginal health workers. Currently, there is an imbalance in the medical services in which we see more Aboriginal people on the lower levels and amongst the non-clinical staff.

The graph in my presentation shows the situation for ACCHOs. We need more Aboriginal non-clinical staff but we need even more Aboriginal clinical staff.

Recruitment

I see that CATSINaM has a proud record in increasing its membership in recent years. I think you had a record number in your 2018 Annual Report – 1,366 members – representing a jump of 35%. Clearly, you are doing something right to have recruited so many new members.

You must have won the trust of your members to have such a healthy and expanding membership base. With almost half of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwifes in Australia as your members, CATSINaM is the key organisation in addressing many of the workforce development issues in our sector.

Certainly, much more needs to be done to develop career pathways to secure more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwifes as well as more doctors and allied health professionals.

Across Australia in 2015 the AIHW reported that there were only about 180 medical practitioners, 750 allied health professionals, and 3,200 nurses (including 230 midwives) who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. For nurses, this represents just over 1% of all employed nurses and midwives Australia-wide.

The Northern Territory (2.4%) and Tasmania (2.2%) had the highest proportion of Aboriginal nurses and midwives, while Victoria had the lowest (0.5%). Compare these figures to our proportion of working-age Australians – close to 3.%. We should have 3% of all nurses and midwives, not 1%.

As I have already said, our sector is the largest employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.

Now, if the ACCHOs as a group employ about 6,000 staff, of which 56 per cent are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, then we still have another 2,500 jobs in our own sector which could be filled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We have a significant opportunity here. Think of what we could do for our people if we filled such a large number of jobs.

Retention

A big challenge that we confront every day – particularly in the bush – is retention. Stress and burnout is a real problem as Fran Baum’s research has shown. Turnover of staff is high and vacancies remain unfilled for longer than we would like.

With so many vacancies, particularly in remote clinics, a concerted effort could also have a significant positive impact on the size and health of our workforce. It is troubling to hear of the high reported vacancy rate of 6% (i.e. about 380 vacancies at any point in time).

Nevertheless, ACCHOs are doing pretty well in comparison with mainstream and non-Aboriginal organisations. The proportion of health vacancies was 6% compared with 9% for other organisations. My guess is that it is cultural safety that explains the advantage here.

So, if we have a good model and we have sector already working hard for Aboriginal health, then how are we going?

Life expectancy target not met

If we look at just one of the ‘Closing the Gap’ targets – life expectancy – you can see how stark the differences are. According to ABS data, which probably overestimate Aboriginal life expectancy, non-Aboriginal Australians can expect to live to about the age of 82. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are lucky to make it to 72. T

hat’s a ten-year difference. We would be better off living in other countries where the life expectancy is higher. Countries – believe it or not – like Bangladesh or Azerbaijan. Life expectancy is longer in some Third World countries than it is for our people.

Funding for Aboriginal health has fallen

Despite all the words we have heard from Commonwealth and State Governments over the years about ‘Closing the Gap’, instead of increasing expenditure, Governments have actually decreased expenditure on Aboriginal health over the past decade.

Governments need to spend two to three times more on Aboriginal health if we are to have a level of funding commensurate with the actual cost of the burden of disease. This is a huge sum – about $1.4 billion per year – on one estimate.

In real terms health expenditure (excluding hospital expenditure) for Aboriginal people fell 2% from $3,840 per person in 2008 to $3,780 per person in 2016. Over the same period, expenditure on non-Aboriginal people rose by 10%. How can you expect to close the gap when you are reducing funding for our people and increasing it for the non-Aboriginal population?

If we act as one, we can turn things around.

Look at the way that the Aboriginal peaks, like NACCHO and CATSINaM, stood together to force the nine Australian governments to restart the Closing the Gap process. Before we came together and complained to them, the consultation process was expensive lip service.

Before we stood together with one voice, our separate voices were ignored. Now they are listening. Now things are back on track.

Funds are tighter than ever to procure, but, over the years, we have built a world class model of health care and there is too much at stake for us now to start drifting backwards now.

The timing is critical, especially now that we have a re-elected Government and the new arrangements in the administration of Aboriginal programs. It is great to see Ken Wyatt as the first Aboriginal Cabinet member as the Minister for Indigenous Australians.

But we need to engage as closely as we can with him and with Minister Hunt. We also need to keep the dialogue open with Senator Dodson, Senator McCarthy and the Member for Barton in NSW, Linda Burney.

There are also plenty of good Aboriginal leaders in the State and Territory Governments and I urge you to keep talking to them. It is important to have our voice heard.

Especially when we face a mainstream system that continues to overlook us; especially when we have a mainstream system that continues to patronise us. If we don’t act now and keep the pressure up, we will lose some of our recent hard-won gains.

The future

Despite the appalling funding neglect for programs and the low wages paid to our health workers, you have shone in adversity. You are resilient. You survive despite whatever circumstances you find yourselves in.

It’s self-determination and the need to control our own health programs that led to the ACCHO model of care in the first place. It is a lesson for our sector.

If the system was working now, we would have zero preventable hospital admissions. The evidence is not just here, it is overseas as well.

In Canada it has been shown that First Nations communities that transitioned from government-control to community-control of health services experienced a 30% reduction in hospitalisation rates compared with communities where government control was maintained.

In a perfect world our model of primary care through community control would also be complete. We would have full coverage across the land.

We would also have an Aboriginal NDIS workforce in fully-funded models for disability services rolled out, Australia-wide.

And of course, all this hinges on a more accountable public health system and an uncapped needs-based funding model. Who knows, if we had all these things, we may even seriously imagine a future in which we have actually closed the health gap.

With Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands I know that we can get there eventually.

NACCHO and CATSINaM can continue to work together and to set the way forward for Aboriginal health.

But we can also show the non-Aboriginal population what is possible. It is this future that I imagine for my daughter and my own family.

I am sure that it is a vision that we all share.

Leading the way for all of Australia through cultural safety and respect.

Have your say about what is needed to make real change in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people #HaveYourSay about #closingthegap

There is a discussion booklet that has background information on Closing the Gap and sets out what will be talked about in the survey.

The survey will take a little bit of time to complete. It would be great if you can answer all the questions, but you can also just focus on the issues that you care about most.

To help you prepare your answers, you can look at a full copy here

The survey is open to everyone and can be accessed here:

https://www.naccho.org.au/programmes/coalition-of-peaks/have-your-say/

 

Jul 9 2019

NACCHO Aboriginal Health #ClosingTheGap #NAIDOC2019 : @AIHW Key results report 2017-18 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations:

Findings from this report:

  • Just under half (45%) of organisations provide services in Remote or Very remote areas

  • In 2017–18, around 483,000 clients received 3.6 million episodes of care

  • Nearly 8,000 full-time equivalent staff are employed in these organisations and 4,695 (59%) are health staff

  • Organisations reported 445 vacant positions in June 2018 with health vacancies representing 366 (82%) of these
  • In 2017–18, nearly 200 organisations provided a range of primary health services to around 483,000 clients, 81% of whom were Indigenous.
  • Around 3.6 million episodes of care were provided, nearly 3.1 million of these (85%) by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

See AIHW detailed Interactive site locations map HERE

In 2017–18, Indigenous primary health services were delivered from 383 sites (Table 3). Most sites provided clinical services such as the diagnosis and treatment of chronic illnesses (88%), mental health and counselling services (88%), maternal and child health care (86%), and antenatal care (78%). Around two-thirds provided tobacco programs (69%) and substance-use and drug and alcohol programs (66%).

Most organisations provided access to a doctor (86%) and just over half (54%) delivered a wide range of services, including all of the following during usual opening hours: the diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease; antenatal care; maternal and child health care; social and emotional wellbeing/counselling services; substance use programs; and on‑site or off-site access to specialist, allied health and dental care services.

Most organisations (95%) also provided group activities as part of their health promotion and prevention work. For example, in 2017–18, these organisations provided around:

  • 8,400 physical activity/healthy weight sessions
  • 3,700 living skills sessions
  • 4,600 chronic disease client support sessions
  • 4,100 tobacco-use treatment and prevention sessions.

In addition to the services they provide, organisations were asked to report on service gaps and challenges they faced and could list up to 5 of each from predefined lists. In 2017–18, around two-thirds of organisations (68%) reported mental health/social and emotional health and wellbeing services as a gap faced by the community they served.

This was followed by youth services (54%). Over two-thirds of organisations (71%) reported the recruitment, training and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff as a challenge in delivering quality health services.

Read full report and all data HERE

This is the tenth national report on organisations funded by the Australian Government to provide health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Indigenous primary health services

Primary health services play a critical role in helping to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous Australians may access mainstream or Indigenous primary health services funded by the Australian and state and territory governments.

Information on organisations funded by the Australian Government under its Indigenous Australians’ health programme (IAHP) is available through two data collections: the Online Services Report (OSR) and the national Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs). Most of the organisations funded under the IAHP contribute to both collections (Table 1).

The OSR collects information on the services organisations provide, client numbers, client contacts, episodes of care and staffing levels. Contextual information about each organisation is also collected. The nKPIs collect information on a set of process of care and health outcome indicators for Indigenous Australians.

There are 24 indicators that focus on maternal and child health, preventative health and chronic disease management. Information from the nKPI and OSR collections help monitor progress against the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Closing the Gap targets, and supports the national health goals set out in the Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023.

Detailed information on the policy context and background to these collections are available in previous national reports, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations: Online Services Report—key results 2016–17 and National Key Performance Indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care: results for 2017.

At a glance

This tenth national OSR report presents information on organisations funded by the Australian Government to provide primary health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes a profile of these organisations and information on the services they provide, client numbers, client contacts, episodes of care and staffing levels. Interactive data visualisations using OSR data for 5 reporting periods, from 2013–14 to 2017–18, are presented for the first time.

Key messages

  1. A wide range of primary health services are provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2017–18:
  • 198 organisations provided primary health services to around 483,000 clients, most of whom were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (81%).
  • These organisations provided around 3.6 million episodes of care, with nearly 3.1 million (85%) delivered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs).
  • More than two-thirds of organisations (71%) were ACCHSs. The rest included government-run organisations and other non-government-run organisations.
  • Nearly half of organisations (45%) provided services in Remoteand Very remote
  • Services were delivered from 383 sites across Australia. Most sites provided the diagnosis and treatment of chronic illnesses (88%), social and emotional wellbeing services (88%), maternal and child health care (86%), and antenatal care (78%). Around two-thirds provided tobacco programs (69%) and substance-use and drug and alcohol programs (66%).

See this AIHW detailed Interactive site locations map HERE

  1. Organisations made on average nearly 13 contacts per client

In 2017–18, organisations providing Indigenous primary health services made around 6.1 million client contacts, an average of nearly 13 contacts per client (Table 2). Over half of all client contacts (58%) were made by nurses and midwives (1.8 million contacts) and doctors (1.7 million contacts). Contacts by nurses and midwives represented half (49%) of all client contacts in Very remote areas compared with 29% overall.

  1. Organisations employed nearly 8,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff

At 30 June 2018, organisations providing Indigenous primary health services employed nearly 8,000 FTE staff and over half of these (54%) were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. These organisations were assisted by around 270 visiting staff not paid for by the organisations themselves, making a total workforce of around 8,200 FTE staff.

Nurses and midwives were the most common type of health worker (14% of employed staff), followed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners (13%) and doctors (7%). Nurses and midwives represented a higher proportion of employed staff in Very remote areas (22%).

  1. Social and emotional health and wellbeing services are the most commonly reported service gap

Organisations can report up to 5 service gaps faced by the community they serve from a predefined list of gaps. Since this question was introduced in 2012–13, the most commonly reported gap has been for mental health and social and emotional health and wellbeing services. In 2017–18, this was reported as a gap by 68% of organisations.

 

Jan 24 2018

Aboriginal Community Controlled and Health Sector : 30 plus #JobAlerts Includes @ahmrc #Nursing @Nganampa_Health @IUIH_ @CAACongress This week #TopJobs #CEO Jobs in #SA and #WA

This weeks #Jobalerts

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

This weeks top job

Chief Executive Officer

Location: Carnarvon, WA
Employment Type: Full time/ Permanent
Remuneration: Salary and employment conditions will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be negotiated with the successful applicant

About the Organisation

Carnarvon Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation (CMSAC) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service established in 1986. CMSAC aims to provide primary, secondary and specialist health care services to Carnarvon and the surrounding region.

About the Opportunity

CMSAC has a highly rewarding opportunity for a Chief Executive Officer to lead its professional, multi-disciplinary team, based in Carnarvon, WA.

This pivotal leadership position will work directly with the Board of Directors and is responsible for the day to day management and delivery of high quality, comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary healthcare services to the local Aboriginal community.

Key areas of responsibility will include (but will not be limited to):

  • Leading, directing and managing the operations of the organisation;
  • Implementing and achieving the strategic objectives and responsibilities of the organisation set by the Board of Directors;
  • Developing and fostering a high performing work environment
  • Driving and implementing cultural workplace changes;
  • Diversifying and growing revenue streams to increase service delivery;
  • Strengthening the organisation’s stakeholder relations, community engagement and patient satisfaction; and
  • Building and sustaining strong financial performance.

To view the full position description and selection criteria, please click here.

To view and download the application pack, please click here.

About YouOur successful candidate will have sound experience in a senior leadership position, along with tertiary qualifications in business and/or health.

As an inspiring and collaborative leader with a strong understanding of healthcare trends for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, you will work strategically to enable transformative change by strengthening the organisation and creating a sustainable future for improved health outcomes for our local Aboriginal communities.

Although not essential, experience working in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service will be highly regarded.

Please Note: The successful candidate will be required to undertake a National Police Check prior to employment.

About the BenefitsFor your hard work and dedication, you will enjoy a highly attractive remuneration package plus salary sacrifice benefits. (Salary and employment conditions will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be negotiated with the successful applicant).

In addition, you will have access to a number of fantastic benefits including:

  • Fully furnished accommodation (exc utilities)
  • A fully maintained company vehicle for business and reasonable personal use
  • Mobile phone allowance (up to $1200 p/a)
  • 6 weeks annual leave
  • Support to further invest in your career through additional training
  • Study leave options
  • Annual leave loading
  • Employee assistance program
  • Work/life balance, with Monday – Friday hours, 8:30am – 5pm

A relocation allowance can be negotiated with the right candidate!

Closing date: Wednesday 14 February 2018 at 5pm.

APPLY HERE

 

How to submit a Indigenous Health #jobalert ? 

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

 

Job Ref : N2018 -1

ACCHO Member : Congress Alice Springs

Position: Childcare Educational Leader

Location : Alice Springs

Closing Date : 9 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -3

ACCHO Member : Congress Alice Springs

Position: Continuous Quality Improvement Facilitator

Location : Alice Springs

Closing Date : 5th February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -6

ACCHO Member : Congress Alice Spring

Position : Dentist

Location : Alice Springs

Closing Date : 30 january

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -7

ACCHO Member : Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service

Position: GP. General Practitioner

Location : Wyalla SA

Closing Date : 31 January

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -8

ACCHO Member :

Position: Remote Chronic Disease Nurse

Location : Tjunjuntjara via Kalgoorlie WA

Closing Date : 9 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -9

ACCHO Member : Nganampa Health Service

Position: Remote Area Nurses and Midwives

Location : Far NW region of SA

Closing Date : 2 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -10

ACCHO Member : Ngaanyatjarra Health Service

Position: Alcohol & Other Drugs Counsellor

Location : Remote WA

Closing Date : 29 January

More Info apply :

Job Ref : 2018-16

ACCHO Member : Institute for Indigenous Urban Health

Position: Early Years Education Coordinator

Location : Brisbane

Closing Date : 2 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018-17

ACCHO Member : Institute for Indigenous Urban Health

Position: Clinical Optometrist

Location : Brisbane

Closing Date : 31st January

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018-22

ACCHO Member : Institute for Indigenous Urban Health

Position: Trainer – Aged Care and Disability

Location : Brisbane

Closing Date : 2nd February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018-26

ACCHO Member : Wellington ACCHO

Position: Aboriginal Health Worker (Counsellor) – SEWB

Location : wellington NSW

Closing Date : 31ST January

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018-27

ACCHO Member : Wellington ACCHO

Position: Drug & Alcohol Worker- SEWB

Location : Wellington NSW

Closing Date : 31ST January

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 32

ACCHO Member : AHMRC – NSW

Position: Policy Management Systems Officer

Location : Surry Hills – NSW

Closing Date : 19 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 33

ACCHO Member : AHMRC – NSW

Position: Training and Workforce Development Coordinator

Location : Little Bay – NSW

Closing Date : 19 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 34

ACCHO Member : AHMRC – NSW

Position: Finance Officer

Location : Little Bay – NSW

Closing Date : 19 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 35

ACCHO Member : AHMRC – NSW

Position: Executive Support Officer

Location : Surry Hills – NSW

Closing Date : 19 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 36

ACCHO Member : Stakeholder PHN Murray

Position: Aboriginal Access Advisor Intern

Location : Bendigo

Closing Date : 18 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 37

ACCHO Member : Stakeholder PHN Murray

Position: Aboriginal Access Advisor Intern

Location : Mildura – VIC

Closing Date : 18 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 38

ACCHO Member : Stakeholder PHN Murray

Position: Aboriginal Access Advisor Intern

Location : Shepparton – VIC

Closing Date : 18 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 39

ACCHO Member : AHCWA

Position: Human resources Advisor

Location : Perth WA

Closing Date : 6 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 40

ACCHO Member : Bulgarr Ngaru Medical AC

Position: Practise Nurse RN

Location : Tweed Heads – NSW

Closing Date : 14 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 41

ACCHO Member : ATSICHS

Position: Care Coordinator – Registered Nurse

Location : Brisbane – QLD

Closing Date : 9 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 – 42

ACCHO Member : Carnavon Medical Services

Position: Chief Executive Officer

Location : Carnavon – WA

Closing Date : 14 February

More Info apply :

 

Job Ref : N2018 – 43

ACCHO Member : Pangula Mannamurra AC

Position: Chief Executive Officer

Location : Mt Gambier – SA

Closing Date : 16 February

More Info apply :

Job Ref : N2018 -44

ACCHO Member : South West AMS

Position: Human Resources Officer

Location : Bunbury WA

Closing Date : 1 February

More Info apply :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 11 2017

NACCHO tribute and Bellear family thank you : #SolsLastMarch #StateFuneral for Sol Bellear AM ” Remembered as a giant of a man “

 

” Sol was giant of a man who made a giant contribution to self-determination for our people right throughout the land , one who would now take his honoured place amongst his very honoured ancestors.

News of his sudden death last week had sent shockwaves through Aboriginal Australia”.

Pat Turner, Chief Executive of NACCHO : National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation speaking at the State Funeral about her long term friendship and respect for Sol Bellear.  Pictures above Michelle Lovegrove

See full NACCHO Tribute to Sol Bellear AM Press Release

NACCHO tribute to Sol Bellear AM Aboriginal activist

NACCHO was also represented by Current Chair John Singer and Past Chairs Pat Anderson , Matthew Cooke and Justin Mohamed.

 ” We will always be grateful for the many expressions of kindness, love and support we have received following the loss of our father and brother, Sol Bellear, who passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday night, 29 November.

We have been overwhelmed by the numbers of people who have reached out to us in this very difficult time. Sol touched many lives in the movement for Aboriginal rights, the game of rugby league and the community of Redfern that he loved.  Now the people whose lives he touched are comforting us with their memories of him.”

Statement from the family of  Solomon David “Sol” Bellear AM

Sol stood for many things including self-determination, proper treaties with our people, Aboriginal control of our people’s health and legal services, Land Rights and a better understanding of our history.

Although, Sol achieved many great victories, much of this work remained unfinished at the end of his life. We ask all those who loved Sol to please continue his work so that the vision he had for his country and people might one day be fulfilled.

One of Sol’s last wishes was for the Sydney City Council to erect a plaque at Redfern Park to help people remember and reflect on the Redfern Speech delivered on that site by former Prime Minister, Paul Keating.

We will always treasure the time we had with him. He was the most loving and committed Father, Brother, Poppy and Uncle any family could hope for.=

We would like to particularly thank the NSW Premier and the staff from her Department, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Joshua Roxburgh and our brother, Shane Phillips for their generous assistance in organising Sol’s funeral.

 Sol Bellear remembered as giant at state funeral

Aboriginal land rights and health activist Sol Bellear has been remembered as a giant of indigenous advancement at a state funeral on Saturday at Redfern Oval in Sydney, the spiritual home of his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs.

From the Australian

It was a mark of the man, mourners heard, that after being dropped as a player from the Rabbitohs squad after raising a black-power salute on scoring a try at the ground, he was within a year serving on the rugby league team’s board.

“He carried a great personal weight on his shoulders because he was a strong man,” fellow activist Paul Coe, one of the leaders with whom Bellear founded the Aboriginal tent embassy at the then parliament house in 1972, said.

“He would stand his ground no matter what or no matter who was opposing him.”

Bellear was joined in one final march to the football ground from the nearby Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern, an institution which mourners including NSW Governor David Hurley and wife Linda heard was one of his great legacies.

Sols Last March with 3,000 family and friends

The march ended at the park where, exactly 25 years ago tomorrow, Bellear led Paul Keating to the stage to deliver the then prime minister’s famous oration admitting white Australia’s culpability in the poor state of indigenous affairs.(see Picture in Part 1 above )

“He stood proud and he stood tall but he was not egotistical,” Mr Coe said.

“I’ve seen him give money out of his own pocket to people on the streets. This is the kind of man that he was — a kind of man you could admire but not completely understand.

“In those days as young students, trying to work out who and what we were, it was very hard to make ends meet. But he would always give of himself, both time and energy.”

A Bundjalung man from Mullumbimby in northern NSW, Solomon David Bellear, who was 66, leaves partner Naomi and children Tamara and Joseph. He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1999 for services to the Aboriginal community, in particular in the field of health. His brother Bob, who died a decade ago, was the first Aboriginal judge.

In a letter from grand-daughter Rose read out at the service, Bellear was bid a “merry Christmas in the dreamtime” and the hope he had travelled there safely with his totem, the carpet snake.

Bellear’s achievements were legion. He was the founding chair of the Aboriginal Legal Service, a founding member of the Aboriginal Housing Company, an Aboriginal delegate to the UN General Assembly, player and director at the Rabbitohs, a foundation player with the Redfern All Blacks in the NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout, a manager with the indigenous dreamtime and All Stars rugby league teams, and deputy chair of the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

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Sol Bellear, whose funeral was held on Saturday. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

Ken Wyatt, federal Minister for Indigenous Health and Aged Care, said on Friday Bellear had “played a key role in establishing medical, housing, land rights and legal services for Aboriginal people and remains a towering figure on the journey towards justice for our people”.

He was remembered as being crucial to the consensus position developed at the Indigenous constitutional convention held in Central Australia in May this year, when disparate ambitions for reform were distilled into the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Singer Emma Donovan opened the funeral with the touchstone Land Rights Song, whose memorable lines “they keep on saying everything’s fine, still they can’t see us cry all the time” seemed particularly apt.

Bellear’s casket was borne from the park by a cortege including members of his beloved Redfern All Blacks, whose members linked arms to sing their team song for him one last time. His casket was draped with a Rabbitohs scarf, the hearse with an Aboriginal flag.

As it set off one final, slow, lap of the oval, fists were raised in a black-power salute

Oct 18 2017

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health #JobAlerts #Doctors #RMA17 #OTCC2017 This weeks @DanilaDilba @CAACongress @ahmrc @IUIH_

This weeks #Jobalerts

Please note  : Before completing a job application please check with the ACCHO or stakeholder that job is still available

1-8 Danila Dilba ACCHO Darwin 8 Positions

9. Senior Rural Medical Practitioner – Port Augusta

10.Nhulundu Health Service : General Practitioner : Gladstone QLD

11. TRACHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS MANAGER

12. Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community NSW  : Medical Practitioner 

13. Miwatj Health NT Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker

14-18 Congress ACCHO Alice Springs

19-20. AHMRC full-time Vacancies

 21 – 22 JOBS AT IUIH Brisbane

23. Poche Centre for Indigenous Health : Research Associate, Breathe Easy Walk Easy Lungs for Life

VIEW Hundreds of past Jobs on the NACCHO Jobalerts

 

How to submit a Indigenous Health #jobalert ? 

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

1-8 Danila Dilba ACCHO Darwin 8 Positions

1 Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) / Registered Nurse
2 Transport Officer
3 Team Leader, Deadly Choices
4 Manager – Marketing and Communications
5 Team Leader, Mobile Unit
6 Community Support Worker (AOD)
7 Indigenous Outreach Worker (Palmerston)
8 Clinical Psychologist

WEBSITE

9. Senior Rural Medical Practitioner – Port Augusta

 

Established in the early 1970’s, Pika Wiya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation provides culturally appropriate, comprehensive primary health care services, social support and training to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The organisation operates from its premises in Port Augusta and also has clinics at Davenport, Copley and Nepabunna communities. Pika Wiya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation also provides services to the communities of Quorn, Hawker, Marree, Lyndhurst and Beltana.

About the Opportunity

Pika Wiya Aboriginal Health Service Aboriginal Corporation (Pika Wiya) now has a full-time opportunity for a Senior Rural Medical Practitioner to join their team in Port Augusta, SA.

Reporting to the Medical Director, you will be responsible for the provision of high-level primary health care, ensuring continuity care for individuals, and for prevention programs for the population.

This will be done primarily through the Port Augusta clinic (bulk-billing clinic) – servicing a combination of booked and walk in clients – and also by visiting a remote clinic once a month.

To be successful in this position, you will hold an AHPRA recognised medical degree including general or specialist registration and a Medicare Australia Provider Number.

You will also have demonstrated experience working in a medical practice and have the ability to provide high-quality clinical skills in a rural general practice. Additionally, you must have a good knowledge of the Australian health system and the Medicare billing system.

It is crucial to this role that you have a good understanding of Aboriginal community and health and be willing to involve yourself in the community.

About the Benefits

In return for your hard work and dedication, you will be rewarded with an attractive base salary of $225,000 plus super.

You will also be eligible generous salary packaging, up to$16,000 through Maxxia, to increase your take home pay!

Pika Wiya is also willing to negotiate relocation assistance and accommodation subsidies for the right candidate.

Make a real difference to the health and well-being of a vibrant community – Apply Now!

10.Nhulundu Health Service : General Practitioner : Gladstone QLD

 General Practitioner

(Full time positions based in Gladstone)

Nhulundu Wooribah Indigenous Health Organisation Inc. (“Nhulundu”) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service delivering an integrated, comprehensive primary health care service to the whole Gladstone community.

Services include; bulk billing GP services, chronic disease management program, diabetes education, health promotion programs, mums and bubs clinic, aged care and community support service functions.

The position is responsible for providing best practice comprehensive primary health care. Leadership in the safety and quality of clinical services delivered by the health team. Optimising uptake and income generation across the service through MBS billings

This is an exciting opportunity to join an enthusiastic and committed team and make a direct impact on improved health outcomes in the community.

  • Competitive Salary Package – including salary sacrifice
  • Well Balanced working environment – Hours = Monday – Friday 8.30 – 5.00pm

Key Requirements include

  • Qualified Medical Practitioner, holding unconditional current registration with the Medical Board of Australia
  • Eligible for unrestricted Medicare Provider Number
  • Vocational Registration preferred
  • Knowledge, understanding and sensitivity towards the social, economic and cultural factors affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health; An ability to communicate and empathise with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

You will be supported by a team of dedicated clinic staff including Registered Nurses Aboriginal Health Workers, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking team, Dietician/Diabetes Educator, Medical Receptionist, Practice Manager and visiting Specialists and Allied Health providers

Enquiries and Applications (Resume) can be addressed to:

Karen Clifford – Business Service Manager:

By Email: jobs@nhulundu.com.au

By Phone: 0428 228 851

 

11. TRACHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS MANAGER

Job no: 0044056
Work type: Fixed Term
Location: Parkville

Indigenous Health Equity Unit
Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Salary: $99,199 – $107,370 p.a. plus 9.5% superannuation

The Trachoma Environmental Improvements Manager (TEIM) plays an important role to drive activities and provide focus on the “Environmental” element of the World Health Organisation SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma. The position will: advocate for safe and functional washing facilities (bathrooms) and work to enhance coordination, collaboration and cooperation between key players at the State and Territory, regional and local levels in health including environmental health, housing, infrastructure and education in targeted regions and remote communities in the tri-state border region of NT, SA, and WA.

The Trachoma Environmental Improvements Manager will be based in Alice Springs and work closely with the Indigenous Eye Health (IEH) Trachoma Coordinator who is also based in Alice Springs.

The position requires travel by vehicle or plane to remote areas of NT, South Australia and Western Australia. Travel to Melbourne and other Australian destinations will also be required from time to time.

IEH strongly encourages applications from Indigenous Australians.

Close date: 22 Oct 2017

Position Description and Selection Criteria

Download File 0044056.pdf

For information to assist you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/search/info/selection-criteria

 12. Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community NSW  : Medical Practitioner 

 

 

Katungul ACCMS is an Aboriginal Community controlled corporation providing community and health services to Aboriginal Australians located in the South Coast of NSW. Katungul has recently been recognised for its excellence in business in the Eurobodalla and Far South Coast NSW Business Awards.
The role will involve working with a multi disciplinary team of health workers and other staff to provide culturally attuned, integrated health and community services on the Far South Coast of New South Wales.
Applicants will ideally be fully accredited as General Practitioners with experience working in an Aboriginal Medical service. However other General Practitioners  who do not meet this criteria will be considered.
Remuneration and terms of employment will be negotiated with the successful candidate(s).
Enquries should be directed to Chris Heazlewood, Human Resources Manager on 02 44762155 or by email chrish@katungul.org.au

 Download Position description  

MEDICAL PRACTITIONER October 2017

13. Miwatj Health NT Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker

Job No: MHAC19
Location: Ramingining
Employment Status: Part Time
No. of Vacancies: 2
Closing Date: 30 Dec 2020

Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation is the regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in East Arnhem Land, providing comprehensive primary health care services for over 6,000 Indigenous residents of North East Arnhem and public health services for close to 10,000 people across the region.

Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker .5

Are you reliable, self-motivated and hardworking? Do you want to make a difference to Indigenous health? You will work with individuals, clients, families and communities to help quit tobacco use. You will deliver and promote healthier life choices and encourage smoke free behaviour. You will report to the Coordinator TIS on progress and issues. You will need to maintain confidential client information, have the ability to speak and understand Yolngu Matha and have a good understanding of Yolngu kinship and traditional systems.

You must have a current NT Class C Drivers License and a current Ochre Card (or the ability to obtain one).

Click here for Job Description

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to apply.

14-18 Congress ACCHO Alice Springs

Thank you for your interest in working with Congress!

CONGRESS HR Website

We have two types of applications for you to consider:

General Application

  • Submit an expression of interest for a position that may become available.
  • This should include a covering letter outlining your job interest(s), an up-to-date resume and three current employment referees.

Applying for a Current Vacancy

  • Applying for a specific advertised vacancy.
  • Before applying for any position general or current please read the section ‘Job App FAQ‘.

TRANSPORT OFFICER

Hourly Rate: $22.78 + 25% casual loading

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3696530| Closing Date: 01 Dec 2017

GENERAL PRACTITIONER – ALICE SPRINGS

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has over 40 years’ experience providing comprehe …

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3677297| Closing Date: 30 Dec 2017

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Multiple Positions Available

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3683459

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST- CLIENT SERVICE ROLES

Client Service Officer     …

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3672944| Closing Date: 31 Dec 2017

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST- CLINICAL ROLES

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3672893 | Closing Date: 31 Dec 2017

19-20 . AHMRC full-time Vacancies

 

To receive a copy of the Recruitment Information Package for more information and the selection criteria, please contact HR via email or telephone. The selection criteria must be addressed for your application to be considered.

19.Research, Training and Workforce Development Manager

Located at Little Bay at the Aboriginal Health College.

For a position description please email hr@ahmrc.org.au

Applications close: Monday, 23 October 2017.

20.Government Policy and Partnership Manager

Located at our main office in Surry Hills

This is an Identified Position.

For a position description please email hr@ahmrc.org.au

Applications close: Monday, 23 October 2017.

For a confidential conversation please contact Human Resources on (02) 9212 4777 or email gagic@ahmrc.org.au

Pursuant to Section 14(d) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Australian Aboriginality is a genuine occupational qualification for this position and is identified as an essential pre-requisite for appointment to the role of Chief Executive Officer, under AH&MRC Constitutional Rules.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

21 – 22 JOBS AT IUIH Brisbane

 

IUIH and its members are constantly looking for healthcare workers, GP’s, allied health professionals, medical and health related students to fill short or long term vacancies within their growing operations.Current job opportunities are listed below:

 

Website HERE

23. Research Associate, Breathe Easy Walk Easy Lungs for Life

Faculty of Health Sciences

Physiotherapy and Poche Centre for Indigenous Health

The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, is situated on the Camperdown campus of the University of Sydney

The primary aim of the Poche Centre is to contribute to the reduction of disparities in Indigenous Health and social justice outcomes through collaboration with health research organisations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled organisations, other community organisation and government.
A PhD scholarship is available for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified person through a NHMRC funded project: Implementing evidence into practice to improve chronic lung disease management in Indigenous Australians: the Breathe Easy, Walk Easy – Lungs for Life (BE WELL) project.

 

While the project title suggests that the PhD topic could be in lung health, there are opportunities for the PhD student to choose a PhD topic within his/her interest, for example, health service delivery, education of Aboriginal Health Workers, models of best practice etc.
The PhD student will be able to work with a very supportive group and could be located either in the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health on the Camperdown Campus or in the Faculty of Health Sciences on the Cumberland Campus of the University of Sydney. In both these locations other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are enrolled in PhD programs and would provide a collaborative and engaging environment.

The PhD scholarship is for a part-time PhD at $27,000 per year (tax free) for 3.5 years or a part-time PhD combined with the part-time Project Manager role, which attracts a substantial full-time salary and a 5 year appointment.

All applications must be submitted via the University of Sydney careers website.  Visit sydney.edu.au/recruitment and search by the reference number 1695/0917 to apply.

Closing: 11:30pm 19 October 2017

The University of Sydney has established the Merit Appointment Scheme to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff employed across the institution. Under this scheme an applicant’s Aboriginality is an essential selection criterion and is authorised under the provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.

 

Oct 13 2017

NACCHO Aboriginal Healthy Futures #closethegap #socialdeterminants @pmc_gov_au Debate : Where to from here?

 

” Federal Indigenous affairs bureaucrats have released a draft of their new evaluation framework, eight months after the Commonwealth committed $40 million over four years to evaluate policies in the portfolio and put a highly regarded university professor in the driving seat.

The draft sets out processes to look more objectively at national policies to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and contribute to Closing the Gap, which have been led by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for the past few years.”This is intended to align with the role of the Productivity Commission in overseeing the development and implementation of a whole of government evaluation strategy of policies and programs that effect Indigenous Australians,”

PM&C sets high standards for Indigenous affairs evaluation see PART 1 Below

 ”  It’s been widely known for fifty years that the health of Aboriginal people lags far behind that of other Australians. Despite that and the expenditure of billions of taxpayers’ dollars, serious gaps persist between Indigenous versus non-Indigenous health and wellbeing.

There is compelling evidence that social factors are potent determinants of the health of populations. In the simplest of terms these are (a) social disadvantage, and (b) the relationship of Indigenous Australians to mainstream society. Associated with these are basic issues already mentioned; these include education, housing standards, employment and socio-economic status. These must be addressed if health disadvantages are to be overcome. Until this happens the poor health outcomes of Indigenous Australians will persist.

It’s easy to identify medical problems, perhaps because they can be classified and measured. It is tempting then to decide that these problems are ‘medical’ and, therefore, should respond to ‘medical’ interventions or approaches in isolation. This is dangerously misleading.

It’s time for clinicians to realise and publicly acknowledge that most of the important issues which determine the health status of Indigenous people have ‘non-medical’ roots and need vigorous ‘non-medical’ approaches in order to be corrected.

 MICHAEL GRACEY. Aboriginal health: An embarrassing decades-long saga See Part 2 Below

Part 1

Around the same time as the new evaluation funding was announced, Malcolm Turnbull sought out indigenous health expert Ian Anderson to take over as deputy secretary leading the PM&C indigenous affairs group, which is also the only group within the central department overseen by an associate secretary, Andrew Tongue.

FROM The Mandarin

Anderson’s first major task was a review of the Closing the Gap target framework, which focuses attention on particular indicators of disadvantage. A few months into the job he set out some of his thoughts in a public speech at a special event marking 50 years since the referendum that effectively created this area of federal policy.

The framework notes good evaluation is “planned from the start, and provides feedback along the way” (referencing the audit office’s 2014 better practice guide to public sector governance).

“Good evaluation is systematic, defensible, credible and unbiased. It is respectful of diverse voices and world-views.

“Evaluation is distinct from but related to monitoring and performance reviews. Evaluation may use data gathered in monitoring as one source of evidence, while information obtained through monitoring and performance reviews may help inform evaluation priorities.”

The credibility of future evaluations depends on demonstrating their independence. To this end, the framework says a new external advisory committee, membership so far unknown, will “support transparency and ensure the conduct and prioritisation of evaluations is independent and impartial” by overseeing how the new framework is applied, checking the annual evaluation plan and with “ongoing advice, quality assurance and review”.

A “commitment to transparency” is also included. The committee will publish “all high priority evaluations” and reviews of them. Others will be randomly reviewed and summarised in an annual report.

“At the three year mark an independent meta-review of IAG evaluations will be undertaken to assess the extent to which the Framework has achieved its aims for greater capability, integration and use of robust evaluation evidence against the standards described under each of the best practice principles.”

All the actual evaluation reports will be published as well, at least in summary form, including “where ethical confidentiality concerns or commercial in confidence requirements” apply. Indigenous communities that have participated in evaluations will get to see the results too and additional “knowledge translation” efforts are proposed:

“Evaluation findings will be of interest to communities and service providers implementing programs as well as government decision-makers. Evaluation activities under the Framework will be designed to support service providers in gaining feedback about innovative approaches to program implementation and practical strategies for achieving positive outcomes across a range of community settings.”

The draft framework says it aims to:

  • generate high quality evidence that is used to inform decision making,
  • strengthen Indigenous leadership in evaluation,
  • build capability by fostering a collaborative culture of evaluative thinking and continuous learning across the IAG and more broadly across communities and organisations, and
  • place collaboration and ethical ways of doing high quality evaluation at the forefront of evaluation practice in order to inform decision making.

Higher quality evaluation that is “ethical, inclusive and focused on improving outcomes” is more likely to have impact, the draft points out. “It aims to pursue consistent standards of evaluation of Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) programs but not impose a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model of evaluation.”

The guide calls for best-practice evaluation to be “integrated into the cycles of policy and community decision-making” in a way that is “collaborative, timely and culturally inclusive.”

“Our approach to evaluation, as outlined in this Framework, reflects a strong commitment to working with Indigenous Australians.

“Our collaborative efforts centre on recognising the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and cultures.

“Fostering leadership and bringing the diverse perspectives of Indigenous Australians into evaluation processes helps ensure the relevance, credibility and usefulness of evaluation findings. In evaluation, this means we value the involvement of Indigenous Australian evaluators in conducting all forms of evaluation, particularly using participatory methods that grow our mutual understanding.”

Indigenous Advancement Strategy evaluations will look at how well programs meet three criteria:

Do they build on strengths to make a positive contribution to the lives of current and future generations of Indigenous Australians?

Are they designed and delivered in collaboration with Indigenous Australians, ensuring diverse voices are heard and respected?

Do they demonstrate cultural respect towards Indigenous Australians?

Four elements of good evaluation

The draft framework lists four elements of good evaluations — they are robust, relevant, credible and appropriate, which is to say they are “fit for purpose” and done in a timely fashion — and explains in detail how each of these ideals is to be achieved in Indigenous affairs through higher standards.

“Evaluation needs to be integrated into the feedback cycles of policy, program design and evidence-informed decision-making,” explains a chapter on relevance. “Evaluation feedback cycles can provide insights to service providers and communities to enhance the evidence available to support positive change. This can occur at many points in the cycle.”

While not being too prescriptive, the framework aims to set a high standard for the evidence that is used to judge the impact of programs.

“A range of evaluation methodologies can be used to undertake impact evaluation. Evaluations under the Framework will range in scope, scale, and in the kinds of questions they ask. Measuring long-term impact is challenging but important. We need to identify markers of progress that are linked by evidence to the desired outcomes.

“The transferability of evaluation findings are critical to ensure relevant and useful knowledge is generated under the Framework. High quality impact evaluations use appropriate methods and draw upon a range of data sources both qualitative and quantitative.

“Evaluation design should utilise methodologies that produce rigorous evidence and make full use of participatory methods. Use of participatory approaches to evaluation is one example of demonstrating the core values of the Framework in practice.”

Perhaps the moves to take a more academic approach at the federal level will allow for more open discussion of what works, in a portfolio where this year the minister has seen fit to publicly attack researchers in the field, and blast the independent audit office for doing its job instead of helping him attack the opposition.

Part 2 :  Aboriginal health: An embarrassing decades-long saga

October 2017

It’s been widely known for fifty years that the health of Aboriginal people lags far behind that of other Australians. Despite that and the expenditure of billions of taxpayers’ dollars, serious gaps persist between Indigenous versus non-Indigenous health and wellbeing.

Recognition of an Aboriginal Health Problem

When these inequities were recognised in the 1960s the very high rates of Aboriginal childhood malnutrition and infections and high death rates of infants and young children brought home the unpalatable fact that Australia had a so-called ‘Third World’ health problem. This is a feature of poverty-stricken nations. This was clearly unacceptable in our otherwise affluent and healthy country. There was a public outcry which stirred the federal government into attempts to remedy this embarrassing state of affairs.

In 1979 the Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee on Aboriginal Affairs found that . . .

‘the appalling state of Aboriginal health’ . . . ‘can be largely attributed to the unsatisfactory environmental conditions in which Aboriginals live, to their low socio-economic status in the Australian community, and to the failure of health authorities to give sufficient attention to the special needs of Aboriginals and to take proper account of their social and cultural beliefs and practices’ . . .

The Committee criticised governments for their lack of recognition of these factors and commented on the need for Aboriginal people to be much more closely involved in all stages of planning and delivering their own health care. Notwithstanding some improvements in Indigenous health which occurred over the almost forty years that followed, many of that Committee’s findings and criticisms are still valid.

Efforts to Improve Indigenous Health

In 1981 a $50 million Aboriginal Health Improvement Program was launched with the aim of upgrading environmental health standards, such as better housing and community and family hygiene conditions. Government funds were allocated and State and Territory health departments implemented strategies and programs and deployed clinical and allied staff in order to achieve better Indigenous health.

An important objective was to provide more accessible services for Indigenous people. Some positive health gains followed; for example, better pregnancy outcomes, fewer maternal deaths, fewer infant and young child infections, suppression of vaccine-preventable illnesses through immunisation, and lower infant death rates.

This should have helped Indigenous youngsters to negotiate the rough ride through early life that would otherwise have been their lot. However, health and disease statistics for Indigenous Australians generally stayed well behind those of other citizens in the years that followed.

Strategies to ‘Close the Gap’

The persisting poor standards of Indigenous health prompted the Federal Government in 2008 to ‘Close the Gap’ for Indigenous Australians in a range of health outcomes and other facets of life and wellbeing so that they and other Australians would have ‘equal life chances’. The then Prime Minister Rudd anticipated within a decade halving the widening gap in literacy, numeracy and employment opportunities for Indigenous people. The Statement of Intent also anticipated better opportunities for Indigenous children so that within a decade . . . “the appalling gap in infant mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children would be halved and, within a generation, the equally appalling 17-year life gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous when it comes to overall life expectancy” . . .  would be gone.

These aspirations seemed commendable and were well received by the public. However, their feasibility was questioned soon after they were announced. The target of closing the gap in life expectancy was said to be “probably unattainable” and the capacity to extinguish the risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease) and related deaths was considered publicly by a renowned medical expert to be “implausible” in the 22-year timetable set out by the government. This is pertinent because those chronic diseases are the main contributor to the discrepancy in Indigenous versus non-Indigenous deaths. Those reservations were well founded.

Obstructions to Closing the Gap

Indigenous Australians now have very high rates of chronic diseases, as already mentioned. These are aggravated by smoking- and drug-related disorders. These conditions are long-term and have permanent complications, such as visual loss or blindness, or severe limitations on mobility. These cannot be reversed and, therefore, restrict prospects for longevity. In many Aboriginal communities a third or half of adults 35 years or over have one or more of these problems. Nationally, these diseases and accidental or intentional injuries, including suicide and homicide, are several times more prevalent in Indigenous Australians than in the total Australian population.

This well-documented and widespread heavy burden of illnesses, disabilities and related excess premature deaths among Indigenous Australians makes it virtually impossible to remove, within a generation, the inequalities between this pattern and the better outcomes which prevail in the rest of the population. This is made more difficult because some of these problems are trans-generational and can have their origins during intra-uterine development.

There are practical impediments in bringing better health to the Indigenous population. Inadequate access and maldistribution of facilities, personnel and services can be serious drawbacks, particularly in rural and remote areas. Of course, improving access to services does not necessarily lead to their appropriate utilisation.

And compliance with treatments and follow-up supervision and medications can be problematic. Similarly, altering health knowledge and modifying risky personal lifestyles are difficult among many people whether they are Indigenous or not. There have also been serious problems with management and governance of clinical services for Indigenous people whether they are Indigenous-specific or mainstream services.

This has tended to weaken their impact on health service delivery and waste limited financial and other resources. Collectively, all of these factors have diluted the much-needed positive outcomes of efforts to close the gaps in Aboriginal health standards and statistics.

Indigenous Health: the current situation

Some indicators of the current situation are revealing: death rates of Indigenous children under five years are more than double the national rates; their low birth weight rate is about double the overall national rate; hospitalisation rates are almost three times the national rates; hospital admission rates for potentially preventable conditions are almost four times higher; deaths from complications of diabetes at 35 to 55 years are approximately twenty times higher; and dementia rates are about five time higher than in non-Indigenous Australians and the  condition starts earlier in life. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that among Indigenous Australians born from 2010 to 2012 life expectancy would be about nine to ten years shorter than for other Australians. These indicators of health status, illness patterns and life expectancy are disgraceful and require urgent attention.

Where to from here?

 The targets set to be met by the Close the Gap Strategy are reported publicly each year. Regrettably, the goals are falling short in many of the government’s nominated areas. These include several of the health-related areas which have been mentioned.
Tellingly, the targets are not being met in many other facets of Indigenous life which have significant impacts on physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing.

These include, for example, early childhood schooling rates, closing the gaps in literacy and numeracy for older Indigenous schoolchildren, achieving equity in employment rates and the economic benefits which should follow, having Indigenous people housed in adequate and hygienic living conditions, and being more engaged with the wider Australian community in various day-to-day activities. These failures have been publicly acknowledged by successive Prime Ministers including Abbott and Turnbull.
In the health arena itself there is a need for closer cooperation and collaboration between the three main sectors which provide curative and health promotion activities for Indigenous people. These sectors are: (a) mainstream services provided by governments; (b) Indigenous-specific services from Aboriginal or Indigenous Health or Medical Services; and (c) privately funded clinical and allied services. There is often overlapping of these sectors and, sometimes, issues of territoriality which detract from their effectiveness and, potentially, add to the financial costs involved.
As mentioned by that Parliamentary Committee as far back as 1979, there is a pressing need for more Indigenous involvement and responsibility for decision-making and delivery of their own health services. Although this is improving slowly, there is a long way to go before those people who need the services have the power to help control their own future health. This is particularly so in remote areas where local communities and their committees are often sidelined from this important function.

Social Dimensions which affect Health

There is compelling evidence that social factors are potent determinants of the health of populations.

In the simplest of terms these are (a) social disadvantage, and (b) the relationship of Indigenous Australians to mainstream society. Associated with these are basic issues already mentioned; these include education, housing standards, employment and socio-economic status.

These must be addressed if health disadvantages are to be overcome. Until this happens the poor health outcomes of Indigenous Australians will persist.

It’s easy to identify medical problems, perhaps because they can be classified and measured. It is tempting then to decide that these problems are ‘medical’ and, therefore, should respond to ‘medical’ interventions or approaches in isolation. This is dangerously misleading. It’s time for clinicians to realise and publicly acknowledge that most of the important issues which determine the health status of Indigenous people have ‘non-medical’ roots and need vigorous ‘non-medical’ approaches in order to be corrected. This means, of course, that non-medical sectors of governments must accept more responsibility and become more actively involved in issues which ultimately determine the health of populations which they are expected to serve. This will require a major shift in thinking within Federal and State governments and bureaucracies and wider acceptance among the Australian community.

The challenges are daunting but the need is urgent. Surely it is within our collective capabilities to turn around this sad and long-standing saga into a success story.

Michael Gracey AO is a paediatrician who has worked with Indigenous children, their families and communities for more than forty years. He was Australia’s first Professor of Aboriginal Health and for many years was Principal Medical Adviser on Aboriginal Health to the Western Australian Department of Health. He is a former President of the International Paediatric Association.

Oct 11 2017

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health #NACCHOagm2017 21 days to go This weeks #jobalerts Inc @CAACongress @ahmrc @IUIH_

This weeks #Jobalerts

Please note  : Before completing a job application please check with the ACCHO or stakeholder that job is still available

1.Nhulundu Health Service : General Practitioner : Gladstone QLD

2.RVTS AMS Doctor Training stream opportunities Closes 15 October

3. TRACHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS MANAGER

 4. Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community NSW  : Medical Practitioner 

5. Miwatj Health NT Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker

6.Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corp : Katherine NT HR Manager

7-12 Congress ACCHO Alice Springs

13-14. AHMRC full-time Vacancies

15-25 Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service (Durri ACMS)

26-31 : Wurli-Wurlinjang Health NT 6 positions

26.Wurli-Wurlinjang Family Partnership Program (WWFPP) – Various Positions

27.Program Coordinator _ Strong Indigenous Families (FDV)

28.Strong Indigenous Families. Positions include: Counsellors/ Therapists, Case Managers & Community Engagement Support Officers (FDV)

29 .Mental Health Professionals

30.Registered Aboriginal Health Practitioner

31.General Practitioner

 32 – 42 JOBS AT IUIH Brisbane
43. AMSANT Darwin Financial Accountant
44-52 Danila Dilba Darwin 8 Great Job Opportunities

VIEW Hundreds of past Jobs on the NACCHO Jobalerts

 

Register or more INFO

How to submit a Indigenous Health #jobalert ? 

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.Nhulundu Health Service : General Practitioner : Gladstone QLD

 General Practitioner

(Full time positions based in Gladstone)

Nhulundu Wooribah Indigenous Health Organisation Inc. (“Nhulundu”) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service delivering an integrated, comprehensive primary health care service to the whole Gladstone community.

Services include; bulk billing GP services, chronic disease management program, diabetes education, health promotion programs, mums and bubs clinic, aged care and community support service functions.

The position is responsible for providing best practice comprehensive primary health care. Leadership in the safety and quality of clinical services delivered by the health team. Optimising uptake and income generation across the service through MBS billings

This is an exciting opportunity to join an enthusiastic and committed team and make a direct impact on improved health outcomes in the community.

  • Competitive Salary Package – including salary sacrifice
  • Well Balanced working environment – Hours = Monday – Friday 8.30 – 5.00pm

 

Key Requirements include

 

  • Qualified Medical Practitioner, holding unconditional current registration with the Medical Board of Australia
  • Eligible for unrestricted Medicare Provider Number
  • Vocational Registration preferred
  • Knowledge, understanding and sensitivity towards the social, economic and cultural factors affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health; An ability to communicate and empathise with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

 

You will be supported by a team of dedicated clinic staff including Registered Nurses Aboriginal Health Workers, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking team, Dietician/Diabetes Educator, Medical Receptionist, Practice Manager and visiting Specialists and Allied Health providers

Enquiries and Applications (Resume) can be addressed to:

Karen Clifford – Business Service Manager:

By Email: jobs@nhulundu.com.au

By Phone: 0428 228 851

2.RVTS AMS Doctor Training stream opportunities Closes 15 October

Round 2 – 2018 applications close October 15

The RVTS AMS stream was established in 2014 and is designed to meet the specific needs of Doctors working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

AMS stream applicants are accepted from Doctors working in rural, regional and (even) urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services locations, with 10 AMS training positions available in 2018.  Applications for 2018 close on 15 October and so interested doctors have less than a week to finalise their applications.

Why train with RVTS?

  • Stay in your Aboriginal Medical Service for the duration of your training
  • A great combination of remote and face to face training and supervision
  • Personalised supervision and comprehensive support
  • High fellowship achievement rate (94%) for FACRRM or FRACGP or both!
  • RVTS registrars eligible for the A1 Medicare schedule
  • RVTS training is fully funded by the Australian Government

Interested Doctors are encouraged to check their eligibility and apply at www.rvts.org.au before 15 October 2017.

3. TRACHOMA ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS MANAGER

Job no: 0044056
Work type: Fixed Term
Location: Parkville

Indigenous Health Equity Unit
Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Salary: $99,199 – $107,370 p.a. plus 9.5% superannuation

The Trachoma Environmental Improvements Manager (TEIM) plays an important role to drive activities and provide focus on the “Environmental” element of the World Health Organisation SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma. The position will: advocate for safe and functional washing facilities (bathrooms) and work to enhance coordination, collaboration and cooperation between key players at the State and Territory, regional and local levels in health including environmental health, housing, infrastructure and education in targeted regions and remote communities in the tri-state border region of NT, SA, and WA.

The Trachoma Environmental Improvements Manager will be based in Alice Springs and work closely with the Indigenous Eye Health (IEH) Trachoma Coordinator who is also based in Alice Springs.

The position requires travel by vehicle or plane to remote areas of NT, South Australia and Western Australia. Travel to Melbourne and other Australian destinations will also be required from time to time.

IEH strongly encourages applications from Indigenous Australians.

Close date: 22 Oct 2017

Position Description and Selection Criteria

Download File 0044056.pdf

For information to assist you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/search/info/selection-criteria

 4. Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community NSW  : Medical Practitioner 

 

 

Katungul ACCMS is an Aboriginal Community controlled corporation providing community and health services to Aboriginal Australians located in the South Coast of NSW. Katungul has recently been recognised for its excellence in business in the Eurobodalla and Far South Coast NSW Business Awards.
The role will involve working with a multi disciplinary team of health workers and other staff to provide culturally attuned, integrated health and community services on the Far South Coast of New South Wales.
 
Applicants will ideally be fully accredited as General Practitioners with experience working in an Aboriginal Medical service. However other General Practitioners  who do not meet this criteria will be considered.
 
Remuneration and terms of employment will be negotiated with the successful candidate(s).
Enquries should be directed to Chris Heazlewood, Human Resources Manager on 02 44762155 or by email chrish@katungul.org.au

 Download Position description  

MEDICAL PRACTITIONER October 2017

5. Miwatj Health NT Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker

Job No: MHAC19
Location: Ramingining
Employment Status: Part Time
No. of Vacancies: 2
Closing Date: 30 Dec 2020

Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation is the regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in East Arnhem Land, providing comprehensive primary health care services for over 6,000 Indigenous residents of North East Arnhem and public health services for close to 10,000 people across the region.

Tackling Indigenous Smoking Community Worker .5

Are you reliable, self-motivated and hardworking? Do you want to make a difference to Indigenous health? You will work with individuals, clients, families and communities to help quit tobacco use. You will deliver and promote healthier life choices and encourage smoke free behaviour. You will report to the Coordinator TIS on progress and issues. You will need to maintain confidential client information, have the ability to speak and understand Yolngu Matha and have a good understanding of Yolngu kinship and traditional systems.

You must have a current NT Class C Drivers License and a current Ochre Card (or the ability to obtain one).

Click here for Job Description

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to apply.

6.Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corp : Katherine NT HR Manager

Location: Katherine, NT

Reference: 89158

Link to job ad/ to apply: http://applynow.net.au/jobs/89158

Use your Human Resources management experience to enhance remote community health & wellbeing! Great work/life balance & benefits!

About the Organisation

 

Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation’s (Sunrise) (ICN 4170) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (an ACCHO). An ACCHO is a primary health care service initiated and operated by the local Aboriginal community to deliver holistic, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate health care to the community which controls it, through a locally elected Board of Management. Sunrise’s focus is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in the Arnhem Land region east of Katherine in the Northern Territory. Sunrise operates nine clinics located across Arnhem Land.

Sunrise works closely with various organisations in the Northern Territory, including the Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NT PHN). NT PHN provides support services to health professionals and organisations across the Northern Territory including support and assistance to health professionals relocating to the NT.

Sunrise has achieved ISO 9001 certification, and accreditation by Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited.

About the Opportunity

Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation (ICN 4170) now has a full-time opportunity for an experienced HR Manager to join their dedicated, multidisciplinary team.

This is an influential ‘hands-on’ role that offers you the opportunity to advance your career as part of a respected organisation.

The position offers an attractive remuneration package $115,858 – $129,430 (negotiable with skills and experience), plus statutory superannuation. In addition, you will receive a range of benefits including:

  • 6 weeks leave per year
  • 2 weeks study leave
  • Salary sacrificing options

Additionally, working at Sunrise Health Service and living in the Katherine region has lifestyle benefits that are unique to the Northern Territory. With Australia’s most stunning landscapes on your doorstep and an incredible outdoor lifestyle on offer, the Northern Territory is the place to be to make the most of life’s adventures.

Interviews will be taking place immediately – Apply Now!

For more information and to apply, please visit http://applynow.net.au/jobs/89158

7-12 Congress ACCHO Alice Springs

Thank you for your interest in working with Congress!

CONGRESS HR Website

We have two types of applications for you to consider:

General Application

  • Submit an expression of interest for a position that may become available.
  • This should include a covering letter outlining your job interest(s), an up-to-date resume and three current employment referees.

Applying for a Current Vacancy

  • Applying for a specific advertised vacancy.
  • Before applying for any position general or current please read the section ‘Job App FAQ‘.

 CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST / PSYCHOLOGIST

Base Salary: $96,213- $119,223 (p.a)     …

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3755948| Closing Date: 15 Oct 2017

TRANSPORT OFFICER

Hourly Rate: $22.78 + 25% casual loading

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3696530| Closing Date: 01 Dec 2017

GENERAL PRACTITIONER – ALICE SPRINGS

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has over 40 years’ experience providing comprehe …

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3677297| Closing Date: 30 Dec 2017

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Multiple Positions Available

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3683459

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST- CLIENT SERVICE ROLES

Client Service Officer     …

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3672944| Closing Date: 31 Dec 2017

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST- CLINICAL ROLES

Location: Alice Springs | Job ID: 3672893 | Closing Date: 31 Dec 2017

13-14. AHMRC full-time Vacancies

 

To receive a copy of the Recruitment Information Package for more information and the selection criteria, please contact HR via email or telephone. The selection criteria must be addressed for your application to be considered.

13.Research, Training and Workforce Development Manager

Located at Little Bay at the Aboriginal Health College.

For a position description please email hr@ahmrc.org.au

Applications close: Monday, 23 October 2017.

14.Government Policy and Partnership Manager

Located at our main office in Surry Hills

This is an Identified Position.

For a position description please email hr@ahmrc.org.au

Applications close: Monday, 23 October 2017.

For a confidential conversation please contact Human Resources on (02) 9212 4777 or email gagic@ahmrc.org.au

Pursuant to Section 14(d) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Australian Aboriginality is a genuine occupational qualification for this position and is identified as an essential pre-requisite for appointment to the role of Chief Executive Officer, under AH&MRC Constitutional Rules.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

All applicants must address the selection criteria to be considered for the above positions

15-25 : Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service (Durri ACMS)

The Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service (Durri ACMS) was established in 1976. The name Durri means “to grow in good health” and was bestowed upon the organisation by members of the local Aboriginal community.

Located in Kempsey, approximately half way between the cities of Brisbane and Sydney. Durri is on the traditional land of the Dunghutti peo

Durri’s vision is to achieve and maintain better health and wellbeing outcomes for our Aboriginal people and communities.

Durri aims to be an employer of choice in Aboriginal health, supporting a skilled and flexible workforce.

Durri is a great place to work – a family friendly and culturally sensitive work environment that values people.

If you have a passion for indigenous health and are committed to closing the gap, then why not join us?

Website LINK

 Application package Child & Family Nurse – Nambucca Application package Child & Family Nurse – Nambucca.pdf
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Type : pdf
Application package AHW - Bowraville.pdf Application package AHW – Bowraville.pdf
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Added Oct 4

Application Package AHW – Drug Alcohol – Kempsey

26-31  : Wurli-Wurlinjang Health NT 6 positions

If you are considering applying for a position with us, we encourage you in the first instance to review the position profile of the vacancy you are interested in. This will assist you in understanding the role you are interested in and will provide details in relation to the position responsibilities and other criteria applicants should consider addressing in their application.

All applications must contain the following as a minimum:

  • completed employment application form
  • current resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • a cover letter which provides a clear and concise overview of your ability to meet the requirements of the role.
  • a minimum of two referees (names, positions and telephone contact number) preferably one current and one past supervisor

Note: Applications who are successful must have the ability to satisfactorily complete a Criminal History Check and obtain a Working with Children Card.

Applications may be forwarded using our online Employment Application Form OR by emailing the Human Resources team at hr@nullwurli.org.au

View all details of these Wurli current vacancies HERE

26.Wurli-Wurlinjang Family Partnership Program (WWFPP) – Various Positions

27.Program Coordinator _ Strong Indigenous Families (FDV)

28.Strong Indigenous Families. Positions include: Counsellors/ Therapists, Case Managers & Community Engagement Support Officers (FDV)

29.Mental Health Professionals

30.Registered Aboriginal Health Practitioner

31.General Practitioner

 

32 – 42 JOBS AT IUIH Brisbane

 

IUIH and its members are constantly looking for healthcare workers, GP’s, allied health professionals, medical and health related students to fill short or long term vacancies within their growing operations.Current job opportunities are listed below:

 

Website HERE

43. AMSANT Darwin Financial Accountant

 

About the Position
AMSANT is seeking a competent and motivated Accountant for our finance team with good interpersonal and organisational skills and a passion for contributing to improvements in Aboriginal health in the NT. The successful candidate will preferably hold a degree in Accounting with a minimum of two years’ experience. Duties will consist of processing the AMSANT fortnightly payroll for 45 staff, processing monthly and annual accruals, reconciling and lodgement of ATO requirements, maintaining asset register, managing AMSANT funding compliance register and other finance duties and ad hoc reporting. Experience with Payroll and MYOB is highly desirable.

Contract Type & Salary
This is a full time role with salary between $80,559 and $85,465 based on the successful applicant’s experience and qualifications. Generous salary packaging is also available.

Location
Darwin

How to apply
Please download the Job Description and Selection Criteria above.
Your application should address the selection criteria and include a CV, cover letter and two referee’s details. Email applications to hr@amsant.org.au

Application closing date
15th October 2017

For further information about the role
Contact Paul Stephson or Human Resources on 08 8944 6666/ hr@amsant.org.au

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions that become available at AMSANT.

 Website

44-52 Danila Dilba Darwin 8 Great Job Opportunities

Some great career opportunties with us! Go to the vacancies section of our website for details www.daniladilba.org.au

Oct 9 2017

NACCHO Aboriginal Health Pharmacy NEWS Download : With recent reforms ACCHO Pharmacists are playing a key role in closing the gap

‘There are a lot of different activities happening from ACCHO to ACCHO. The approach needs to be flexible and responsive to communities’ needs, as well as integrated into the holistic care models ACCHOs use, but the detail on what has the biggest health impact is unknown.

Current ACCHO pharmacist have shown an opportunity to bring players together and make medicines a team sport – this includes the pharmacist working the allied health, GPs, nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers (AWH) and a range of local community pharmacies, hospitals, PHNs and more to get the best results for their clients and community as a whole.’

Director of Medicines Policy and Program for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Mike Stephens Pictured centre below

Pharmacists working in Aboriginal health Services (AHS), with the support of recent government reforms, are playing a key role in closing the gap and helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander patients navigate Australia’s complex health system.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, when the overwhelming majority of Australians voted to include Indigenous Australians in the Census and allow the Commonwealth to make laws for them.

Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the Closing the Gap program, established by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2008 with the aim of eliminating the gap in health, education and employment disadvantages between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

In acknowledging of these important milestones, this year’s annual Closing the gap Prime Minister’s Report said : ‘While we celebrate the successes we cannot shy away from the stark reality that we are not seeing sufficient national progress on the Closing the Gap targets/ While many successes are being achieved locally, as a nation, we are only on track to meet one of the seven Closing the Gap targets this year.’

Download the 7 Page report HERE

Closing the Gap Pharmacists and Aboriginal Health

The health-related targets of halving the gap in child mortality and closing the gap in life expectancy are not on track.

Some of the targets will expire in 2018, so governments have’ agreed to work together with Indigenous leaders and communities, establishing opportunities for collaboration and partnerships.”

According to PSA CEO Dr Lance Emerson, ‘Aboriginal Australians are four times more likely to be hospitalised for chronic conditions compared with non-Indigenous Australians- and the life expectancy of Aboriginal people in this country is 10 years lower than non-Aboriginal people- and in fact below that of many developing countries such as Bangladesh’.

‘This reality is disgraceful in a rich country such as Australia, ‘Dr Emerson said. ‘Health professionals need to be doing all they can to work toward deeper understanding and meeting the needs of Aboriginal people, to support reconciliation and self-determination- and Aboriginal peoples ‘community control of services provided for Aboriginal people’.

The Government has implemented several programs to provide timely and affordable access to PBS medicines and Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) (listed opposite). However, the review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation Interim Report noted in June that ’although they are related, these programs operate independently with differing eligibility criteria applied for each. This raises difficulties for both consumers in terms of access and for pharmacists and other health professionals with respect to administration.

‘In considering how pharmacy options may contribute to improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Panel has questioned whether currently arrangements are sufficient and how might they be improved.

Integrating pharmacists

The Federal Government has committed to implementing reforms and investigating new funding models to help pharmacists continue to improve health outcomes of Indigenous patients.

NACCHO Aboriginal Health and #PSA17SYD Minister Hunt announces Aboriginal Health Services will be able to employ a pharmacist if a link with a community pharmacy is not available

NACCHO Aboriginal Health and #PSA17Syd Part 2 of 2 Health Minister asks pharmacists to help Close the Gap

In his opening speech at PSA17 in Sydney in July, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced a trial, funded through the Pharmacy Trial Program (PTP), to support AHSs to integrate pharmacists into their services.

The trial has strong stakeholder support amid growing evidence that pharmacists employed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) can help increase patients’ life expectancy and health outcomes.

As a country, we will not have fully succeeded unless and until Indigenous health outcomes are the same as non-Indigenous health outcomes, ‘Mr Hunt said. ‘That’s our very simple shared goal.

‘We will work immediately to have Indigenous specific medication reviews available and we will fund and support that as part of tranche 1 to make sure they are culturally specific.

‘We want in these Aboriginal Health Services to ensure there’s a pharmacy presence. The first line there is to see if we can have a direct link and an offer to community pharmacists to participate, but where that’s not possible, the breakthrough agreement… is that the Aboriginal Health Services will be able to directly employ a pharmacist.’

This announcement follows the Review’s Interim Report recommendation to trial the ability for AHS’s to employ pharmacists and operate a pharmacy because ‘the current inability of an AHS to operate a community pharmacy poses a significant risk to patient health in some rural and remote areas.

The Panel presented the option that: ‘All levels of government should ensure that any existing rules that prevent an AHS from owning and operating a community pharmacy located at the AHS are removed.’ The Panel suggested that as a transition step, these changes should first be trialled in the Northern Territory.

PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson said having a culturally responsive pharmacist integrated within an AHS builds better relationships between patients and staff, leading to improved results in chronic disease management and QUM.

‘Integrating a non-dispensing pharmacist in an AHS has the potential to improve medication adherence, reduce chronic disease, reduce medication misadventure and decrease preventable medication related hospital admissions to deliver significant savings to the health system’, Dr Jackson said.

Director of Medicines Policy and Program for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Mike Stephens welcomes the announcement of the trial.

‘We know from recent studies, including systematic reviews, that pharmacists delivering services within a practice setting can have a significant impact on health outcomes,’ Mr Stephens said. ‘While there is some level of role translatability between ACCHO and non-ACCHO sectors, we really dont’ know where the “sweet spots” are in terms of health outcomes, community demand and value for money when embedding pharmacists in ACCHOs.

‘There are a lot of different activities happening from ACCHO to ACCHO. The approach needs to be flexible and responsive to communities’ needs, as well as integrated into the holistic care models ACCHOs use, but the detail on what has the biggest health impact is unknown.

‘Current ACCHO pharmacist have shown an opportunity to bring players together and make medicines a team sport – this includes the pharmacist working the allied health, GPs, nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers (AWH) and a range of local community pharmacies, hospitals, PHNs and more to get the best results for their clients and community as a whole.’

Mr Stephens said some ACCHOs are also hiring intern pharmacist and pharmacy technicians, allowing pharmacists to focus more on clinical, education and practice-based activities that work well in a general practice setting.

These pioneers are also promoting the newer roles of pharmacists. I see a lot of pharmacists focusing on systems based activities like clinical governance, DUEs and audits, as well as working across teams in and outside of the organisation, such as improving transitional care with local hospitals.’

Mr Stephens said there had been ‘a lot of interest’ in the trial from NACCHO’s Members Services.

‘Research has shown that access and acceptability of pharmacy services could be improved.

Feedback from ACCHOs indicates the benefits of embedding pharmacists can be diverse, but may include improvements in clinical governance and prescribing practices, internal and external workflow, MMR uptake and relationships with community pharmacies’.

Sharing ideas

In recognition of the growing number of pharmacists working in ACCHOs, PSA and NACCHO launched the ACCHO Special Interest Group (SIG) at PSA17.

Dr Jackson said pharmacists working in ACCHOs had specific needs and skills and developing a SIG to support them will help drive the growth of this career path.

‘In many cases, pharmacists working in these positions are providing innovative and diverse services that have the potential to be informative and relevant to the evolution of pharmacy services and inter-professional care,’ Dr Jackson said.

The ACCHO SIG will allow PSA and NACCHO to foster collaboration, inform relevant policy and consult with ACCHO pharmacists about their needs. The ACCHO SIG will also support pharmacist participating in the Aboriginal health organisations trial.

Mr Stephens, who convened the ACCHO SIG, said the key aim was to share resources and ideas and give each other support in a relatively niche area.

‘I have learnt a lot from each of the participants and their input has definitely shaped my clinical practice and policy output. I hope the SIG can evolve organically as needs and issues develop.’

Mr Stephens said optimising medicines use for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been an ongoing challenge.

‘Despite some great programs, policy and resources, Aboriginal PBS utilisation is still only about two thirds of non-Indigenous Australians’use. Most pharmacists would have heard of Closing the Gap prescriptions but how is that delivering outcomes ? How could it be improved ? We have responded to this question and more in a recent submission to the Review of Indigenous Pharmacy Programs. There is a real sense of goodwill from many industry players in this area at the moment.’

Mr Stephens said that, in addition to the SIG, a more informal network has been set up for any pharmacist or other health professional with an interest or expertise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medicine issues. NACCHO shares a monthly medicines bulletin with the network, including practical resources and links.

Mr Stephens describes his previous workplace, Danila Dilba Aboriginal Health Service in Darwin, as a dynamic multidisciplinary environment.

‘It opened my eyes to the details of how a large holistic health service works, and how general practice and other primary care services fit into that. I did everything from HMRs to pharmacy accounts, board briefings to Drug Use Evaluations (DUE) and clinical governance, GP education and much more. The team vibe was great and I had a lot of fun with colleagues from different disciplines and backgrounds.

‘The challenge was the complexity and nuances of community relationships and systems, and learning where your skills will work best. Engagement is critical and I saw some programs struggle because clients and employees were not driving the change.’ Mr Stephens is a strong believer in lifelong learning and found PSA’s Guide to providing pharmacy services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people invaluable.

‘It has a lot of detail but is applicable for pretty much all pharmacists across Australia, and it has some great case studies. It was developed by a range of organisations and people with lots of experience.

‘There’s never been time to upskill and get involved, with PSA’s support modules for Aboriginal Health Services Pharmacists, the ACCHO SIG and the network. NACCHO can also provide support for pharmacists looking to get involved.’

PSA provides CPD, training, practice support tools and recommended external resources to support AHS pharmacists. This includes an essential guide as well as guidance on networking and advancing within this career pathway.

Building rapport

Vanessa Bickerton MPS, a hospital pharmacist from Perth, previously worked at Wirraka Maya Health Service in South Hedland in the Pilbara region, 1600 kilometres north of Perth. She said it was a challenging but uniquely satisfying role.

‘Though it took some time to establish relationships and build rapport with patients, the pharmacy service was integral to the organisations,’ Ms Bickerton said.

As part of diverse team of doctors, nurses, AHWs, pharmacists and other allied health professionals worked closely with patients in communities that sometimes had limited access to medical care.

‘This included supply to even more remote nursing stations, such as Marble Bar, Nullagine and Yandeyarra- where due to geographical challenges the Royal Flying Doctor Service only visits once or twice a week,’ Ms Bickerton said.

Jul 26 2017

NACCHO This weeks Aboriginal Health #Jobalerts : #Aboriginal Health Workers #Chronic Disease #TacklingSmoking

This weeks #Jobalerts

Please note  : Before completing a job application check with the ACCHO or stakeholder that job is still available

1.Carnarvon Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation : Chronic Disease Coordinator Close 4 August

2.1-2.4  Western Australia : AHCWA members

3.Tackling Indigenous Smoking Support Officer (OVAHS) close 16 August

4.Generalist HR role Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

5. Registered Nurses Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd (BAHSL)

6 -7 Jullums Lismore AMS Registered Nurse / Child and Family Nurse and Aboriginal Health Worker/ Practitioner

8. Rekindling The Spirit  : Positions Vacant – Counsellors

9. Nganampa Health Council  :Personal Care Attendant (Remote Area Aged Care Facility)
 
10.Chronic Kidney Disease Educator – Derby (KRS)
 

11.Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Ltd  : Deputy Medical Director (KAMS) – Close 31 July

12.Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Inc.Tobacco Action Worker 

 

How to submit a Indigenous Health #jobalert ? 

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.Carnarvon Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation   :  Chronic Disease Coordinator (Registered Nurse / Aboriginal Health Practitioner) Close August 4

About the Organisation

Carnarvon Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation (CMSAC) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service established in 1986. CMSAC aims to provide primary, secondary and specialist health care services to Carnarvon and the surrounding region.

For more information please visit http://www.cmsac.com.au

About the Opportunity CMSAC is currently seeking an experienced Registered Nurse or Aboriginal Health Practitioner to join their multidisciplinary team as a Chronic Disease Coordinator.

As the Chronic Disease Coordinator you will be supported by a diverse team of Doctors, Aboriginal Health Practitioners, Nurses, Medical Receptionists and a Clinical Practice Coordinator providing a range of culturally appropriate and comprehensive primary health care services to the local Aboriginal communities.

Your responsibilities will include (but not be limited to) the following:

  • Providing day to day health services to the community in a professional, confidential and culturally safe manner
  • Utilising a holistic approach to assessing clients and their families by supporting and developing patient understanding of their condition, treatment and prevention strategies
  • Conducting opportunistic screening and follow-up of patients
  • Developing and implementing strategies that promote health education to clients, their families and the community with a focus on chronic disease management and health prevention
  • Providing Support and Advice on appropriate levels of follow-up to clients requiring short and long-term pharmaceutical support including instructing client/care givers how to take medication, the correct dosage, storage and security
  • Maintaining accurate documentation and record of all client encounters on the patient information & recall system
  • Maximising Medicare billings through effective patient records processes

To be successful, you will be a Registered Nurse or Aboriginal Health Practitioner, have experience working in a similar role within an AMS or primary health setting. You will have a sound knowledge of general practice, primary health care and the social and emotional wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Your strong interpersonal, communication and organisational skills will enable you to strengthen existing community partnership, establish and sustain stakeholder relationships, determine priorities and manage workloads in order to meet agreed timelines and achieve results.

Most importantly, you must be able to effectively communicate, promote and uphold CMSAC initiatives and values, acting as a role model in the community.

Before applying please visit http://www.ahcwa.org.au/employment to view the full Position Description.

About the BenefitsA generous remuneration package including salary sacrificing options is on offer.

In addition:

  • CMSAC will negotiate relocation assistance with the right candidate
  • You’ll enjoy a fantastic work/life balance, with Monday – Friday hours, 8:30am – 5pm, with no on-call requirements
  • 5 weeks annual leave

**The successful candidate must be willing to undergo a Drug Screen, provide a current Police Clearance and Working with Children Check and possess a C Class Drivers License.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

Applications close 5pm, Friday 4 August 2017

 2. Western Australia : AHCWA members

Current Vacancies

If you are passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Western Australia then the below opportunities may interest you.

 2.1 Aboriginal Health Worker (50d)

Type: Full Time

Location: SWAMS, Bunbury

Closing Date: 5pm Friday, 4th August 2017

Here at SWAMS we have an exciting position available for someone looking to make a difference. As an Aboriginal Health Worker, you will be involved in clinical assessment and treatment, care coordination, client support and advocacy and community development activities.

​2. 2 Administration Assistant

Type: Full Time
Location: PAMS, Newman
Closing Date: Wednesday 2nd August 2017, 5pm

PAMS currently has an opportunity for an Administration Assistant and to join their team on a full-time basis.

2.3 Remote Area Registered Nurse

Type: Full Time 6:2 roster

Location: PAMS, Newman

Closing Date: Wednesday 2nd August 2017, 5pm

PAMS has an opportunity for a Remote Area Registered Nurse to join their team on a 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off, fly in, fly out roster

 2.4 Clinical Operations Manager

Type: Full Time
Location: DYHS, Perth WA
Closing Date: 5.00pm, Monday 31 July 2017

DYHS is now looking for an experienced Clinical Operations Manager to join their team in Perth, on a full-time basis.

  APPLY HERE

4.Generalist HR role Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

In the 40 years since it was established, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has become the largest Aboriginal medical service in the Northern Territory.  Congress is one of the most experienced in Aboriginal health in the country, is a national leader in comprehensive primary health care, and is a strong political advocate for the health of Aboriginal people.

Based in Alice Springs and reporting to the General Manager Human Resources, a newly created role has emerged.  The Organisational Capability Manager is a generalist HR role responsible for developing and leading workforce initiatives, strategic projects, building HR capability and workforce training and development.  Specific areas of focus in the first instance include :-

  • leading a refresh of the people performance and management framework;
  • leading the review of the WHS management system;
  • leading talent planning and implementation activities for organisational change projects and workforce development;
  • strengthening a reporting framework that captures meaningful data to promote organisational performance, assist decision making, minimise risk and enable achievement of the broader organisational objectives and priorities.

Applications are invited from experienced HR practitioners with appropriate tertiary qualifications and superior communication, negotiation and strategic thinking skills.  Experience in developing organisational capability for a large, geographically dispersed and multi-disciplinary entity will be highly regarded.  Pragmatism, intuition, commercial acumen, sound judgement, drive, energy, credibility and authenticity are also important qualities sought.

Offered initially on a contract basis for a period of 2-3 years, there is a genuine opportunity for the scope to extend well beyond this timeframe and expand in breadth of responsibility.  An attractive remuneration package commensurate with skills and experience, together with relocation assistance will be offered in order to attract the right candidate.

For a job and person specification, please visit hender.com.au and for further information on our client, please visit caac.org.au

Applications in Word format only should be addressed to Justin Hinora.

Telephone enquiries are welcome on (08) 8100 8849.

APPLY HERE

5.Registered Nurses Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd (BAHSL)

About the Organisation

Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd (BAHSL) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving not only the health but the youth, culture, education and housing of the organisation’s clients and the Brewarrina community in general. Operating with close ties to the accredited Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, BAHSL services are available to the surrounding communities and small towns in the area, and provide a resource centre for:

  • Health related issues
  • Medical advice and treatment
  • Individual and family counselling
  • Information and advice about issues relating to substance abuse
  • Sexual health services
  • Family violence
  • Children’s health/issues
  • Adolescent health
  • Women’s and men’s health
  • Healthy lifestyle (including healthy eating)
  • Eye Health

About the Opportunity

Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd (BAHSL) has an exciting opportunity for a Registered Nurse to join their multidisciplinary team of dedicated health professionals working throughout in Brewarrina, NSW.

In this role, your primary focus will be on planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Enhanced Primary Health Care plans for the program’s clients, in collaboration with BAHSL Aboriginal Health Workers.

To be successful in this position, you will be a Registered Nurse (List A) with experience providing Primary Health Care to those suffering from chronic disease and across a range of other settings. You will require experience in working with Aboriginal communities and have an understanding of health issues in rural/remote areas and the impact of socio-economic factors on Aboriginal communities.

Candidates with previous experience in wounds management, community care, and adult immunisation will be highly regarded.

Please note: Candidates are required to hold registration with AHPRA, a working with children check, and a criminal history check.

BAHSL will reward your commitment with an excellent base salary (dependent upon skills and experience) and access to salary sacrificing arrangements!

Applicants currently located outside the Brewarrina region will be considered – and you’ll enjoy assistance with relocation costs (reimbursed after probation period) and help in finding suitable rental accommodation!

Advance your career in Aboriginal health in this varied role – APPLY NOW!

Please note, due to the nature of this position, Aboriginal people are encouraged to apply.

APPLY HERE

6 -7 Lismore AMS Registered Nurse / Child and Family Nurse and Aboriginal Health Worker/ Practitioner

Jullums Lismore AMS is currently looking for the following positions to join the team:

Registered Nurse / Child and Family Nurse

This is an identified position open to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people

However, Registered Nurses who are not indigenous but able to meet the Selection Criteria are encouraged to apply

Aboriginal Health Worker/ Practitioner

This is an identified position, open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Minimum qualifications, Certificate IV

About Us:

Jullums Lismore Aboriginal Medical Service is a not-for-profit Aboriginal Community Controlled Health service under the management of Rekindling the Spirit, providing primary health care services to Aboriginal people throughout the Lismore area. Jullums is committed to promoting health, wellbeing and disease prevention, involving a holistic approach to diagnosis, and the management of illness.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Practice Manager, both these positions are responsible for a high standard of primary health services that focuses on the prevention, early detection and management of health problems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. As a member of a multi-disciplinary team these roles ensure effective screening, service delivery and administration practices are delivered in accordance with our patient centred Model of Care.

The ideal candidates will have proven experience in providing health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To request a copy of the Position Description and Selection Criteria, or if you wish to apply for the position by sending a covering letter with your CV, please contact

amanda@rubirockservices.com

8 Rekindling The Spirit  : Positions Vacant – Counsellors

Rekindling The Spirit is a Lismore based, community organisation run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, who offer a holistic approach to working with those families and communities to support the achievement of positive and lasting changes in their lives.

Rekindling the Spirit supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women to find their own path of empowerment through spiritual and emotional healing, by offering services that can help relieve poverty, distress, sickness, destitution, trans-generational trauma and other misfortunes. Our counselling, assistance, education and supplementary services focus on reducing the occurrence of domestic and family violence plus child abuse through the promotion of healing and wellbeing within families and the community.

Rekindling The Spirit is looking for a number of Full Time Male and Female Counsellors to provide front line, face to face services to support the implementation and ongoing management of a new program for our clients and community.

Ideal candidates will be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with proven experience in providing counselling services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. All counsellors with experience providing counseling services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply to ensure Rekindling The Spirit is able to recruit the highest quality candidates to support our community.

As the successful applicant, you will be responsible for a number of aspects of the programs, including:  Conducting client intake and assessments for the RTS DV Perpetrator Program

  •  Provide face to face counseling
  •  Facilitate Rekindling The Spirit group based activities
  • Conduct exit interviews and evaluation of participants
  • Develop and maintain effective referral pathways
  • Arrange and participate in meetings, team activities, community network presentations, special ceremonies and approved events and field work activities as required
  • Participate in program and service planning, review and evaluation, including data collection and documentation of new initiatives

To be successful, you will:

  • hold a minimum of a Diploma or relevant qualifications in Counselling, Substance Misuse, Mental Health, Aboriginal Health Worker, Community Services or another related field or be willing to undertake further study.
  • have proven experience in providing counselling and/or group facilitation experience in, drug and alcohol, domestic violence, health, social and emotional wellbeing counselling to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
  • have a demonstrated ability to work appropriately and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
  •  possess high level communication skills and well developed computer skills.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

Criminal history screening and working with children/vulnerable persons checks will be carried out prior to commencement of employment.

If you have a strong interest in this role and wish to apply for the position, please send a covering letter with your CV to amanda@rubirockservices.com

9.Nganampa Health Council  :Personal Care Attendant (Remote Area Aged Care Facility)

Nganampa Health Council is an Aboriginal owned and controlled health organisation operating on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Across this area, we operate seven clinics, an aged care facility and assorted health related programs including aged care, sexual health, environmental health, health worker training, dental, women’s health, male health, children’s health and mental health.

When you join Nganampa Health, you are joining a community of primary health care professionals, united by our desire to make a difference. We learn and experience something new every day, and we are supported by the professionalism and spirit of our colleagues and our organisation.

A fantastic opportunity now exists for a full-time Personal Care Attendant to join our dedicated aged care team, based in Pukatja (Ernabella), in remote North West, South Australia.

Working under the direction of the Residential Care Manager, you will be responsible for planning and delivering person centred care to residentsof theTjilpiku Pampaku Ngura aged care facility.

To be successful, you will have demonstrated experience in Australia as a Personal Care Worker, working with frail, aged and disabled people in an aged care setting. You’ll hold a Certificate III or IV in Aged Care, or an equivalent EN qualification. This could also be a great opportunity for an existing EN looking for a change in role or to move away from a traditional hospital environment.

We are seeking an adaptable and flexible individual who can display the initiative, discretion and cultural sensitivity needed to support and drive the organisation’s objectives and values. You must be able to both communicate and participate effectively within a cross-cultural, multi-disciplinary health team.

Why join the Nganampa Health team

As a Personal Care Attendant at Nganampa Health, you will receive an excellent remuneration up to $58,880 (with Certificate IV qualifications), plus super. You will also receive a range of benefits including:

  • Annual district allowance;
  • Furnished rent-free housing including some meals;
  • Penalty & leave loadings and overtime entitlements;
  • Free electricity and subsidised internet and telephone access;
  • Relocation assistance (negotiable);
  • Generous leave provisions: 6 weeks annual leave, 3 weeks recreation leave, 3 weeks sick leave and 2 weeks study leave!
  • Annual airfares; and
  • Salary sacrificing options to greatly increase your take home pay by up to $16,000!

These incredible rewards bring your salary package up to an approximate $133,000 per annum!

APPLY HERE

10. Chronic Kidney Disease Educator – Derby (KRS)
 
About Kimberley Renal Services
Kimberley Renal Services (KRS) includes 4 Renal Health Centres based in Fitzroy Crossing, Broome, Kununurra, and Derby and a mobile prevention unit.The incidence of Kidney Disease in the Kimberley is one of the highest in Australia. Chronic Kidney disease (CKD) and End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) incidence within the Aboriginal population of the Kimberley greatly exceeds the national burden of disease. Dialysis prevalence for this region has more than tripled in the last decade and is increasing at a much faster rate than in the rest of Western Australia (WA).KRS and the regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) have developed a renal strategic plan to help combat this health crisis. This has enabled many patients to return to the Kimberley from Perth, which is 2,500kms away, to receive their treatment.

About the Opportunity The Kimberley Renal Service has an opportunity for a Chronic Kidney Disease Educator to join their multidisciplinary team based in Derby WA. This role will be offered on a full-time basis.Reporting to the Renal Health Centre Manager, you will be responsible for raising awareness and understanding of the factors which lead to development of chronic kidney disease.

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced Registered Nurse – eligible for registration with the national nurses board of Australia – and advanced renal clinical skills. You will also have a commitment to the philosophy and practice of Aboriginal Community Control and knowledge of Equal Opportunity and OSH legislation.

KRS is looking for candidates with strong communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to work both autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team. A high level of integrity and a dedication to maintaining patient confidentiality will ensure you flourish in this position.

About the Benefits

KRS is an organisation that truly values its team, and is committed to improving employee knowledge, skills and experience. In addition, staff development programs are not only encouraged but are often paid for by KRS. These are highly attractive opportunities for someone with a desire to develop their professional knowledge and experience in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health!

There are also a wide range of fantastic additional benefits for the role, including:

  • Attractive base salary of $84,960 PLUS Super;
  • Accommodation Allowance of $13,000;
  • Electricity Allowance of $1,440; and
  • After 12 months of service, you will receive annual airfares of $1,285.

APPLY HERE

11.Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Ltd  : Deputy Medical Director (KAMS) – Identified Position

Job No: 90703
Location: Broome, WA
Employment Status: Full-time
Closing Date: 31 Jul 2017
  • Do you want to really make a difference in your career?
  • Take on this rewarding management role with the region’s leading provider of Aboriginal health services!
  • Attractive remuneration circa $230,000 base, PLUS district allowance AND accommodation allowances!

About the Organisation

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services LTD (KAMS) is a well-established regional Aboriginal community controlled health service, founded in 1986, which provides centralised advocacy and resource support for 6 independent member services, as well as providing direct clinical services in a further 6 remote Aboriginal communities across the region.

KAMS has successfully delivered high-quality, accessible comprehensive primary health care services over its 30 years of operation and has provided innovation and national leadership in areas such as health information management and evidence-based best practice in primary health care.

About Broome

Broome is located 2,240km north of Perth and has a permanent population of 14,436. Broome promotes a relaxed and easy-going lifestyle, with nearby shopping centres, Sunday markets as well as a broad range of restaurants and entertainment options. It is founded on the traditional lands of the Yaruwu people and is rich in history, culture and beautiful surrounds.

Broome has a deep history in the pearling industry, spanning back to the 1800’s, with memorials throughout the town to commemorate those lost in the early years of pearling. Cable Beach is also a must-see, being named in honour of the Java-to-Australia undersea telegraph cable that reaches shore there. You can explore its beautiful scenery with a bit of 4WDing at low tide, or you can even take a camel ride every day at sunset!

Roebuck Bay is known as one of the most beautiful beaches that surround Broome, with its “Staircase to the moon” phenomenon drawing food and craft markets each time it occurs. The combination of a receding tide and rising moon create a natural phenomenon that can only be described as breath-taking.

About the Opportunity

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Ltd (KAMS) now has a rewarding opportunity for a full-time Deputy Medical Director to join their team in Broome, WA.

Please note: Due to the nature of this role, applicants are required to be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. This is a genuine occupational requirement for this position, which is exempt under Section 14 of the Anti-discrimination Act.

Reporting to the Medical Director, you’ll be responsible for providing comprehensive primary health care in line with accepted best practice standards.

Some of your key duties will include (but will not be limited to):

  • Assisting in the development and maintenance of high quality health services, ensuring continuous monitoring, quality improvement and innovation in the delivery of comprehensive primary health services;
  • Supporting the education, training and on-site up-skilling of the KAMS primary health care workforce;
  • Acting as a cultural champion for health services in the Kimberley;
  • Leading and participating in clinical audit activities in KAMS and member services
  • Assisting the Kimberley Renal Service with medical cover; and
  • Assisting the Medical Director when required.

To be successful you will need:

  • FRACGP, FACRRM or equivalent, with eligibility for medical registration in WA;
  • Significant experience in the delivery of general practice / primary heath care;
  • The ability to act as an effective member of a multidisciplinary health team;
  • Experience in working effectively with Aboriginal people;
  • The competency required to manage emergencies in a remote setting; and
  • A commitment to the philosophy and practice of Aboriginal Community Control.

KAMS are looking for candidates with well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, along with the ability to maintain client confidentially at all times within and outside the workplace. You will have experience working within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Community Organisation and a strong interest in developing the skills required to lead an Aboriginal Health Organisation.

A ‘C’ Class Driver’s License, Federal Police Clearance, Working with Children Clearance, and willingness to travel often by 4WD vehicles and light aircrafts will be required.

To download a full position description, please click here.

About the Benefits

If you are looking for a change of routine, a change of lifestyle or a new adventure, this is the role for you. You will see and experience more of Australia’s real outback than most people ever will – and get paid to do it!

KAMS is an organisation that truly values its team, and is committed to improving employee knowledge, skills and experience. In addition, staff development programs are not only encouraged but are often paid for by KAMS. This is a highly attractive opportunity for someone with a desire to develop their professional knowledge and experience in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health!

While you will face diverse new challenges in this role, you will also enjoy an attractive remuneration circa $230,000 + super. 

There is also a wide range of additional benefits for the role including:

  • On call allowance – 10% of base salary;
  • District allowances – $2,920 single $5,840 double p.a;
  • Electricity allowance $1,440
  • Accommodation allowance $13,000;
  • Mobile phone allowance $100 per month;
  • 6 weeks’ annual leave & 2 weeks’ study leave;
  • Annual Airfares to the value of $1,285 pa (after 12 months of employment).

Don’t miss this exciting and rewarding opportunity to have a positive impact on the health outcomes of Indigenous communities in the spectacular Kimberley region – Apply Now!

Please note: Candidates must respond to the questions below and attach a current resume to be considered.

Apply HERE

12.Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Inc.Tobacco Action Worker 

Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Inc. (FIAAI) currently have a vacancy for a Tobacco Action Worker within FIAAI’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program. Contracted until June 2018 (with the possibility of extension beyond this date), this position presents an opportunity to be part of a small Launceston-based team dedicated to reducing the level of Aboriginal smoking throughout Tasmania.

DOWNLOAD pdf tis_job_ad

Reporting to the local Team Leader, this role is available full time or part time by negotiation.

As the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program involves collaboration with Aboriginal (and other) organisations, schools and Communities around the state, a willingness to undertake some travel in the role is essential.

A driver’s licence is also essential, and significant connection to Tasmanian Aboriginal Communities is highly desirable.

If you’re interested in making a difference to Tasmanian Aboriginal health outcomes and can demonstrate the above we’d love to hear from you.

For more information about this position and a job description which includes process for applying contact Lee Seymour at the FIAAI

Tackling Smoking office on 6334 5721 or via

email at:

lee.seymour@fiaai.org.au

Jul 18 2017

NACCHO Aboriginal Health Research Alert : Comparisons of the characteristics of care in #ACCHOs and mainstream #PHC Primary Health Care

 ” Implications for public health: To increase utilisation of primary health care services in Indigenous Australian communities, and help close the gaps between the health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Indigenous community leaders and Australian governments should prioritise implementing effective initiatives to support quality health care provision by ACCHOs.

Download this research PDF

NACCHO Download What Indigenous Australian clients value

Abstract

Objective: To synthesise client perceptions of the unique characteristics and value of care provided in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) compared to mainstream/general practitioner services, and implications for improving access to quality, appropriate primary health care for Indigenous Australians.

Method: Standardised systematic review methods with modification informed by ethical and methodological considerations in research involving Indigenous Australians.

Results: Perceived unique valued characteristics of ACCHOs were: 1) accessibility, facilitated by ACCHOs welcoming social spaces and additional services; 2) culturally safe care; and 3) appropriate care, responsive to holistic needs.

Conclusion: Provider-client relationships characterised by shared understanding of clients’ needs, Indigenous staff, and relationships between clients who share the same culture, are central to ACCHO clients’ perceptions of ACCHOs’ unique value.

The client perceptions provide insights about how ACCHOs address socio-economic factors that contribute to high levels of chronic disease in Indigenous communities, why mainstream PHC provider care cannot substitute for ACCHO care, and how to improve accessibility and quality of care in mainstream providers.

Wide disparities remain between the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter Indigenous Australians) and non-Indigenous Australians.1,2

Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and psychosocial illness caused by the history of colonisation, account for the bulk of the disparities.3

Inadequate access to primary health care (PHC) services responsive to Indigenous clients’ holistic needs, modifiable socioeconomic factors including low income, poor education, poor living conditions and social exclusion are principal contributors to the higher chronic disease burden in the Indigenous population.1–3 Increasing Indigenous Australian engagement with effective PHC, conceived in the comprehensive Indigenous Australian sense, is critical to reduce chronic disease in Indigenous communities and mitigate the disparities in health.3,4

Australia’s culturally diverse Indigenous peoples’ understanding of accessible, appropriate, quality PHC is different and broader than Western notions.3,5 From the Indigenous Australian perspective it is care conceived in the holistic Aboriginal way, that incorporates body, mind, spirit, land, environment, custom, socioeconomic status, family and community.5 The Indigenous Australian construct includes essential, integrated care based upon practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable procedures and technology made accessible to communities as close as possible to where they live through their full participation in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination and a comprehensive approach to supporting health.5

Importantly, all Indigenous Australians have the right to easily accessible, comprehensive, PHC delivered in a way that is respectful of Indigenous cultures, as well as to be involved in design and delivery of the PHC services they receive.6,7 International evidence investigating factors that increase accessibility and quality of PHC for Indigenous people, points to maximising community ownership and control, a robust indigenous managerial and clinical workforce, and the ability to deliver models of care that embrace Indigenous knowledge systems.3,8

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) are incorporated organisations, governed by boards of members elected by local Indigenous communities that aim to meet basic needs in Indigenous communities.5 ACCHOs function as knowledge and resource bases for Indigenous communities to advocate for their rights.5,9 The first ACCHO was established in 1971 in Redfern, in response to the failure of mainstream services to cater for the needs of its Indigenous peoples’ and desire for self-determination.5,9

By 2015 there were 138 ACCHOs in Australia 10 diverse with respect to their years of operation, budget and workforce sizes, and their governance, funding and service delivery models.10,11 Some ACCHOs employ medical practitioners and other staff, including Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) and provide a range of clinical and other services; others do not have a locally based medical practitioner, and rely only on AHWs.5,9,10 Assessments of health care quality based on Western informed measures have established that quality of clinical standards varies across ACCHOs and that many ACCHOs are achieving best practice standards.12

In addition to ACCHOs, state and territory funded Indigenous health organisations, which are concentrated in the Northern Territory and have varying degrees of community control, also play a role in providing culturally appropriate services in Indigenous communities.10 Of the 203 Indigenous PHC organisations in 2014/15, 68% were ACCHOs, 25% were government-run services, and 18% were mainstream non-government organisations.10Recent policy13 for improving Indigenous health in Australia reflects a strong commitment by government to implementing community control to enable better PHC quality and access, as well as to provide ACCHOs with the support they require to help achieve this goal. The policy commitment to building ACCHOs has been in place for more than 25 years.14

However implementation of the policy has been fraught with ongoing difficulties.11,14 ACCHOs rely on government funding, which they receive largely through three main Commonwealth sources: Medicare; contract funding for core PHC services; and contract funding for specific programs. Whilst some ACCHOs access the funding and workforce they require to deliver services that are responsive to community needs, and have been identified as offering exemplar models of care for Indigenous peoples15 the evidence relevant to the implementation of Indigenous control of health care in Australia,11,14,16–18 shows that many, particularly emerging organisations, struggle to navigate complex funding and accountability arrangements.

Evidence points to various inefficiencies in the funding and governance arrangements and questions their ability to support quality care provision that is responsive to each community’s unique needs and meets needs of all clients within communities.14In the context of increasing debate regarding the merits of mainstreaming Aboriginal PHC, we systematically reviewed qualitative evidence to document and understand how ACCHO clients perceive the characteristics and value of care provided by ACCHOs compared to care provided in mainstream PHC.

Our motivation was that the findings from existing qualitative studies, in academic and grey literature, on how ACCHO clients’ experience and perceive the nature and value of care provided in ACCHOs, and compared to in mainstream PHC services, had not yet been synthesised, yet synthesising the qualitative client perceptions might offer insights for health practitioners and policy makers on how best to improve Indigenous Australians’ access to PHC services that offer appropriate, quality care.

MethodThis review forms part of a larger systematic review project.19 We followed Joanna Briggs institute (JBI) guidance for systematic review of qualitative evidence20 and the PRISMA reporting guidelines.21 We took two steps to better align with ethical standards relevant to research involving Indigenous Australians22 and enable Indigenous specific contextual and cultural knowledge to inform the evidence appraisal and interpretation:23,24 1) Indigenous and non-Indigenous personnel were included in the review team; and 2) input was sought, at key stages in the review, from a reference group of Indigenous Australian community leaders and Indigenous people with expertise in PHC service delivery in Indigenous Australian communities.

Population and context: Indigenous clients (including family members, all ages) of ACCHOs.

Phenomena of interest: Perspectives on the characteristics and/or value of care provided by an ACCHO and the characteristics and/or value of care provided by one or more ACCHOs compared to the characteristics and value of care provided by one or more mainstream PHC services. ACCHOs were defined as non-government organisations operated by an Indigenous community, through an elected board of management. Mainstream providers were defined as general practitioner services. A service ‘characteristic’ was defined as a client identified attribute or feature of the PHC service, and a value as a client expressed experience of the worth or impact of the PHC service. Only perspectives evidenced by client voice were included.

Search and study selectionWe searched electronic sources for peer reviewed and grey literature studies meeting the inclusion criteria published in English, between April 1971 (date of first ACCHOs) and 30 April 2015. We searched the following databases using database specific search strings: Pubmed; Scopus; Healthbusinesselite; Econlit and Informit (Indigenous peoples databases).

Using generic search terms, we searched Google Scholar (advanced), Indigenous HealthInfoNet (Health Bibliography and Australian Indigenous Health Bulletin), Australian Policy Online, the Centre for Economic Policy website and Lowitja Institute websites. We hand searched references of two recent literature reviews, and the included studies. The search strategy is provided in Supplementary File 1, available online. The PubMed search string was:((health services, indigenous[mh] OR community health services[mh] OR primary health care[mh] OR rural health services[mh] OR community networks[mh] OR delivery of health care[mh] OR health planning[mh] OR community controlled health service*[tiab] OR indigenous health service*[tiab] OR community health service*[tiab] OR primary health care[tiab] OR rural health services[tiab] OR community networks[tiab] OR delivery of health care[tiab] OR health planning[tiab]) AND ((Aborig*[tw] OR Indigenous[tw] OR (Torres Strait[tw] AND Islander*[tw]) OR Oceanic Ancestry Group[mh] OR koori[tw] OR tiwi[tw]) AND (.au[ad] OR australia*[ad] OR Australia[mh] OR Australia*[tiab] OR Northern Territory[tiab] OR Northern Territory[ad] OR Tasmania*[tiab] OR Tasmania[ad] OR New South Wales[tiab] OR New South Wales[ad] OR Victoria*[tiab] OR Victoria[ad] OR Queensland[tiab] OR Queensland[ad]))) AND ((“1971/01/01”[PDat]: “2015/12/31”[PDat]))The search results were imported into an Endnote database (Thomson Reuters), where duplicates were removed. Title and abstract of the remaining records were then screened by JG for eligibility against the inclusion criteria, and full texts of potentially relevant studies set aside for further examination. JG, OG, DC independently reviewed the full-text articles against the inclusion criteria, noting reasons for exclusions. Uncertainty about whether the organisation was an ACCHO was resolved by contacting authors.

Quality assessment and data extractionWe used the critical appraisal and data extraction tools in the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI).20 Two of the non-Indigenous authors (JG, DC) independently assessed quality of the studies that met the inclusion criteria, and two of the Indigenous Australian authors (OG, KK) crosschecked a 20% sample of the assessments for uniformity and accuracy. One reviewer (JG) extracted descriptive study data from the included studies. Three non-Indigenous members of the review team (JG, ZM, MS) extracted findings from the included studies for the phenomena of interest. Only client perceptions that were supported by an illustration, in the form of a client voice, were extracted. A 20% sample of the extracted findings was checked for accuracy by two of the Indigenous Australian authors (KO, OG). The confirmation of accuracy ensured that Indigenous Australian perspectives were applied in the quality appraisal and data extraction.

SynthesisWe used meta-aggregation20 to synthesise, separately, the client perceptions on the: 1) characteristics and value of care provided by ACCHOs; 2) characteristics of care provided by ACCHOs compared to mainstream PHC providers; and 3) value of care provided by ACCHOs compared to mainstream PHC providers. Meta-aggregation is grounded in the philosophic traditions of pragmatism and Husserlian transcendental phenomenology. The overall emphasis in this approach is on producing findings from existing studies that are credible in the sense that they reflect the meaning of the included studies, and inform practice-level lines of action that have applicability to healthcare policy or practice. Meta-aggregation embodies the complex nature of critical understanding, while ensuring the findings developed from the synthesis of study findings are meaningful and practical.20 For each synthesis, we followed the two-step thematic analysis approach of meta-aggregation. First, we developed categories of findings with similar meaning, and second, we developed synthesised findings describing the categories. To develop the categories, the first two authors (who led the synthesis), working independently, read and re-read the assembled findings with their supporting illustrations to understand their meaning, and grouped them into categories of similar findings, reflecting the main themes in the findings relating to the phenomena of interest.They then compared and discussed the two interpretations, and developed consensus-based categories of the identified themes.

To develop the synthesised findings, which in meta-aggregation represent overarching descriptions of the categories20, these same authors (OG and JG) first worked individually, and then together. OG’s interpretation of category meanings, and appropriate synthesised findings was privileged to ensure that the synthesised findings were informed by unique knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the context surrounding Aboriginal PHC, held by Indigenous Australians. AB guided the first author through the process of identifying the key cross-cutting themes in the synthesised findings, thereby ensuring that the second level analysis was also informed by Indigenous Australian expert knowledge. The draft categories, synthesised findings and interpretation of the themes emergent in the synthesised findings, were reviewed by all the other authors.
Results

Description of studies

Our search identified 4,405 records. From these, 816 duplicates were removed, leaving 3,589 for title and abstract screening against the review eligibility criteria. We excluded 3,468 of these for not meeting the inclusion criteria, leaving 112 for full text examination. Of these, six were not accessible, 19 did not offer findings for the phenomena of interest, 36 did not use qualitative methods, and for 51 we were uncertain whether participants were ACCHO clients. This left nine articles reporting nine studies. An additional article reporting one of the nine studies was identified in the references of one included article, resulting in 10 included articles,25,34 reporting nine studies. Supplementary file 2 provides the search results and study selection. The list of citations excluded at full text examination is available from the corresponding author.The results from the methodological quality assessment are provided in Supplementary file 3.

One was rated high quality,28 seven were rated good quality,27,29,34 and one, reported in two articles, was rated moderate quality.25,26 A lack of clarity about how researchers’ values and prior knowledge influenced studies was the main methodological concern potentially undermining the credibility of the findings that informed our syntheses. It is not possible without further information to comment on whether researchers’ values and knowledge enhanced the validity of findings or introduced bias.Details on the characteristics of each included study are provided in Supplementary File 4. All the studies were published between 2004 and 2014. Six used mixed methods.25–27,30,31,33,34 Four used focus groups and interviews,27,31–33 four used only interviews,25,26,28,30 and one used only focus groups. 34 Five of the studies adjusted their methodology to align with the unique ethical and methodological standards relevant to research with Indigenous Australians.28–30,33,34 Based on an estimation of 75 participants in one study that employed focus groups,27 a total of 811 study participants informed the meta-syntheses (including 640 from one study).31 There was good geographic representation in the ACCHO sample.

Synthesised findingsA diagrammatic representation of the three meta-aggregations of the ACCHO client perceptions is provided in Supplementary File 5.

Care in ACCHOsOur synthesis of the client perceptions on the characteristics and value of ACCHO care, extracted from the nine included studies,25–34 produced four synthesised findings.

Synthesised Finding 1: ACCHOs’ accessibility was highly valued. Clients identified ACCHOs’ transport services, proactive service provision, culturally safe care, range of services and welcoming environment as contributing to ACCHOs’ accessibility. Five categories informed this synthesised finding; each of them described a different characteristic that, from the clients’ perspective, contributed to accessibility. Proactive service provision was described as ACCHOs having outreach services (e.g. home visits), staff who were easily contactable, and staff meeting patients in public areas such as shopping centres.25–27 Culturally safe care was described as care delivered by providers who were good,28 who understood clients and knew how to meet their needs,29 who spent sufficient time with patients and who respected culture,29 in an environment that made clients feel comfortable.34 ACCHOs’ welcoming environment was described as including an emotional and relational dimension.27,29,33 The relational dimension was reflected in clients’ relating how they felt welcome in ACCHOs because they saw people who were familiar to them, and who understood them, both in the waiting room and in the clinical space.27,28 Clients indicated that they valued this because it gave them a sense of belonging.27,28 The emotional dimension of the welcoming environment was evidenced in descriptions of ACCHOs as social meeting places, where friends offered and received support.28,29 The following client voices are illustrative of how clients described ACCHOs’ welcoming environment:

“I just, just ah come here on my one day off and sit out here, have a talk with my mates…there’s always someone you know here… it’s a social event too…”29(p200)

“We share a lot. You know when you meet people you talk about things…If we go in and I know someone we’ll have a good yarn…?”29(p200)

Synthesised Finding 2: The way ACCHOs delivered care was highly valued. Clients valued staff taking the time to know and care for clients; personalised care tailored to self-perceived need; continuity of care; and appropriate communication. Clients related that they experienced feelings of belonging and confidence when accessing services with these service qualities. Four categories of findings informed this synthesised finding. The first was that clients experienced and valued staff, including doctors, taking their time with them.29 In the words of one client: “That’s the thing AMSs do really well, they take their time. There are not time limits”.29 ACCHOs providing healthcare in a personalised way tailored to client needs was the second category. These findings indicated that clients perceived ACCHOs as delivering care in a way that was responsive to their background27 by people who understood them.29 Clients also reported that the way staff provided care made them feel: known;29,33 less isolated (belonging);29,33 more confident;28 less anxious;30 cared for;30 accepted;28,29,30 supported;29 and encouraged.30 The third category was provision of information in a way that was understandable.27,30 Continuity of care was the last category, described as ongoing care and support for various problems in a client’s life over time.27,29

Synthesised Finding 3: Particular qualities of ACCHO staff were highly valued. These included Aboriginal identity of some of the ACCHO workforce, including AHWs; and staff who understood Indigenous clients and therefore behaved respectfully. Two categories informed this synthesised finding. The first was that clients valued the following behavioural qualities of staff: respectful and non-judgemental behaviour;27 staff taking time to know the client’s background and listen to their needs;29 sensitivity, kindness and reassurance;25,26 and trustworthiness.28,29 One said the way ACCHO staff allowed clients to talk about anything made you “feel at home”.27 The second category concerned how clients valued the Aboriginal identity of some ACCHO staff29,33 and the employment of AHWs.28 The following client voice illustrates how some clients described the value of AHWs:

“It was a whole new world…she was like a social worker I guess, we could talk to them individually, she was lovely. She explained everything, she took you in to how you know it all worked and was going to happen…you couldn’t have found so much difference between her, and the doctors who just tell you.”28(p6)

Synthesised Finding 4: A comprehensive, holistic approach to PHC was highly valued. The inclusion of non-clinical care, such as community events, group activities and enhanced supports available through community networks, had a positive impact on peoples’ wellbeing. Two categories informed this synthesised finding. The first was that non-clinical services, including ACCHOs’ social services, cultural events,33 and group activities such as diabetes camps30 and bush camps,33 were a valued characteristic. Clients pursued the opportunity group programs gave them to spend time with people who shared similar experiences, and to connect with community and culture.30,33 One client described the group-based activities as “a really great healing process”.33(p359) The second category of findings acknowledged and described perceived positive impacts of ACCHOs on client wellbeing.27,28,30,32 The impacts identified were: increased confidence;27,28 enhanced knowledge about how to manage conditions and actively engage in health decision making;30 pride in being part of the local Aboriginal community and its health service; better health;28,32 and better mental health.32

Comparisons of the characteristics of care in ACCHOs and mainstream PHC

Synthesis of the findings from three included studies contrasting the client perceptions of the characteristics of care in ACCHOs and mainstream PHC produced one synthesised finding which identified two differences between ACCHOs and mainstream PHC providers.28,29,33Synthesised Finding 5: While relationships were characterised by respect and understanding in ACCHOs, in mainstream services there was often a lack of respect and no shared understanding between providers and clients, or among clients. ACCHO clients described being discriminated against (also couched as being treated “differently”),28 patronised,28 assaulted and threatened29 by staff in mainstream services and contrasted this with staff in ACCHOs, including “behind the door in the clinical consultation space”,29 treating clients with respect and understanding rather than challenging or denying cultural identity.29 The second category was client-provider and provider-provider relationships in ACCHOs being characterised by high levels of trust,29 shared similar meanings29 and caring supportive relationships33 contrasting with a lack of mutual understanding and an absence of trust in the relationships within mainstream services.29
Comparisons of valued characteristics of care in ACCHOs and mainstream

Synthesis of findings from six of the included qualitative studies contrasting the value of care across the two sectors, identified three unique highly valued characteristics of care provided by ACCHOs compared to mainstream PHC providers.27–29,32–34

Synthesised Finding 6: ACCHO clients identified three unique highly valued characteristics of ACCHOs compared to mainstream PHC services: (1) accessibility, which clients described in terms of welcoming and safe spaces; (2) the way ACCHOs delivered care, in a culturally safe way tailored to need; and (3) comprehensive holistic care. The first point was that clients preferred ACCHOs because of their greater accessibility, which was related to additional services and their more welcoming environment.27,29,32,34 Clients described ACCHO waiting rooms as meeting and speaking environments “where people happen to be sick”,29 contrasted with mainstream services’ waiting rooms, described as quiet, formal sick places where you felt isolated.29 Clients signalled that relationships and support associated with companionship experienced in ACCHOs’ and Aboriginal staff were key to why ACCHOs were more accessible.32

“I used to go…all the way into [suburb] to see the AMS workers, and um I’d see a lot of people, it’s a great place to get together with a lot of people, a special place, and you see different ones, and have a yarn to…I’ve been away for a while, and um I always come back… In the [non-Indigenous] service you’re in, you’re out. There’s no friendliness…”28(p4–5)

“There’s always someone that you know, another family member or an old school chum or people you’ve played football with, and you’ve got that companionship there. If you were to go to the doctor’s surgery uptown and then just sitting there, oh god, I’m wishing to get out of there super quick.”33(p358)

“I was going to a doctor in Cleveland, and I didn’t feel comfortable there, but being here, where there’s other people around, yeah I felt comfortable when I came here the first time…there were Aboriginal nurses as well…and you could relate to them a bit more.32(p.6)

The second and third categories informing synthesised finding six, concerned differences in the way care was delivered across the two settings.27,29,3

Clients indicated they valued how staff in ACCHOs understood their holistic health care needs – signalled for example by references to be able to “talk to the AMS staff about anything and everything”– and were respectful,29(p202) and contrasted this with experiencing lack of understanding and inadequate care in mainstream PHC services.

Discussion

Our systematic review identified a small body of studies reporting qualitative data on client perceptions that when synthesised offers useful insights into how Indigenous clients view the nature and value of care provided in ACCHOs, and comparison to in mainstream PHC providers. Importantly, the findings from the syntheses contrasting care across the sectors mirrored those from the synthesis of clients’ perceptions of ACCHOs’ characteristics and value. Overall, our synthesis points to three unique, highly valued characteristics of care provided in ACCHOs compared to in mainstream providers. The first is ACCHOs’ unique accessibility. Clients perceive ACCHOs’ welcoming environment, which includes a social, emotional and physical aspect and supports cultural safety; ACCHOs’ flexible, responsive and proactive approach to care provision; and ACCHOs’ additional services, including transport and outreach as factors contributing to ACCHOs unique accessibility. The second unique, highly valued ACCHO characteristic is ACCHOs’ culturally safe care. This was described by clients as care delivered by staff, many Aboriginal, who feel known to clients, understand client needs and respect culture, in an environment where clients feels comfortable, supported and that they belong. The third was comprehensive care, that is, care responsive to holistic health needs.

Relationships, understanding and respect for culture central to clients’ view of accessible, appropriate, quality health care

High levels of trust and mutual understanding in the relationships between clients and health care providers, as well as close relationships between clients, were central themes in our syntheses. The presence of people from the local community, and involvement of Indigenous people in the service, was also central themes. Our synthesis therefore reinforces existing literature that has highlighted relationships,3,35 respect for culture and for Indigenous knowledge, and the involvement of Indigenous people in providing care, as central to Indigenous clients’ perceptions of accessible, appropriate and quality health care.

Why care provided by mainstream PHC providers will not substitute for ACCHO care

The description of ACCHOs’ characteristics and value compared to mainstream PHC providers highlights two distinct but equally important reasons why the care provided by mainstream providers cannot serve as a substitute for the care provided by ACCHOs for Indigenous clients. First, as has been previously noted,3 the characteristics of accessible and culturally safe care are such that mainstream PHC providers cannot achieve them using a tick-box approach and without fundamental change. Key elements, including the support offered by relationships amongst clients, will be difficult for mainstream providers to replicate. Second, mainstream services are not perceived by all Indigenous Australians as offering care that is responsive to holistic health needs. Moreover, mainstream PHC providers are ill-equipped to provide clients with a broad range of PHC programs tailored to self-perceived holistic health needs. They are focused on delivering clinical services designed largely to meet the needs of the majority, non-Indigenous population and to meet business objectives, and they are unlikely to transition to providing the additional services Indigenous Australians seek.

Additional insights on how ACCHOs improve Indigenous health

Our findings offer additional insights into the way ACCHOs contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. Moreover, the clients’ references to positive impacts of ACCHOs on their confidence;27,28 on their knowledge about how to manage conditions and actively engage in health decision making;30 on their pride in being part of the local Aboriginal community and its health service; and on their mental health32 supports the conclusion of a recent review on ACCHOs’ impacts on Indigenous health,36 that ACCHOs are important not only because their health care helps to improve Indigenous Australians’ health, but also because of how they help to address the socioeconomic factors that contribute to high levels of chronic disease in Indigenous communities.

Strengths and limitations

The overall quality of the included studies was good. A second strength of our review is the steps we took to align our review methodology with the ethical and methodological requirements relating to research involving Indigenous Australians. These steps are important because they are called for by the unique standards for ethical research with Indigenous Australians, and because incorporating local contextual and cultural knowledge specific to Indigenous people adds to the credibility and relevance of the review findings and should aid their transferability into practice and policy.20,21

The small number of studies contributing to the syntheses, particularly the two comparing care across the sectors, is a limitation of our review. Neither the included ACCHO population nor the ACCHO client population were representations of their diverse total populations in Australia, potentially limiting the transferability of the findings. Another limitation relates to our inability (given data constraints) to explore potential variations in the perspectives of clients with different characteristics, e.g. males versus female, people of low and high socio-economic status. Third, whilst we did not extract findings from studies in which it was clear that the comparator was care in the hospital setting, we cannot be certain that references to “mainstream services” did not include this setting. We did not consider how clients’ perceptions of the characteristics and value of ACCHOs’ care compare with their perceptions of characteristics and value of other Indigenous PHC provider types. It is expected that Indigenous services, with high levels of local community involvement in the planning and delivery of their services, may be perceived by clients as having similar characteristics and value as ACCHOs. Fifth, there may be studies published since the end date of our search, that meet our review inclusion criteria, which may offer unique additional insights about how ACCHO clients perceive the characteristics and value of care provided by ACCHOs, and compared to mainstream providers, or they may confirm our synthesised findings.

Implications

Mainstream practitioners that seek to improve the accessibility and quality of their care for Indigenous peoples should: 1) invest in understanding Indigenous clients’ needs and learn how to be respectful of Indigenous clients’ culture; 2) adopt a flexible and proactive approach to providing care for Indigenous people (for example, they need to be prepared to meet clients outside of normal operating hours and engage in outreach activities); and 3) invest in making the clinic welcoming for Indigenous clients, for example, by putting up posters and other artefacts that are representative of Indigenous culture. However, for many Indigenous Australians, the care provided by mainstream PHC providers will not be a substitute for ACCHO care tailored to meet holistic health needs of Indigenous clients and their communities. Australian governments therefore should remain committed to the implementation of community control and should prioritise reforms to make the funding and accountability arrangements more enabling of rapid growth in the ACCHO sector and more supportive of high-quality, comprehensive, effective service provision by ACCHOs. To this end, government should look to the recommendations offered by recent research on barriers and facilitators regarding implementing Indigenous community control in PHC which offers useful guidance on reforms required in funding and accountability frameworks.11,14,16–18 In addition to building better funding and accountability arrangements for the ACCHO sector, governments need to continue to prioritise initiatives, for example best practice guideline development and dissemination, that enable all relevant treatments for comprehensive holistic health care being informed by scientific evidence. Ensuring that all ACCHOs have access to, and have the capacity to use, appropriate continuous quality improvement systems, for identifying their strengths and where system change is required to further strengthen the service and improve the health outcomes for clients accessing these services, is also important.37

Conclusion

The qualitative evidence on how Indigenous Australian ACCHO clients perceive the characteristics and value of care provided by ACCHOs, and compared to in mainstream PHC providers facilitates understanding why mainstream PHC provider care cannot be a substitute for ACCHO care. It also offers insights into how ACCHOs address socioeconomic factors that contribute to chronic disease in Indigenous communities. This sends a cautionary note to policy makers intent on mainstreaming Aboriginal PHC and underscores the importance of implementing the reforms to the funding and accountability arrangements for ACCHOs, that have been identified as important to support ACCHOs’ delivering quality services that are effective and meet holistic needs of clients in Indigenous communities. Mainstream PHC practitioners can learn from best-practice examples in the ACCHO sector how to improve the accessibility and quality of their care for Indigenous clients.

Acknowledgements

Judith Gomersall (JG), Odette Gibson (OG), Judith Dwyer (JD), Alex Brown (AB) and Edoardo Aromataris (EA) led the conceptualisation of the review. JG and OG led the writing of the protocol. The research governance group established to guide the work of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange (CREATE) reviewed the protocol. JG performed the search and abstract review. OG, Drew Carter (DC) and EA conducted the full text examination. EA, an experienced systematic reviewer, provided oversight during the search and study selection process. EA and Zachary Munn (ZM) provided technical advice about appropriate review method. Two non-Indigenous Australian members of the review team, DC and JG, assessed the quality of studies. Their assessments were reviewed by two Indigenous Australian members of the team, OG and Kootsy Kanuto (KK). Matthew Stephenson (MS), ZM and JG (all non-Indigenous Australians) extracted the data from the included studies. Two Indigenous members of the review team, OG and Kim O’Donnell (KO), reviewed their data extraction. KO, OG, MS, JG and DC participated in a workshop convened to develop an initial set of categories for the meta-aggregation. OG and JG then worked together on the meta- aggregation with OG’s perspective being privilege due to her unique insider Aboriginal knowledge. AB, a senior Indigenous Australian health researcher with expert knowledge of Aboriginal health and the Aboriginal health sector, guided JG through the second level analysis, the interpretation of the synthesised findings. JG, OG JD and EA led the writing of the paper, which was reviewed by all authors. The findings of the review were presented to representatives of the CREATE leadership group prior to submission of this article for publication, and feedback received integrated. The authors thank the participants of the CREATE leadership group for the invaluable guidance and time they provided during this review. We also thank Harold Stewart and Stephen Harfield for participating in the workshop held at the beginning of the synthesis stage of the review. Finally, we thank Sandeep Moola for assistance during the data extraction stage of the review.

Funding

The NHMRC (GNT1061242) supported this project. The contents of the published material are solely the responsibility of the Administering Institution, a Participating Institution or individual authors and do not reflect the views of NHMRC.