Mar 1 2017

NACCHO #jobalerts Aboriginal Health #Employment opportunities : @Uni_Newcastle Cultural Liaison @MenziesResearch Training Facilitator Plus more

Help Close the Gap and create healthy futures for our mob

This weeks featured jobs on our NACCHO Job Alert

1.Research Assistant and Indigenous Cultural Liaison Newcastle University

2.Postdoctoral Research Fellow Newcastle University

3.Brief Intervention Training Facilitator ( 2 positions) Menzies Research

Plus other

4.Australian Public Service are now offering a 12-month Indigenous Apprenticeships

5.Indigenous Literacy Foundation Current Volunteering Opportunities

6.#closethegapday 16 March event

NACCHO Affiliate , Member , Government Department or stakeholder

If you have a job vacancy in Indigenous Health

Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media

Tuesday by 4.30 pm for publication each Wednesday

Faculty of Health and Medicine Centre for Brain and Mental Health

Research Assistant and Indigenous Cultural Liaison 3259

As part of the University’s commitment to increasing Indigenous employment within its workforce, this role is a targeted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander position.

The University holds an exemption under Section 126 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) in relation to its targeted recruiting programs. Please note that both Indigenous and non-Indigenous candidates can apply, however priority will be given to Indigenous candidates who can demonstrate their Indigenous heritage and successfully meet the selection criteria.

About UON

Built on the principles of equity, excellence and engagement, the University of Newcastle (UON) has a reputation as a world-class institution making an impact within our regions, throughout Australia and across the globe. This is an exciting time to be part of the University of Newcastle as we embark on our NeW Futures Strategic Plan 2016-2025. We are building on strong foundations to realise our 2025 vision to stand as a global leader, distinguished by a commitment to equity and excellence, creating a better future for our regions through innovation and impact. Being part of a university on the move gives our people the opportunity to really make a mark in their chosen field.

About the opportunity

As the Research Assistant and Indigenous Cultural Liaison you will provide high level support on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Global Alliance Chronic Disease funded research trial: Indigenous Counselling and Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy.

The project addresses an issue of utmost importance to public health – tobacco smoking in pregnant Indigenous women. By addressing smoking among Indigenous women during pregnancy, a single intervention could help prevent disease in two people – mother and child – and make significant inroads into tackling the health disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. ICAN Quit in Pregnancy is designed to increase smoking cessation rates among expectant Indigenous mothers, by providing training and feedback for healthcare providers at Aboriginal Medical Services in the delivery of culturally competent evidence-based smoking cessation care.

Key responsibilities include:

managing the Indigenous cultural liaison for the cluster randomised controlled trial;
conducting Aboriginal Community consultations with Aboriginal Medical Services and their community members and relevant boards, liaising with peak Aboriginal Health Bodies, and relevant organisations;
assisting with the recruitment of study sites;
making site visits to Aboriginal Medical Services and other services; and
assisting with data analysis, project reports, publications, budgetary responsibility, and the development of resources to support study implementation.

This position is offered on a full-time (part-time may be considered), three year fixed term basis.

Skills and experience

To be successful in this position you will have:

a degree in Psychology or Health or similar, with subsequent relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training;
female gender as the position concerns predominantly sensitive Indigenous ‘women’s business’;
experience and track record in research/work on research projects;
demonstrated ability to build external partnerships to achieve common goals and positive outcomes for the University.
demonstrated high-level oral and written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate presentations and/or training sessions.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note: In accordance with the University’s Staff Selection Guidelines, your application will be assessed on the selection criteria found at the link below. It is essential that you address each of the criteria to enable the selection committee to properly assess your application and suitability for interview.

HEW Level 6 – $74,175 to $81,847 per annum, plus Superannuation Guarantee contributions.

Applications close: Friday, 31 March 2017.

APPLY HERE

Faculty of Health and Medicine Centre for Brain and Mental Health

Postdoctoral Research Fellow 3260

About UON

About the opportunity

As the Postdoctoral Research Fellow you will provide high level research support on the NHMRC Global Alliance Chronic Disease funded trial: Indigenous Counselling and Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy.

Key responsibilities include:

Oversee the day-to-day management of the ICAN Quit in Pregnancy trial, under the supervision of the trials chief investigators.
Prepare research publications, within the context of a large investigator and partner team.
Assist with the general research activities of the wider team, which may include involvement in other research projects, publications, grant applications, and supervision of students.

We aim to provide an environment that will assist the Postdoctoral Research Fellow’s independent career development and in building their track record for future external fellowship and grant opportunities.

This position is offered as either an Academic Level A or Level B, on a full-time (part-time may be considered), three year fixed-term contract basis.

Skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you will have a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or equivalent in a related field of science, eg, behavioural science, public health, epidemiology, community health, nursing, social science, psychology, medicine (PhD candidates who have submitted their PhD and awaiting conferral may be considered) and demonstrated experience in management of Randomised Controlled Trials.

For the full selection criteria for a Level A and B, please refer to the position description, which can be accessed below.

Academic Level A or B: $64,804 to $109,933 per annum plus 9.5% superannuation.

Applications close: Friday 31 March 2017.

APPLY HERE

Brief Intervention Training Facilitator ( 2 positions)

$94,372 – $110,660 pro-rata salary package (comprising gross salary $72,998 – $87,067 pro-rata, superannuation & salary packaging benefits)

12 month or part time (0.8 FTE) contract based in Brisbane

Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) has been contracted by Queensland Health to develop, promote, implement and evaluate an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Brief Intervention Training Program.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Brief Intervention Training Program aims to build the capacity of Queensland’s frontline health and community workers to deliver tobacco, nutrition and physical activity brief interventions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.

The successful candidate will have:

Qualifications and/or extensive experience in a relevant health related discipline.
An understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and protocols.
Demonstrated understanding of brief interventions and applications in a health setting, particularly in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care settings.
Demonstrated interpersonal, written and oral communication skills particularly in engagement and relationship building with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, AMS’s, NGO’s, health providers and other organisations.
Hold a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment (TAE40110) or higher with a proven ability to deliver training in an adult setting.
Highly developed organisational and time management skills, and attention to detail.
Demonstrated capacity to work independently without direct supervision and maintain good organisational and time management skills.
Willingness and ability to undertake extensive travel as well as the flexibility and ability to work outside normal hours when required.
Current Queensland Drivers Licence.

Contact: Dr Majella Murphy on 07 3169 4232 or majella.murphy@menzies.edu.au or Dr Frances Cunningham on 07 3169 4219 or frances.cunningham@menzies.edu.au

Closing Date: 8^th March 2017

This position is identified for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.

For information on how to apply for this position and to obtain the Position Description and Selection Criteria please visit www.menzies.edu.au/careers or phone 08 8946 8624.

Please email applications, including a document addressing the selection criteria to: humanresources@menzies.edu.au

4.Australian Public Service 12-month Indigenous Apprenticeships

A number of departments in the Australian Public Service are now offering a 12-month Indigenous Apprenticeships Programme.

To find out more about the programme in the Australian Public Service, visit humanservices.gov.au/indigenousapprenticeships

Current Volunteering Opportunities Marketing Assistant

We are seeking a reliable Marketing Assistant volunteer to work 1-2 days per week for a minimum of 3 months in our Sydney office, starting immediately.

This position requires an organised person with excellent communication, proficient in Mac computers, and holds the ability to work independently, to deadlines.

The role includes supporting the Marketing Coordinator in managing the organisation’s community fundraisers, social media, copywriting, telemarketing, website, graphic design (optional) and other administrative tasks such as filing, mail merge, packing kits and stocktake.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Reception / Administration Assistant

We are seeking 2 reliable Reception/Administration Assistant volunteers to work 2 days per week until the end of January 2017 in our Sydney office, then one person to be available for 1-2 days thereafter.

These positions require an organised person with excellent communication skills (specifically he/she must be able to direct/handle requests from a number of stakeholders) – and IT skills (Mac and Salesforce CRM).

The job includes doing some basic correspondence, banking cheques, filing and collecting and sending out post for the organisation.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Watch this space for future volunteer opportunities. Please note, we do not offer volunteering placements in remote communities.

#closethegapday 16 March

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples die 10-17 years younger than other Australians and it’s even worse in some parts of Australia. Register now and hold an activity of your choice in support of health equality across Australia.

Resources

Resource packs will be sent out from 1 February 2017.

We will also have a range of free downloadable resources available on our website

www.oxfam.org.au/closethegapday.

It is still important to register as this contributes to the overall success of the event.

More information and Register your event

Nov 8 2013

NACCHO Smoke Free news: Stickin’ It Up The Smokes – has there been a catchier campaign name?

The recent NACCHO Summit had a number of presentations about different tobacco control projects that are underway across the country.

While their goals differ, they all are harnessing new technologies and online communications channels, reports journalist John Thompson-Mills.

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Tobacco control projects in the spotlight

John Thompson-Mills writes:

Tablets are being used to survey Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the staff and clients of community controlled services about smoking-related issues.

The Talking About the Smokes project aims to better understand the pathways to smoking and quitting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to evaluate what works in helping them to quit smoking. (Many organisations are involved in the project, as outlined here).

So far, more than 2400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have completed the first wave of the survey, which has seen health workers and even community Elders involved in collecting the data, using tablet technology.

Vouchers to supermarket and other major shopping chains are also used as inducements to encourage participation. A second wave of the survey is about to begin.

Jamahl, a Townsville health-worker, has been smoking since he was sixteen. He’s been convinced quitting is a good idea since recently losing a dearly loved Aunty to cancer.

Jamahl has taken the survey, and was surprised about what he learnt.

He says it’s made him think differently about his community and is convinced other respondents will feel the same way.

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Making it Work

In NSW, more than 1000 “Tobacco Resistance Toolkits” have been downloaded since the Australian Health & Medical Research Council launched “Making It Work” in October last year.

Aimed at new Aboriginal service providers who lack training or culturally appropriate resources, the Tobacco Resistance and Control team (ATRAC) toolkit is a series of three modules.

These offer a practical template for data collection, creating a smoke-free workplace policy and how to source current facts and figures, called “Let’s Get Started.” A fourth module, Social Marketing, is about to be launched.

The three-year program has placed no limit as to how many modules will be available to its service providers. The more the community needs, the more consultation-based modules will be developed.

Once again, the community will shape and drive the program.

Jasmine Sarin who presented the seminar at the NACCHO Summit said defining success won’t be about the Toolkit’s effect on smoking prevalence.

“It’s more about measuring how people move through stages of change,” she says. “So, not smoking in the home anymore, or no longer smoking around children, any improvements in those areas would represent a success for us.”

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Stickin’ It Up The Smokes

In South Australia, a unique program IS looking to reduce smoking prevalence – among young pregnant Aboriginal women.

In SA, the smoking rate for pregnant women is three times higher for Indigenous women than non-Indigenous women, totalling nearly 53%.

South Australia also has the highest number of low birth-weight babies.

The answer is Stickin’ It Up The Smokes, put together by the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA).

Using social media, a series of flyers, posters and regional radio ads, a multi-faceted campaign has been pulled together in very quick fashion and for very little cost.

Mary Anne Williams, the Maternal Health Tackling Smoking Program Officer at AHCSA, says her initial campaign costs were heading towards $20,000.

But by bringing in a number of Aboriginal media students and finding a young social marketing expert, the final outlay was a fraction of that, at $2,000.

Speaking at the NACCHO Summit, Williams said the campaign only took four months to go from concept to delivery; a massive eight months quicker than a Government-led process would have taken.

She even managed to get some help from X-Factor finalist Ellie Lovegrove who wrote a rap for the campaign.

There were some challenges though. Convincing some community Elders about the merits of the strategy took time. And it was a struggle to find the nine non-smoking ambassadors until a Facebook campaign was launched. Then the quota was filled within two days.

The target audience is primarily pregnant SA Aboriginal women aged in their early 20s.

The secondary targets include: Aboriginal mothers with young babies, especially those who are breastfeeding; families, and particularly partners, of pregnant Aboriginal women; young Aboriginal women who have not yet taken up smoking or had children (especially those aged 10-14 years); and Aboriginal communities throughout South Australia.

The aim of the Stickin It Up The Smokes campaign is modest: a 2.1% per year reduction in smoking during pregnancy for Aboriginal women by June 2016.

The Summit also heard yesterday about anti-smoking efforts by the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council, in WA. Some tweet reports follow.

Nov 8 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health :Culture is an important determinant of health: Professor Ngiare Brown at NACCHO Summit

It’s time to move away from the deficit model that is implicit in much discussion about the social determinants of health, and instead take a strengths-based cultural determinants approach to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is one of the messages from Ngiare Brown, Professor of Indigenous Health and Education at the University of Wollongong.

Professor Brown also stresses the importance of a focus on resilience, and the value of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector as a national network for promoting cultural revitalisation and sustainable intergenerational change.

The summary below is taken from her presentation at the recent NACCHO summit

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Connections to culture and country build stronger individual and collective wellbeing

Professor Ngiare Brown writes:

Although widely accepted and broadly researched, the social determinants approach to health and wellbeing appear to reflect a deficit perspective – demonstrating poorer health outcomes for those from lower socioeconomic populations, with lower educational attainment, long term unemployment and welfare dependency and intergenerational disadvantage.

The cultural determinants of health originate from and promote a strength based perspective, acknowledging that stronger connections to culture and country build stronger individual and collective identities, a sense of self-esteem, resilience, and improved outcomes across the other determinants of health including education, economic stability and community safety.

Exploring and articulating the cultural determinants of health acknowledges the extensive and well-established knowledge networks that exist within communities, the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service movement, human rights and social justice sectors.

Consistent with the thematic approach to the Articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), cultural determinants include, but are not limited to:

•Self-determination;

•Freedom from discrimination;

•Individual and collective rights;

•Freedom from assimilation and destruction of culture;

•Protection from removal/relocation;

•Connection to, custodianship, and utilisation of country and traditional lands;

•Reclamation, revitalisation, preservation and promotion of language and cultural practices;

•Protection and promotion of Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous Intellectual Property; and

•Understanding of lore, law and traditional roles and responsibilities.

The power of resilience

The exploration of resilience is a powerful and culturally relevant construct.

Resilience may be defined as the capacity to “cope with, and bounce back after, the ongoing demands and challenges of life, and to learn from them in a positive way”, positive adaptation despite adversity or “a class of phenomena characterized by good outcomes in spite of serious threats to adaptation or development”

Resilience is important because:

• It is culturally significant – we are a resilient culture, surviving and thriving;

• Resilient people/communities are better prepared for stronger, smarter, healthier, successful futures and have better outcomes across the social determinants of health (education, health, employment);

• Resilient individuals are more likely to provide a positive influence on those around them and are better able to develop and maintain positive relationships with others – family, friends, peers, colleagues;

• Resilience promotes collective benefits – social cohesion, community pride in success, economic stability, and improved health and wellbeing.

There is a developing body of international work describing cultural continuity and cultural resilience.

Scholars such as Fleming and Ledogar propose dimensions including traditional activities, traditional spirituality, traditional languages, and traditional healing.

Further, Native American educators propose cultural protective factors and cultural resources for resilience such as symbols and proverbs from common language and culture, traditional child rearing philosophies, religious leadership, counselors and Elders.

(For example, Chandler, M. J. & Lalonde, C. E. (2008). Cultural Continuity as a Protective Factor Against Suicide in First Nations Youth. Horizons –A Special Issue on Aboriginal Youth, Hope or Heartbreak: Aboriginal Youth and Canada’s Future. 10(1), 68-72; Olsson 2003, Stockholm Resilience Centre; John Fleming and Robert J Ledogar, ‘Resilience, an Evolving Concept: A Review of Literature Relevant to Aboriginal Research’, Pimatisiwin. 2008 ; 6(2): 7–23. Iris Heavyrunner et al 2003).

The cultural determinants of health and wellbeing may be seen to be wrapping around, or cutting across individual, internal, external and collective factors.

A ‘social and cultural determinants’ approach recognises that there are many drivers of ill-health that lie outside the direct responsibility of the health sector and which therefore require a collaborative, inter-sectoral approach.

There is an increasing body of evidence demonstrating that protection and promotion of traditional knowledge, family, culture and kinship contribute to community cohesion and personal resilience.

Current studies show that strong cultural links and practices improve outcomes across the social determinants of health.

There are certain services only NACCHO and ACCH sector can and should do – child protection; mental health; women’s business; and men’s health.

This is useful in assisting policy and resourcing decision-making dependent upon context, geography, demography and tailoring services to local needs and priorities

The ACCH sector provides a true national network and a vehicle for cultural revitalisation. A cultural determinants approach and cultural revitalisation drive sustainable intergenerational change.

Aug 25 2013

Aboriginal Social Media #NACCHOSummit news: A case study of Twitter-power for Aboriginal health advocacy and self-determination

Social media and particularly Twitter had a huge impact in amplifying the discussions and reach of the NACCHO Summit in Adelaide this week.

As at 25 August there were 5,563,625 Impressions from 3,097 Tweets

As you can see from the tweet below, NACCHO is heading to next Tuesday’s National Press Club debate on health with an arsenal of tweeters. (Heaven help hope those politicians if they don’t focus on their plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health – their names will be mud in the Twitterverse.)

In the article below journalist John Thompson-Mills reports on the social media impact factor – perhaps it was no coincidence that #NACCHOSummit was trending on Twitter and that a senior government official turned up for the last day of the Summit.

At the bottom of his article are some further conference tweets, showing that “pride” emerged very strongly as a Summit theme, as well as a grab of the conference’s Twitter analytics (which doesn’t include today’s tweet-coverage).

If you would like assistance with Social media such as TWITTER contact the person who put this project together

NACCHO Media and Communications advisor :Colin Cowell who you can follow @NACCHOAustralia

Email media@naccho.org.au

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Twitter extends the reach of #NACCHOSummit

John Thompson-Mills writes:

One of the foundation stones of NACCHO and Aboriginal self-determination is community control. The community provides the expertise, drives the program and controls the message.

This makes social media a perfect fit for an event like the inaugural NACCHO summit.

Experienced social media users may have been fully prepared to use Twitter to talk about the #NACCHOSummit but many, including senior NACCHO people, were taken aback by what social media managed to achieve this week.

NACCHO’s CEO, Lisa Briggs, says:

“I think the social media coverage has been absolutely fantastic and taken the conference to places it probably wouldn’t have been able to reach, just with newspapers and radio. So I think it’s a very important and effective tool.

“The viralness (sic) of Twitter certainly surprised me, absolutely, and I think it’s the attraction and the interest. Finding peoples’ interests and them tweeting back; ‘that’s really good, can I hear more about those stories?’, and then getting in touch with others who are presenting them. I think I know more people on social media than I do face to face.”

The summit convinced a number of NACCHO staff to join the Twitterverse and, with thousands of tweets generated by the end of the conference, there was plenty to inspire the “Twitter-virgins”.

NACCHO Summit attendee Jake Byrne isn’t a Twitter virgin. He tends to observe the space rather than join in the debate. Not now though. He says:

“I’m probably going to have to get an account that’s a bit more focused and work specific. I have to try and get a bit more active in the space, promoting different programs and ideas and things that I’ve been seeing.

“I reckon the more we spread the word, the better it is for everyone in promoting those really good stories that all too often in Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal health are the ones that don’t get the spotlight shone on them.”

Lisa Briggs expected social media at the NACCHO Summit to stay within the realms it already occupied, but in the middle of an election campaign there was too much going on for it to stay contained.

A couple of times this week, the conference’s Twitter hashtag (#NACCHOSummit) was “trending” nationally (ie: the top subjects on the Twitter platform), which, along with the sheer numbers of tweets, helped convince a government bureaucrat to make a hasty trip to Adelaide from Canberra to see what was going on.

Samantha Palmer is the First Assistant Secretary, in the Office for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health and she sat in on the final day of the conference.

With the election campaign in full swing, and the Federal Government in caretaker mode, Palmer wasn’t able to speak publicly, but did spend private time with NACCHO members.

Jake Byrne could also see the value in Twitter influencing political circles.

“I was impressed to see all the Tweets coming from the summit did put some pressure on the pollies and brought it to national attention, and we were “trending”. I actually got to understand what trending was and the power it has, which I wasn’t really aware of before coming here,” he said.

NACCHO CEO Lisa Briggs didn’t mind that Samantha Palmer couldn’t talk publicly at the summit. For her the coincidental timing of the election campaign and the conference was perfect.

“I think it’s been a fantastic opportunity to get the good stories and inform wider Australia what’s going on,” she said. “Through social media we’ve kept it on a political platform, asking questions about how they’re contributing to Aboriginal Community Control and health in particular.

“Today you would’ve seen more tweets directed at Tanya Plibersek (Federal Health Minister) and Peter Dutton (Shadow Health Minister). They may not be here physically but there are other ways of getting to them,” she said.

At the other end of the political scale, NACCHO conference attendee, Marlee Ramp, a 19 year-old medical student from Cairns, has now seen the potential of Twitter up close.

“…this week with all the hash tags, I started an account and followed the feed,” she said. “Obviously this week is all health focused, but it gives me a broader perspective of health and what my role may be in the future, and who I can get involved with.”

Young, active, aware people like Marlee Ramp represent the future for Aboriginal self-determination but so it seems does social media because it empowers the storytellers.

Jake Byrne is 30 and he can see the relative power social media gives him and other Aboriginal people. He says:

“If we can control our message, that’s brilliant. We’ve heard a lot in the past few days about myths that were being smashed through the evidence that’s been collected so far, but I think those myths are propagated by other people sending messages about our community. If we can get our stories out there the way we want them to be told, that’s really empowering.”

The next NACCHO Summit is scheduled for April or May next year. That means organisers and delegates will be filling social media just as budgets are being finalised by what’s anticipated to be a new Coalition Government.

Coincidence or clever timing?

No doubt we’ll get a clear idea by what’s said on social media.

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Twitter stream shows up a strong theme of Pride