Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities

Partnerships with people and agencies to improve the health,  wellbeing and access to health services of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community.

Moreland’s ATSI population is about 627 (ABS, 2006), with most of this community living in East Brunswick and in the northern suburbs of Glenroy and Fawkner. Our Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer started in October 2007 and has been making links with as many Aboriginal field workers and agencies within our region as possible. Through these links we aim to gain further understanding of the health and wellbeing issues of the community, as well as those related to the low access rates of Aboriginal people using community health services. Using this information we will be able to develop and implement strategies to overcome this. In addition, our Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer has a committee role on some Aboriginal agencies which provides an insight into issues surrounding the plight of Aboriginal women, children and the aged as the most uninformed, under resourced and most vulnerable in mainstream and Aboriginal society. To compliment this work a number of Aboriginal Cultural Awareness sessions have been conducted for MCHS staff. The training seeks to enable staff to have some knowledge and understanding of historical and current issues that maybe negatively influencing or effecting Aboriginal people’s views of accessing a mainstream health and wellbeing services.