Our People to Live Stronger & Longer

Author: Ashleigh Brissett

SEXtember @UNSW

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

On behalf of UNSW’s Health Promotion Unit and Safer Communities team – they’re delighted to share their annual sexual wellbeing festival: SEXtember @UNSW with you.

This year they’ve partnered with universities across Australia to bring you a range of online and in person events. 

Living Poetry Project | All SEXtember | Online and at Helen Maguire Lawn 

Explore four student poems and the collective love poem, Salty Sweet. The Living Poetry project is on display in The Helen McGuire Lawn all SEXtember and the online exhibition can be viewed now! 

Breaking the Cycle – She is Not Your Rehab | Tuesday 24th September, 12-1pm | Zoom  

How do we tackle gendered-based violence through a mental health lens? Brought to you by the UNSW Mental Health Network, Matt Brown, TEDx speaker and author of She Is Not Your Rehab will discuss this in this special webinar. Registrations essential! 

Curious about what else is on this SEXtember? We’ve got you covered with more events, free courses and loads of information on safe and healthy sex and relationships on the SEXtember website. Check it out!  

Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme 2025 round now open

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), together with partners the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) and Rural Doctors Network (RDN), are proud to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme (PHMSS).

The Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship is named in honour of Dr Arnold ‘Puggy’ Hunter, a pioneering leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing, whose many contributions shaped and influenced the Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health sector we know today. Puggy fought uncompromisingly for the cause of Aboriginal health, yet was regarded respectfully, even affectionately, by his counterparts in politics and government.

Consortium members are working with the Hunter family and key partners to deliver a culturally safe and responsive scholarship program which empowers our future health, mental health and social sector workforce and one that reflects Puggy’s passion and commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and self-determination across the health workforce and sector.

Scholarships opened on Monday 2 September 2024 for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students studying or enrolling in an entry level health course. The program offers financial assistance, cultural mentoring and a range of other supports to break down the barriers to completing university and VET sector studies and empower students to succeed.

Kamilaroi woman and IAHA Chairperson, Nicole Turner, said “many of our members have benefited in their studies as Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship recipients and progressed into the health workforce in clinical and non-clinical roles achieving their aspirations in health leadership. We know the important role that financial assistance plays in student success, but we’re excited to wrap our culturally safe and responsive supports around recipients to ensure they receive the cultural, personal, and professional mentoring, across their journey”.

Bundjalung man and NAATSIHWP Chairperson, David Follent, added “NAATSIHWP have a long history with the Puggy Hunter Scholarship and is pleased to be working with IAHA and RDN to ensure that we grow our future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, across all disciplines, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.

“RDN is delighted to continue to work alongside two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations in the delivery of such an important program. We are privileged to complement IAHA and NAATSIHWP’s cultural leadership and care with the program and operational delivery expertise in ensuring Puggy Hunter Scholarship applicants and recipients are provided the best quality support and service” said RDN Chief Operating Officer, Mike Edwards.

The Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care and provides Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students up to $15,000 per annum for full time students, for the normal duration of their studies. Applications for the 2025 round close midnight Sunday 20 October.

Media enquiries

Paul Gibson | Chief Operating Officer | paul@iaha.com.au
Indigenous Allied Health Australia | (02) 6285 1010 or scan for more information on the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship.

Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

The Cancer Institute NSW is pleased to offer this practical session on using the Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer Toolkit to improve community awareness, access and participation in cancer screening and living healthy for cancer prevention. 

Date: Tuesday 22 October 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams

Designed for people working in Aboriginal health, the webinar will focus on: 

  • Accessing the Toolkit’s culturally tailored and strengths-based information as a platform to build your expertise and confidence in providing community education on screening programs, healthy living and quit smoking behaviours and support services.

  • Navigating and integrating the Toolkit resources into your day-to-day conversations with clients and/or local promotional activities.

We’ll be joined by proud Kamilaroi woman Rebecca Murray who has worked as an Aboriginal Health Worker/Cancer Care Coordinator and will be sharing her experience and tips for using the Toolkit to support client conversations, and ultimately to reduce stigma, improve equity and health outcomes for Aboriginal community members.

REGISTER HERE.

Strong Bubba Born Program

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

Stillbirth CRE have developed a very important survey to evaluate and improve the Stronger Bubba Born program. This survey is anonymous and will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

It is a part of the evaluation of the Cultural Adaptation of the Safer Baby Bundle (inclusive of Stronger Bubba Born and Growing a Healthy Baby).

This survey is aimed at clinicians who provide maternity care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and/or migrant or refugee women.

Please take the survey here.

Let’s Yarn About Cogenital Syphilis

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

Come and have a yarn about strategies to prevent cogenital syphilis. Infectious syphilis cases have surged in the last decade, with a six-fold increase in females nationally and a rise in cogenital syphilis cases.

In New South Wales, rates of cogenital syphilis have steadily increased, with 12 cases reported between 2017-2022, all of which could have been avoided with treatment of the mother during pregnancy.

Project Overview

The Kirby Institute, in partnership with the Centre for Social Research in Health at UNSW Sydney and NSW Ministry of Health, is leading a crucial initiative to address this issue. They are organising co-design workshops across NSW aimed at developing frameworks for cogenital syphilis prevention. These workshops will employ a strength-based approach and involve representatives from the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector, Local Health Districts, maternal and reproductive health services, drug and alcohol services, and other relevant providers.

Coffs Harbour | Tuesday 24 September 
9:00am – 3:30pm
631 Hogbin Drive Toormina NSW 2456

Sydney | Wednesday 25 September 
9:00am – 3:30pm
180 George Street Redfern NSW 2026

Dubbo | Thursday 26 September:
9:00am – 3:30pm
76 Wingewarra Street Dubbo NSW 2830

Please register for the workshop for catering purposes and special diet requirements to melinda.walker@kirby.unsw.edu.au

 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum Highlights

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett
The Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Forum is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with local health districts, specialty health networks, and the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council. This forum serves as a crucial platform for the Aboriginal mental health workforce, providing opportunities for information sharing, professional development, and networking. It plays a key role in enhancing the skills and knowledge of those dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing within Aboriginal communities.
The 2024 Forum, hosted by the Mental Health Branch, took place on the 5th and 6th of June at the Fullerton Hotel Sydney. This year’s event was particularly special as it celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Djirruwang Program, a pioneering initiative in Aboriginal mental health education and workforce development. The forum brought together a diverse group of professionals, including mental health workers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders, to reflect on the progress made over the past three decades and to discuss future directions in Aboriginal mental health.

The celebration finished off with a Gala event held at the Ivy Ballroom on the evening of 6 June. The Gala was a soaring success, honouring the achievements of the Djirruwang Program and its graduates, while also recognising the contributions of those who have been instrumental in advancing Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing. The evening featured inspiring speeches, cultural performances, and the presentation of awards to individuals and teams who have made significant impacts in the field. This milestone event not only highlighted the importance of the Djirruwang Program but also reinforced the ongoing commitment to strengthening the Aboriginal mental health workforce for the future.

Watch the highlights video below:

Culture Care Connect Summit

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

We recently gathered for the Culture Care Connect Summit on the lands of Gimuy (Cairns), an event that brought together key stakeholders and leaders dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities. As the jurisdictional coordinators, the AH&MRC, in collaboration with the teams from Waminda and Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, played a central role in facilitating this important gathering.

The summit was an invaluable opportunity for us to meet and engage in critical discussions around suicide prevention in our states and territories. At the summit, we shared insights, strategies, and best practices, drawing on the collective wisdom of our communities and the expertise of those working on the front lines of mental health and wellbeing.

Our discussions were grounded in a deep respect for the cultural context and the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal people across different regions. By bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, we aimed to develop more effective, culturally safe approaches to suicide prevention that truly meet the needs of our communities.

The Culture Care Connect Summit was not just about exchanging ideas; it was also about strengthening our connections, reaffirming our commitment to each other, and building a united front in the fight against suicide. Together, we are working to create a future where every Aboriginal person has the support and care they need to thrive, and where no one has to face the pain of losing a loved one to suicide.

This summit marks an important step forward, but it’s only the beginning. We will continue to work together, across states and territories, to ensure that the strategies and solutions we discussed are implemented effectively and that they make a real difference in the lives of our people.

Online Survey for Australian Medical Research and Innovation Practices

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

The on-line survey on the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities 2024-2026 and MRFF Act Review is now open [Consultation on the MRFF Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities and the MRFF Act Review – Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care – Citizen Space].

For those who are also attending the related 6 September roundtable discussion, you are welcome to complete the survey to provide additional feedback not covered in the roundtable discussion.

We encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey before 13 September 2024 and share your thoughts. Your engagement in this process would be greatly valued.

Health InfoNet Videos

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

We have produced a series of short informative videos to let your staff and members know about how to make the most of each of our health topic portals.

These short video’s are all under 4 minutes and can be added to your staff intranet, played at staff meetings or sent to your team.

Access the complete series as a collection here.

You’ll also find them individually on each topic page and on our YouTube channel.

These short ‘take a tour’ video’s ensure your team can maximize the best use of their time to get straight to the evidenced based resources they need to support them in their work.

Help improve Australia’s Health Services

Posted on by Ashleigh Brissett

Help us to improve Australia’s health services! Share your thoughts and feedback on health resources that are available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Take the quick survey here.