Take a look at this information about the history and developments of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary health care services and the role of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary health care workers. | ||
Beginnings
In the 1950s, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were first employed to work in leporsariums in the Northern Territory. By the 1960s they were being employed as medical assistants in this region.
From there the role of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health workers became language and cultural interpreters for non-Indigenous health professionals working in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait communities.
During these times Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health workers were chosen by Doctors or community members because of their skills in language and cultural interpretation and because of their standing in the community.
Some on-the-job health care training was provided, but the health care workers’ role was primarily as interpreters for non-Indigenous health professionals.
Developments
In the early 1970s the role of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care workers began to change with the introduction of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs).
At a meeting of national Aboriginal medical services in Victoria in 1974, it was proposed that a national organisation be set up to represent the interests of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care services and workers.
In 1976 at Sydney University the National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organisation (NAIHO) was established. Redfern’s Aboriginal Medical Service funded the organisation's first national meeting where it was officially named NAIHO.
Changes
In 1985, the National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organisation (NAIHO) started its own secretariat in Melbourne and for the first time accepted government funds. Before this it had run on donations.
In 1992, NAIHO changed its name to National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). This name reflected the wishes of Torres Strait Islanders to create their own culturally appropriate health care services.
In 1997, the Federal Government funded NACCHO to establish a Secretariat in Canberra. This assisted Aboriginal peoples involved in Aboriginal Community Control Health Services (ACCHSs) to become involved in national health policy development.
State and Territory organisations now exist and work with NACCHO to represent Aboriginal Community Control Health Services across Australia.
Nowadays
The role of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care workers has evolved over time, from being primarily language and cultural interpreters for non-Indigenous health professionals, to being Primary health care professionals.
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) describes Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health as: '...not just the physical wellbeing of an individual but (it) refers to the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being, thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of their community. It is a whole of life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life.'
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
The modern role of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care worker is to work to empower individuals, families and communities to achieve individual and community physical, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing.
Importance
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander primary health care workers are important because they:
- possess cultural and community knowledge to ensure culturally safe practices occur within a health service setting (advocacy)
- are trusted to give the same levels of health care that non-Indigenous people receive (equity)
- have a good knowledge of their community and of the needs of its people (appropriate care)
- can help their communities with health promotion and treatment services (promotion and prevention)
- understand the culture of the people and work with the community to find solutions to health care issues (empowerment)
- can explain things in a way that is easy for people to understand (accessible)
- tailor services and programs that meet the needs of the community (relevant).