palawa Partnering: Developing effective

partnerships between

mainstream health services &

Tasmanian Aboriginal community

controlled organisationsTasmanian Nursing and Midwifery Conference

Emma Shanahan, Aboriginal Health Service, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre

Carol Jackson, Public Health Services DoH

21 February 2020

Acknowledgement of Country

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about

Aboriginal Health?

How healthyare Tasmanian

Aboriginal people?

70% of Tasmanian Aboriginal people

have a long term health condition

compared with 52% of the general Tasmanian population

37% of Tasmanian Aborigines reported

excellent/very good health

compared to 81%of the Tasmanian population

23-27% of Tasmanian Aborigines report

high/very high psychological distress

compared to 13% of the rest of Tasmanian Population

0.5% of Tasmanian Aborigines

discharge against medical advice

over double the rate of the

rest of Tasmanian population 0.2%

“The answer is: they’re not

engaging with Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander people. Its

pretty simple stuff. We’re not

sending people to the moon

here.”

Why aren’t we getting the results?

“ I treat everyone the same”

I treat everyone with the same

respect

Aboriginal

community-controlled

health services

is best practice

Find out about the health and well being programs and

services provided by your local Aboriginal

organisation/s

Cape Barren Island

Aboriginal Association

Read the Report.

Listen to Aboriginal

people’s stories

and priorities

‘To ensure quality access, care & outcomes

for Aboriginal clients…

It sits under Clinical Governance ’

Why Partnerships?

Nurses & midwives

are leading the way.

The making of a great

relationship:

The Aboriginal Midwifery

Outreach Project

‘A collaborative relationship .. based on

trust, equality & mutual understanding

for the achievement of a specified goal’

Partnerships

A long time frame

‘Let the relationship/partnership

grow at its own pace’

Building Trust

‘Trust is a common Indigenous theme. It is tied in with

the history of colonisation of Australia, and the

mistrust that developed between 2 cultures..’

Building TrustSit and be

Listen well

Advocate & assist to negotiate mainstream health services

Always have an open door

Enjoy it, there’s no other job like it! -

Iona Brennan Former AMOP midwife

Valuing each other

‘just because it is different, doesn’t

make it wrong’

Marianne Johnson AMOP Midwife

‘Pregnancy Support Workers are the experts when it

comes to their community...Their knowledge base

extensive... they were excellent educators, working

with the women…at a level I was not able to achieve….’

Marianne Johnson AMOP Midwife

Get

Educated

“Insightful session on

Tasmanian Aboriginal history

and how this formed policies

and actions today’’

g r a mrc u l t u a l a w a r e n e s s p r o

tipara waranta kani nina -tu( )What we want to talk to you about

‘Involves risks as well as benefits,

making

shared accountability critical ’

Partnerships