We turn it on for our 20th birthday
news
Autumn 2016
Inset: Jill Gallagher AO - CEO VACCHO and Aunty Marion Pearce sharing 20 years worth of VACCHO memories
We proudly launched our 20th Anniversary building mural on April 15 to mark this important milestone birthday. We have been, and continue to be, the peak representative body for Aboriginal health in Victoria. Since opening our doors in April 1996, we have been striving to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people to make sure Aboriginal Victoria has a voice where it concerns their lives at a local and national level. In partnership with world famous street artist Adnate, three Aboriginal artists, Ray Thomas, Kulan Barney and Ruby Kulla Kulla have produced a mural for the face of VACCHO’s building in Collingwood, Victoria. Our building provides Aboriginal
people with a sense of permanency and identity. It represents Aboriginal cultures, families, communities, our diversity and is a representation of the unique and comprehensive services delivered by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector. This vibrant and stand-out mural on VACCHO’s building provides a snapshot of Aboriginal Victoria and is another Aboriginal cultural footprint on the Collingwood landscape. Kulan Barney, one of the three Aboriginal artists believes that it is important to have Aboriginal art present, especially in urban areas and the city. “We want our mob, our families,
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Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. VACCHO is the peak body for Aboriginal Health in Victoria.
Vibrant, healthy, selfdetermining Aboriginal communities
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and our children to feel connected, proud, inspired and empowered by this mural.” “We know that when Aboriginal people are strong in their culture, when culture can be seen and experienced, our mob stay connected, strong, happy and healthy.” To watch the mural being painted visit www.vaccho.org. au/about-us/. A time capule was also installed in our building by Marcus Clarke, VACCHO Chairperson (left) to be opened in 2030. Inside are the hopes from people across Victoria for Aboriginbal families in the future. A timeline of the establishment of Aboriginal Community Contolled Health services in Victoria and when they became VACCHO Members (below) was installed in our building. It was created to celebrate the ever growing and diverse Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health network. We also graduated over 100 students this year (page 6). Jill Gallagher AO, CEO VACCHO says that “Aboriginal people will have a high quality of health and wellbeing, enabling individuals, families and communities to reach their full potential in life because of them [graduating students] and the work they do.“
VACCHO newsletters are available to view online at www. vaccho.org.au/ news-media/nl
Contents 1
We turn it on for our 20th birthday
4 Lake Tyers quietly getting on with the job 6 VACCHO’s graduating students in attendance 2016 8
MVAC continues expanding its services
8 Kirrae recognised as one of Victoria’s most compassionate employers 9 Mallee District Aboriginal Service pioneering new ways to strengthen their workforces
10 Geelong youth speak up for connection with community 10 Congratulations brother 11 Out and about • V ACCHO Members Meeting • CEO Professional Network Forum • VACCHO Clinical CQI and Sector Quality Forum
Top left clockwise: Marcus Clarke - CEO Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative Ltd | Baby Leahtia (look up and you’ll see her in the mural) with Johnny Mitchell - Deputy CEO Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, Hon. Heidi Victoria MLA, Cheryl Bates, Debbie Williams, Ray Thomas, Frank Thomas | Mural artists Ruby Kulla Kulla, Kulan Barney, Adnate, Ray Thomas | Louise Lyons - Public Health and Research Director VACCHO, Louise Galloway Acting Chief Preventive Health Officer Population Health and Prevention Strategy, Department of Health and Human Services, Christopher Carter - Chief Executive Officer at Melbourne Primary Health Network | Dylan Clarke - Radio Programme Project Officer VACCHO interviews Garry Sattell - Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Coordinator VACCHO | Romlie Mokak - CEO Lowitja Institute - Hon. Christine Couzens, Rod Jackson - CEO Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, Jill Gallagher AO CEO VACCHO, Allan Murray - Senior Advisor to Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP, Michelle Winters - Senior Aboriginal Liaison Officer St Vincent’s Hospital | Wayen Edwards-Thorpe, Daniel Harrison, Robbie Coates, Scott Nicholls, Rick Abdilla - Care Recovery Worker Bunjilwarra Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Service | Bill Nicholson Jnr - Wurundjeri Elder | Karlene Dwyer - CEO Njernda Aboriginal Corporation
VACCHO NEWS Autumn 2016 3 VACCHO NEWS Spring 2015 3
Lake Tyers quietly getting on with the job
Don’t be fooled by the isolated and peaceful views of lakes and hills at Lake Tyers Health and Children’s Service. There’s so much going on that staff are flat out just keeping up with all the work. Manager Suzie Squires is heading up a community that started in 1970 when the land, that had been used as a mission, was handed back to the community that had been living there for thousands of years. Now Lake Tyers employs over 24 staff that care and support a community of approximately 120 people. The Service is running up to 10 programs, some of which are Primary Health Care, Childcare, Physical Health, Elders and Health Promotion. The Service also partnered with SecondBite to source fresh fruit, vegetables and everyday food like bread and milk to make sure no one goes hungry. There is an amazing gym and state of the art training facility that is hired out to other organisations and groups. With buses driving their kids to primary and high schools and after school programs provided by the Service, it makes sense that Suzie’s dream is that the kids from the Early Years Program are educated and eventually move into positions at the Service and around Victoria. Suzie says “My 10 year dream is to see change in community health. I’d like to see a more sustainable community that’s less reliant on Government and is a role model to other communities. Growing up out here, camping out here, being connected to the community, I’ve always wanted to do something for my community. There are different things that happened to me to lead me to what I’m supposed to be doing, and this community is what I’m most passionate about. I hold this place very close to my heart. It’s this community as well, they make it very easy to work for them.” For more information about Lake Tyers Health and Children’s Service and its training facilities call 03 5155 8500 or lthcsrec@lthcs.org.au.
Aunty Joannie’s journey Aunty Joannie is a founding member of the Lake Tyers Trust. She was born at Lake Tyers “on a bit of ground” and has lived there all her life. The Lake Tyers Health Centre was a small room in the community building, until one day Geoff Clarke told Aunty Joannie that the Centre would be taken by Government unless she got an organisation going. That was it! Aunty Joannie along with Aunty Lorraine, Aunty Ivy and Aunty Josie got the paperwork started and began working with ‘accepted’ land owners, Lakes Entrance people such as Judy Clarke, John Lawrence and Bruce Hurley, Michael McGrath from Canberra and VACCHO. The Aunts kept working hard and went to endless meetings until the “shovel was pushed into the ground”. “I was frightened of white people but the Lakes people pulled me out and showed me the way. I couldn’t even eat in front of people, that’s how shame I was. The Aunts and I worked together signing big sheets of paper every night from the builders. We fought and we fought and we fought. I do want to see changes but change it the right way, more staff put on. I jumped out and I let the young fellas come in. I said, no it’s about time, I did all this, so you young fellas, you get in here.” With eveyones help the Centre became it’s own entity and gained funding for a building. The ‘Childcare’ was added to the name for the work the Centre began doing with children. “This is what we achieved. I was born out here on this bit of ground and I’m proud of being a Lake Tyers Aboriginal.”
Top left - anti-clockwise: Jeffery Walker helps unload fresh fruit and veg, Suzie Squires - Manager in the one of the Centre’s training and conference rooms, Alicia Murray and Miley Jack celebrate finishing another day at school with Zoe the dog, Linda Wright - Clinical Coordinator getting on with the job. Group photo back row - L-R: Peter Byrnes - Alcohol and other Drugs Worker, Derek Johnson - HACC Maintenance, Linda Wright - Clinical Coordinator, David Jack Maintenance and Cleaner, Front row - L-R, : Charlotte Carter - Cleaner, Suzie Squires - Manager, Malika Saunders - Early Years Worker, Kathy So - Human Resource Officer and Shelley Clarke - Social Emotional Worker.
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VACCHO’s graduating students in attendance 2016
VACCHO NEWS Spring 2015
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Presenters Row 1: Marcus Clarke - VACCHO Chair, Jill Gallagher AO - VACCHO CEO, Nareida Wyatt - VACCHO Educator 2: Christine Dineen - VACCHO Educator, Tammy Chatfield - VACCHO Project Officer, Karen Bryant - VACCHO Graduate 3: Katie Smith - VACCHO ETU Manager, Troy Jennings - VACCHO Graduate 4: Amy Volich - VACCHO Educator, Stephanie Thowtapp - VACCHO Graduate, Fiona Scott VACCHO BSU Manager
VACCHO NEWS Spring 2015
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MVAC continues expanding its services The Murray Valley Aboriginal Cooperative (MVAC) was established in 1974 by the local Aboriginal community with the aims and objectives to improve the general living standards of Aboriginal people in Robinvale. Since that time the Service moved to its current location in 1990 and in 1995 a purpose built health facility was opened to accomodate larger community numbers making the Service one of the largest providers in Robinvale and northwest Victoria. Some of the Primary Health Care services currently provided are: General Practitioner, Registered Nurses, Midwife, Aboriginal Health Workers, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, Child & Maternal Health Nurse, Nurse Immuniser, Drug and Alcohol Counselor and a Youth Worker. Along with allied health services: Housing services, Home and Community Care, Kindergarten
to ensure community can attend their appointments and access medical specialists. From May 2015 MVAC have had 1800+ Aboriginal clients visit our Service and now expect numbers will increase following the appointment of a full time GP. Every Tuesday there is a successful Elder’s lunch ran at the multi-purpose Aboriginal facility and a mens group where there is a mix of Elders and young aboriginal men that attend and child care services, the Service also hosts a number of visiting services including a Dietitian, Diabetes Educator, Cardiac and Renal specialists, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist and dental services. Robinvale is an isolated community, situated 85 kilometres from Mildura and 130kms from Swan Hill by road, so we provide a transport service
A successful monthly women’s group was run in conjunction with the Aboriginal Liaison Officer at the local hospital and we provide support to local Aboriginal sports people and groups. To contact the Service call 03 5026 4501 or mvachealth@ mvac.org.au Steven Bowden Jnr manning reception with Trent Fiscalini the Service’s Registered Nurse.
Kirrae recognised as one of Victoria’s most compassionate employers
“Our community has had to deal with a lot of community members passing, it’s nice to be recognised for this type of support.” - Nonnie Harradine - CEO Kirrae Health Service Brian Medew - Social and Emotional Wellbeing coordinator Kirrae Health Service, Nonnie Harradene CEO Kirrae Health Service, Kimberley Harradine - Receptionist and Playgroup Coordinator, Teneshia Harradine - Playgroup Assistant, Mikayla Harradine - Cleaner, Ivy Clark - Cleaner, Paula O’Brien - HR & Quality and Compliance
Kirrae Health Service has been ecognised for thier committment to community by receiving a Compassionate Friends Victoria Award which recognises employers who have shown extra care and compassion to employees. These employers have gone above and beyond the normal policies of most companies in helping employees who have suffered the death of a loved one.
Mallee District Aboriginal Service pioneering new ways to strengthen their workforces Kathy Crouch, Lead Practitioner - Loddon Mallee Aboriginal Reference Group (LMARG) yarns about new approaches in how Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCHOs)are providing better health services. Loddon Valley ACCOs - Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Murray Valley Aboriginal Cooperative and Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS), through Koolin Balit funding, are pooling resources to come together to share their expertise. Instead of competing with each other for small pieces of Government funding, each ACCO went for funding in areas they were most comfortable working in. Each ACCO took the funding in their area of expertise and particular interest to their community and is building that particular area up and sharing their learning and resources with the other ACCOs. LMARG also did a collective strategy for the Koolin Balit funding which means each ACCO is responsible for a certain part of the strategy roll out but these parts still belong to the collective group. MDAS got Early Years and Children and Families.
Part of MDAS’ strategy was to hire a Lead Practitioner to build the capacity of the staff, refine their systems, develop a model and see what other resources other ACCOs would need to replicate the strengths of the MDAS Early Years Program. “Good theory and a strong clinical base underpins what we do, not just good ideas. We’re looking to find a good cross of theory and culture to drive our decision making. Strategically looking at what theory and evidence says as well as what community and culture says. Capacity building with our staff is a really unique space because we have lots of different professionals with lots of different experience. How do we honour their wisdom without missing anybody, while still making it containable and not overwhelming. How do we make it incredibly child centric and family oriented, even though working like that is a different mindset to lots of different professional views. Because an ACCO is self determined,
every thing we do to investigate staffing has to be self determined, so it began with surveys and interviews with staff to get feedback. As we discovered gaps and strengths it became easier to identify and develop training needs. The response by staff was awesome with a 90% completion rate from Mildura, Swan Hill and Bendigo. One of the key questions for staff was ‘how do you like to learn?’. We also needed to think about how we trained better. So we identified the top ten topics for staff, and with the information we gathered we put together a learning calendar and blocked out Tuesday mornings as a learning space. We built it into our routine and what we’ve done is tailor internal learning courses with the topics that have been identified into three hour education sessions. At the centre of all our sessions is an Early Years flavour. Staff get the same message in lots of different courses. Like the importance of ‘gaze’. Why our gaze and checking with self and body is important.
It all comes back to ‘this is what bub sees’. Every interaction is an opportunity to share gesture, body language and gaze, to be a bigger, stronger, wiser and kinder adult. So that theme is in all of our training. Staff are getting the core Early Years messages and learning how to apply them to someone suicidal, or working with a family that’s having a hard time or completing a genogram and doing an eco-map. Staff are starting to get more comfortable asking hard questions which means that we’ve got clients telling us a lot more. We’re starting to see that our families are a lot more complex than we thought. Maybe that’s because we’ve got more complex families coming in or because they’re telling us more because we’re asking questions that are genuine to the family.” For more information on the work of LMARG contact The Early Years Team on EarlyYearsStaff@mdas. org.au or 03 5018 4100.
Image L-R: Helena Baxter, Leah King, Kathy Crouch, Kelly Taliloa and Keisha Taylor-Clarke.
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Geelong youth speak up for connection with community On Friday 8 April the Hon. Jenny Mikakos, Victorian Minister for Families, Children and Youth, and Christine Couzens, State Member for Geelong and Ambassador for Aboriginal Affairs, held a roundtable with young people at Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, Geelong. Attendees included young people who had been in Australia for less than two years; members of gasp, Geelong’s safe and inclusive organisation for young LGBT people; Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company; and young members of the Wathaurong Aboriginal community. The young people spoke about their experiences in the Geelong region and some of the challenges they faced. This included getting a driver’s license and being able to get around to
Programs at Wathaurong but have since been unable to access programs to ensure continuing connection with the community.”
training, job interviews and other employment opportunities. There were also concerns that the Safe Schools Program would no longer be supported by Government, but the Minister assured the group that the Victorian State Government is strongly committed to the Program. Wathaurong youth raised with the Minister the lack of funding and programs for young people in their community. “We have young members who attended Playgroup and After School
This has been a gap for some time and Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative have been trying to access funding for these types of programs. Minister Mikakos acknowledged this disparity and noted that funding opportunities are finally becoming available for youth, Aboriginal culture and strengthening community engagement. “It was great to see local young people highlighting the gap to the Minister and Wathaurong management hopes to see further support for local Aboriginal youth as a result.” Rod Jackson, CEO Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative. You can contact Wathaurong on 03 5277 0044 or admin@ wathaurong.org.au.
Congratulations brother Congratulations to our own deadly DJ Dylan Clarke, and Taneisha Webster at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency for winning the Ricci Marks Award 2016.
The Ricci Marks Award originated in 1997 and recognises individual achievements and aspirations of young Aboriginal people in training, education, arts, sport, culture and community leadership. The Award is named in memory of Ricci Marks, a proud Wotjobulak man who in his short life contributed greatly to his community and received the Award in 2000. “Thursday night was an emotional night for me, in the end, I felt that I had done my brother proud, and I know he was by my side smiling up with his pearly whites!” Dylan said. The Ricci Marks Award is provided by the Victorian Government to encourage and support young Aboriginal people to pursue their goals and aspirations and continue with their leadership development.
VACCHO Members Meeting 14 April 2016
Top left clockwise: Jill Gallagher AO - VACCHO CEO | Rachel Davis - Director of Aboriginal Affairs Policy, Jane Sweeney - Acting Executive Director Aboriginal Victoria | Paula Morgan - CEO Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association | Brian Pitcher - Deputy Regional Manager Vic/Tas Govenment Co-ordination and Corporate Indigenous Affairs Network, Nicole Naden - Prime Minister and Cabinet | Tamika Amos - Practice Manager Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service, Aunty Hilary Saunders - Chairperson Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service, Joseph Day - Board Member Ngwala Willumbong Cooperative
CEO Professional Network Forum 3 March 2016
L-R: Ali Khan - CEO Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation, Rod Jackson - CEO Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, Gay Kelly - Acting CEO Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service, Jill Gallagher AO - VACCHO CEO, Karen Heap CEO Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Lionel Dukakis - CEO Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative, Hon. Natalie Hutchins, Jason King - CEO Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, Rudolph Kirby - CEO Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Raylene Harradine - CEO Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Marcus Clarke - CEO Gunditjmara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd, Michael ‘Mookeye’ Bell - Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, E.N. Navaratnam - CEO Ngwala Willumbong Cooperative, Jason Mifsud - Executive Director Aboriginal Victoria.
VACCHO Clinical CQI and Sector Quality Forum 17-18 May 2016
L-R: Yola Frank-Gray Project Officer - VACCHO, Samantha Brennan Integration Officer - Mallee District Aboriginal Services
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VACCHO NEWS Autumn 2016 11 VACCHO NEWS Spring 2015 11
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VACCHO Members • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Aboriginal Community Elders Services Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service Ballarat & District Aboriginal Co-operative Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative Budja Budja Aboriginal Co-operative Cummeragunja Housing & Development Aboriginal Corporation Dandenong & District Aborigines Co-operative Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service Gippsland & East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative Gunditjmara Aboriginal Co-operative Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association Kirrae Health Services Inc. Lake Tyers Health & Children’s Service Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association
• Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sport & Recreation Co-operative • Mallee District Aboriginal Services • Kerang Aboriginal Community Centre • Swan Hill & District Aboriginal Co-operative • Moogji Aboriginal Council East Gippsland Inc. • Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation • Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative • Ngwala Willumbong Cooperative • Njernda Aboriginal Corporation • Ramahyuck District Aboriginal Corporation • Central Gippsland Aboriginal Health Services • Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd • Victorian Aboriginal Health Service • Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative • Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation VACCHO News Autumn 2016
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