VACCHO NEWSLETTER WINTER 2016

We come up proud and strong to celebrate NAIDOC Victoria 2016

news Winter 2016

The Victorian NAIDOC Committee was proud to facilitate four major events for NAIDOC 2016.

This year’s NAIDOC Awards, held at Korin Gamadji Institute, saw a record number of nominations, and after careful deliberation, Uncle Robbie Thorpe was awarded Patron, and Merinda Dryden and Jordan Edwards were selected as Miss and Mr NAIDOC. Shantelle Thompson was awarded the inaugural Sports Award. All awardees embody the spirit of NAIDOC. The Flag Raising Ceremony brought together Community and government representatives.

So it was with great pride all eight flags were risen to start the official NAIDOC week.

The NAIDOC March was an

opportunity for thousands of people to share the experience of singing, dancing, and clapping our way through the streets of Melbourne, finishing with words from our Elders, and a strong message of treaty.

This year saw the NAIDOC Ball return to Crown Palladium, with the sounds of Emma Donovan echoing through the night, and the standing ovation for the treaty show piece will be remembered by all.- Janeene Payne, NAIDOC Co-ordinator The NAIDOC Committee will soon hold a community meeting. Please email the Committee on vicnaidoc@ gmail.com if you would like an invitation, and keep up to date via the Vic NAIDOC Facebook page.

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc. VACCHO is the peak body for Aboriginal Health in Victoria.

Vibrant, healthy, selfdetermining Aboriginal communities

VACCHO staff celebrate NAIDOC Week with deadly clap sticks handmade

by Lou Maiorino.

VACCHO newsletters are available to view online at www.vaccho. org.au/news-media/nl

Contents 1 We rise up proud and strong to celebrate NAIDOC Victoria 2016 2 VACCHO celebrates NAIDOC Week 3 NAIDOC Victoria 2016 Flag Raising Ceremony 4 NAIDOC Victoria 2016 March 6 NAIDOC Victoria 2016 Ball 8 Rumbalara, new ways to get healthy and stay healthy 10 Young people are front and centre at Njernda 12 Think you need a sports drink after exercise?

Think again!

12 Caring for your teeth while pregnant tip sheet available online 13 Resilience and connection: Aunty May Andy 13 Welcoming environment at The Royal Melbourne Hospital unveiled 14 Ilbijerri journeys through identity, sexuality, stereotypes and respectful relationships 14 Victorian Housing Register update 15 Out and about

NAIDOC Victoria 2016 Flag Raising Ceremony

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NAIDOC Victoria 2016 March

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NAIDOC Victoria 2016 Ball

Images courtesy NAIDOC Vic.

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Rumbalara

Since the establishment of Rumbalara Aboriginal Corporation as a Community centre there have been many changes. The medical clinic was established in 1981 to provide the health services so desperately needed and continues to provide community controlled health services to their Community. Other services have expanded and new programs have been established to meet the growing needs of the Community.

One of these new programs is the Care Coordination Program that is about to be run out to provide a more holistic approach in screening assessments for new and existing patients.

The Program, led by Levi Power, is utilising a new ‘holistic assessment tool’ that has been developed over the last year with the University of Melbourne’s School of Rural Health and Rumbalara’s Directors of Quality Services, Risk and Health & Wellbeing. The pilot for the tool was trialled with 77 Community members and went through a number of further changes to make it more appropriate to the needs of Community.

Client’s will soon be assessed and then referred to one or a number of Rumbalara services that best suit more of their health needs than ever before.

Currently Rumbalara clients have screening assessments for an existing condition, but with the new assessment tool, clients will be screened for not just immediate health issues, but issues that might be, or could be, impacting their health, such as financial stress or family violence.

“What we’ve found through our data is that there’s another gap than the one in Close the Gap. Our data shows that our people have normalised being unwell. So to Close the Gap we need to close this gap first.” says Yasmar Lovett, Project Officer. We need to change people’s understanding of what wellness means.

Images top-bottom (L-R): Yasmar Lovett - Communications/ Public Relations Officer, Levi Power - Intake Team Leader, Natasha Peterson - Healthy Lifestyles/Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Hope Briggs - Healthy Lifestyles Unit Team Leader, Jaime Mackay - Healthy Lifestyles/Aboriginal Health Practitioner Rumbalara front entrance.

Clients will still be able to access the many current services offered by Rumbalara such as Maternity or Oral Health, but they will also be able to access services such as free legal assistance from Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre. The legal centre is one of a number of visiting services (such as Centrelink) that the Program refers clients to.

getting healthy and staying healthy The new tool will also screen to assess if a client might need some form of cultural connectivity to help manage their spiritual health. This could be connecting clients with Elders for advice or mentoring, sourcing social activities like a painting or weaving group or referring them to the Rumbalara Healing Centre.

“You start to get a feeling that people come to the Service for short-term solutions, band aid solutions. So in my work we’re trying to change that to make sure that if we’re holistically caring, yes we can fix that one thing like a cut on your hand or whatever, but we’ll look at what else is happening” said Levi.

It’s this holistic approach to assessment that will allow Rumbalara’s Aboriginal Health Workers to get a jump-start on their client’s health needs.

This helps to deal with immediate health issues, and also puts in place preventative measures to minimise or halt health issues facing clients and their families into the future.

Levi says “This is a foot in the door and we’ll be helping them through their journey. A big job of ours is going to be following up too. Making sure wherever we’ve sent them, that that service is looking after that client. We’re making sure our other services are following through.”

Hope Briggs, Team Leader of Healthy Lifestyle and her team have begun work on the patient feedback tracking system that will work hand-in-hand with the new assessment tool. “It’s really important that we have that constant feedback from Community so we can reassess what we’re doing the whole time, especially as this [assessment tool] is new to us.”

The pilot and trials have been so successful that the team is looking forward to rolling out the new assessment process towards 2017.

Running along side the Care Coordination Program is the Primary School Initiative being led by Hope and the Healthy Lifestyle Team. The Initiative is working to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary students from Mooroopna and Mooroopna Park Primary Schools with dental and hearing health checks as well as conducting mini health and wellbeing assessments.

From research collected, it was found that the large number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary students from Mooroopna were behind mainstream students in the Shepparton area when it came to accessing health checks.

Rumbalara have started a four-week pilot running approximately 100 health checks over the two schools and are planning to cover all schools in their catchment area in the future. The assessments are carried out by two Ambulance Officers, who are assisted by Aboriginal Health Workers.

As part of this pilot the team is also running diabetes and sugary drinks sessions for all the students within the schools. This is being done so all students receive the same message about diabetes and sugary drinks.

After the assessments kids will have the opportunity to feed back on the program and receive a healthcare pack with sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, sun hat, brush etc.

Children who are a Rumbalara client and who need further health care will be referred to Rumbalara services and health plans will be designed for them using the new assessment tool. If those children are not clients, the information collected will be sent to their GPs and followed up that way.

The process of engaging kids with health workers and services is hoped to reduce the immediate barriers children have with accessing services now and later in life. The team is also hoping to run outreach programs for the students to be able to track their progress and new barriers they might face in receiving health care.

All the data being collected by Rumbalara goes to the Rumbalara Research Project Working Group, who in partnership with research organisations such as World Organization of Family Doctors and Goulburn Valley Health, create and improve evidence based programs for their Community.

If you would like more information about the deadly work happening at Rumbalara, contact Yasmar Lovett on Yasmar.Lovett@raclimited. com.au or 03 5820 0000.

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Njernda

Through dedication and support of Aboriginal people over the years, Njernda Aboriginal Corporation has survived many challenges.

Njernda acknowledges the historical and current struggles by Yorta Yorta people through ensuring the physical, social and economic needs of Aboriginal people living in Echuca and surrounding districts are met.

One of the ways that Njernda is meeting these needs is through their sporting and education support programs they have put in place for their young ones by their Community Engagement Unit. The Unit is made up of Clayton Murray Mitchell - Koorie Engagement Support Officer (KESO), Braydon Williams - Gym Instructor and a Community Engagement Worker.

Between the two of them with the help of staff, Community members and volunteers they are coming up with ways to engage their Community and make sure local kids are supported to meet their physical, social, emotional, cultural, educational and spiritual needs. They are working to level the playing field for their kids in sports and education and the results have been inspirational and above all, providing opportunities for physical and emotional development.

John Mitchel, Njernda Deputy CEO says “We’re trying to tackle every angle facing our youth and give them alternatives. Making sure they’re not behind the eight ball and they can actually start off and thrive. As they should.”

One of the ”angles” John Mitchell is talking about is education. It’s a central issue for Njernda, so they employed Clayton who is a KESO not attached to a particular school. This means he is able to collaborate with school KESOs across the area to support a larger number of young people by engaging them and their families with those schools to improve educational outcomes. He does a lot of one-on-one with students and can act as a mentor to kids as well as talking with parents and setting up meetings with schools and families.

Images (Top): Clayton Murray Mitchell | Braydon Williams | Njernda offices and centres

Clayton believes that “It’s your responsibility to give back to your Community, especially in the Koori way. I’m passionate about empowering our kids and making sure they reach their full potential.”

young people front and centre Looking to support their young people further, Njernda set up a youth centre and kept going through parents and volunteers.

It’s where kids can go and hang out in their ‘culturally safe place’ after school, practice or game.

Here they can meet kids from their region they might never normally meet, socialise, get help with their homework, have a healthy feed and source support for any issues at home or school.

The team has close contact with kids at the centre so they are able to regularly monitor their needs.

Having a team that is involved in most aspects of the kids’ lives means that information can be passed on to Njernda’s relevant Aboriginal Health Workers to create more holistic health records which help Workers provide wrap-around care.

Culture is another vital aspect to the work the team does and they have developed many cultural programs that have produced successful projects. A project that is not managed by Njernda but headed up independently

by Clayton is the ongoing 3 Rivers Festival. The Festival is a regional sports, culture and music, modern day Yorta Yorta corroboree promoting health and culture. 1500 participants came to the last event from the local area, as well as places like Wagga Wagga, Shepparton, Albury Wodonga and Bourke.

Another successful project Clayton helped to corodinate was the 3 Rivers Flow hip hop music video co-directed by Dion Brownfield. Community came together with Indigenous Hip Hop Projects to create a music video

clip that was launched at the Festival and speaks of healthy life choices for Community.

Sport and activities is probably one of Njernda’s most well known activities for young people and is leading the way in connection and wellbeing.

What started as a small project offering basketball training for young kids has grown into a program that offers young people from school age to 19 years of age, the opportunity to engage in activities some may have thought they couldn’t participate in.

Knowing that some families cannot afford expensive registration fees, uniforms and transport costs (especially if you have more than one child) Njernda is now covering most of these costs. The team have found that if kids turn up to compete and they’re not emotionally ready to play or don’t have the correct uniforms, it can be difficult for them to even want to turn up to train.

Kids are also able to choose a sport or activity they like.

These choices range from footy and netball to ballet, music or even golf. Njernda makes sure their kids have uniforms, the right equipment, appropriate instructors, have their registration fees paid and are collected by bus to get to games. Kids in out-of-home care are particularly vulnerable to isolation so the program allows them to see their mates four times a week. It’s this positive environment that has meant kids are now flocking to Njernda to get involved in these deadly programs. Even non-

Aboriginal kids are asking if they can join to be with their mates.

In the two years the program has been running, the kids have become more confident and proud. The list to join their WARMA team that represents Warma Sports and Social Club continues to grow and Njernda is now supporting up to 80 kids.

Currently the world-class Warma Gym that is owned by Njernda is preparing to reopen after flood damage shut it down. Gym Instructor Braydon who coordinates training schedules and prepares the training programs for the kids is passionate about the role that sport plays in the young people’s lives. “The buses are just full with kids you know, and they love it.

They get to spend time with their cousins and family. It’s a sport and they’re getting fit but there’s also a cultural aspect to it as well. They get to mix with their mob and family as well doing something positive.”

Braydon feels that “You’d be able to register about 10 teams with just the kids we’ve got here. Even if you’ve only got 10 or 20 of them out here playing and boxing you’d find a world champion in one of them if you gave them the right tools.”

If you’d like more information about getting your kids involved in all the deadly programs or you’d like to volunteer for Njernda, contact the team on 03 5480 6252 or reception@njernda.com.au.

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Think you need a sports drink after exercise? Think again!

VACCHO and Rethink Sugary Drink have launched a new campaign, Sports Drinks are Gammin!, to show that sports drinks are full of sugar and no good for us – they’re gammin!

Our campaign was launched on Wednesday 20 July at Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited in Northcote, with about 40 Community members and stakeholders gathered to see the first public screenings of the Sports Drinks are Gammin! videos.

The Sports Drinks are Gammin! campaign draws on the experiences of five Aboriginal sports people; Jethro CalmaHolt, Jacara Egan, Mikaela Egan, Keith Morgan and Shaun Thomas, talking about why they choose water.

performance as an athlete in any way,” Shaun said.

Shaun Thomas is a professional boxer and proud Palawa man from Cape Barron Island in the Bass Strait who stars in the campaign.

So next time you feel like a sports drink, go for tap water instead. It’s free, convenient and the best way to hydrate.

“I’ve had a lot of experience drinking sugary drinks and it hasn’t played out with my

Check out www.rethinksugary drink.org.au/koori to watch the four new videos!

“I completely rate drinking water.

It helps with my performance, my health, my muscles”.

“Sugary sports drinks are not a healthy part of sports.”

Speakers (L-R): Keith Morgan - Aboriginal Nutrition Promotion Recruit VACCHO, Jimi Peters - Manager Public Health & Research Unit VACCHO, Mikaela Egan - Aboriginal Nutrition Promotion Officer VACCHO, Craig Sinclair - Head Prevention Division - Cancer Council Victoria, Jethro Calma-Holt - Program Coordinator Aboriginal Tobacco Control - Cancer Council Victoria

Caring for your teeth while pregnant tip sheet available online VACCHO together with Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) has developed a two page tip sheet Caring for your teeth while pregnant.

The tip sheet was done in consultation with Koori Maternity Services (KMS), the Mercy Hospital for Women’s Nangnak Baban Murrup Clinic and DHSV. We are proud to promote the tip sheet which will be available in our Boorai Bundle and can currently be accessed at www.vaccho.org.au/resources/maternityearly-years/teeth-care/.

Resilience and connection Aunty May Andy is a fiercly proud Yorta Yorta woman who was born in Echuca and raised at Cummeragunja living on the Murray River for most of her life.

When you ask Aunty May about growing up by the river her eyes light up yarning about how the women of her community washed clothes on the river bend or sneaking up as kids, trying to catch a glimpse of mens’ business further along the river.

I do this work from love for my people, to make sure we get equal care in health issues.

She moved away for a time and qualified as a teacher and later got her Certificate III in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Work from VACCHO. She’s moved back now and is the Aboriginal Health Worker at Cummeragunja Housing and Development Aboriginal Corporation.

At Cummeragunja she works across a number of programs such as Mums and Bubs and Passport to Better Health as well as running and assisting in the Community Kitchen, Women’s Business, Package Case Management and Cultural Safety Training.

Her deep and lasting connection to her Community and Country means she plays an important role in connecting Community with programs and services that they need to stay strong and healthy.

If you want more information about Cummeragunja’s programs contact Aunty May on 03 5869 3343 or aboriginalhealthworker1@ vineymorganams.com.au.

Welcoming environment at The Royal Melbourne Hospital unveiled The Royal Melbourne Hospital held an exciting event during NAIDOC week 2016, unveiling Aboriginal artwork that acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending the hospital. The project was led

by Tracey Evans, the Aboriginal Service Development Worker who engaged the artistic talents of Mandy Nicholson, a Wurundjeri artist.

The artwork will provide a more welcoming environment for

The artworks are located in the emergency department and

an outdoor area, which is now named Moorop-Wa-lam-Buk meaning ‘Renew Soul’ in WoiWurrung language.

Image L to R: Tracey Evans - Aboriginal Service Development Worker (RMH), Mandy Nicholson - Artist, Aunty Di Kerr Wurundjeri Elder, Gareth Goodier - Chief Executive Officer (RMH). Photography courtesy: Joss Dimock, Medical Illustration, RMH

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ILBIJERRI

journeys through identity, sexuality, stereotypes and respectful relationships

North West Of Nowhere is the next installment from the team behind the multi award-winning shows Chopped Liver and Body Armour.

The performance takes the audience on a journey through identity, sexuality, challenges stereotypes and turns the focus back on respectful relationships. This is the key message to young people, who are experiencing complex feelings around sexuality and connections to culture, spirituality, friendships and family.

Written specifically for secondary school audiences, young people will relate to Wyatt and Nella as they journey from their teenage dreams to proud young adults ready for the world.

North West of Nowhere is a result of an ongoing partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services, Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health and VACCHO who supported ILBIJERRI to develop the play, primarily intended to bring awareness on the current high rates of sexually transmitted infections and Chlamydia in young people and specifically young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Image: Courtesy of ILBIJERRI

Performances were at community days, schools, correctional facilities and some hosted by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations like Cummeragunja Housing & Development Aboriginal Corporation, Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-operative, Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative, Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and Woomera Aboriginal Corporation.

For more information contact VACCHO’s Sexy Health Team on 03 9411 9411 or go to www.vaccho.org.au/resources/sh/ or www. northwestofnowhere.net.au/student-resources/

Victorian Housing Register update The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is in the process of developing a single Victorian Housing Register (VHR) joining up all current public housing and community housing lists.

People applying for housing will only have to apply for housing once, using a consistent housing application form and eligibility policy.

HiiP, the DHHS information system, will hold all information about the Register.

Public housing allocations will continue to target those in greatest housing need. A new allocations framework for community housing is under development. The highest priority for housing will be for people already in housing having to move for property management reasons and for those in unsafe and unsuitable housing e.g. people experiencing family violence.

The project is being progressively rolled-out from July 2016 with an expectation of implementation being completed by April 2017, including the set-

up of the new system and integration of all existing public and community waiting lists, area-based onboarding workshops, launching of the online client form and HiiP training.

The Director of Housing is overseeing the project.

A Senior Leadership Group has been set up to oversee the policy framework, operational model and outcomes of the VHR and monitor implementation. A Statewide Working Group has also been set up to ensure the VHR is effective and efficient in operation, coordinate implementation, and provide advice on operational issues.

Both the Leadership Group and the Statewide Working Group have Aboriginal Housing Victoria representation.

Aboriginal Housing Victoria will be a site for testing of the Register Further information can be obtained from DHHS on 9096 9973 or victorianhousingregister@dhhs.vic.gov.au or from Laurie Gatto or Charlotte Dillon at AHV on 03 9403 2100.

ICAP Workforce Forum 28 - 30 June 2016 Mercure Port of Echuca

SEWB Statewide Gathering 31 May – 2 June 2016 Mantra, Bell City, Preston

The Great Debate: Treatment is the new black 1 June 2016 The Doherty Institute

Jacqui Richmond - La Trobe University & Melbourne Health, Colin Batrouney - Victorian AIDS Council, Margaret Hellard - Burnet Institute, Bill O’Loughlin - Harm Reduction Victoria, Graham Brown - La Trobe University, Aram Hosie - Victorian AIDS Council, Kat Byron - VACCHO

Out and about Follow us on

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VACCHO Board Members Marcus Clarke: Chairperson Andrew Gardiner: Vice Chairperson Karen Heap: Board Member John Mitchell: Board Member Hilary Saunders: Board Member Suzie Squires: Board Member Daphne Yarram: Board Member

17-23 Sackville Street Collingwood VIC 3066 P 03 9411 9411 F 03 9411 9599 E enquiries@vaccho.org.au

www.vaccho.org.au Follow us on

Kelli Bartlett: Board Observer

STORIES | IDEAS | FEEDBACK

Don’t forget this is your newsletter and we need your stories and ideas.

If you would like to give us story ideas or comment on our newsletter please contact our Communications Team 03 9411 9411 or on communications@ vaccho.org.au.

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 Winter 2016

This newsletter is printed on Impact recycled uncoated paper.