Consultation Updates - Adelaide

Summary of the NATSIHP consultation in Adelaide

The consultations for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan (the Health Plan) are currently underway. This page will be updated with the latest news and highlights from the consultations as they progress.

Adelaide

The community consultation in Adelaide was held on Thursday 16 November 2012. Forty-six members of the community from Adelaide and broader surrounds, including Mount Gambier, the Riverland, Coober Pedy and the Nullarbor region, participated in the consultation session. In addition to community members, attendees included representation from a diverse range of service providers, including palliative care and grief and loss services, mental health, oral and dental care, health workforce, rural health, alcohol and drug services, welfare and more. The key themes raised included the need for effective and culturally appropriate communication and language in health messaging and its impact on health literacy, and the need to increase dialogue about death and dying amongst Aboriginal peoples. Participants noted the impact of suicide, substance misuse, poor oral health and chronic illness on Aboriginal peoples and their communities. Discussion also focused on the health system, with the need to establish links between services, the need for flexible and sustainable funding, and the importance of maintaining and expanding services that are working well as particular key issues. The health workforce was also discussed with participants noting workforce development is required particularly in cultural competency and safety, and that flexible pathways to enable young Aboriginal people to enter into a career in health is needed. The need for all children to be taught about Aboriginal history in school and the importance of a strong cultural identity were also raised at this session.