Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional organisations

About the initiative

We provide funding to 4 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professional organisations.

These organisations play a significant role in supporting health systems to be more appropriate and accessible for First Nations peoples, including those living in rural and remote areas.

To achieve this, the organisations:

• grow the number of First Nations people within the workforce
• increase the cultural capability of the broader health workforce
• support better care of First Nations peoples.

This makes culturally appropriate health care more accessible for First Nations people, leading to better health and wellbeing outcomes.

Who we work with

The 4 professional organisations are:

• Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)
• Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM)
• Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA)
• National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP).

Objectives

Collectively, these 4 organisations help increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce by:

• developing and implementing strategies to improve recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals in clinical and non-clinical roles across their relevant health disciplines
• improving the skills and capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce
• promoting culturally safe and responsive environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and health professionals
• improving completion, graduation and employment rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health students
• building an evidence base to improve the quality of health workforce planning and future policy platforms
• contributing to the development of relevant Australian Government policies.

Priority areas

Priority areas under this initiative include:

• improving cultural safety
• supporting professional development and mentoring
• developing leadership
• enhancing student engagement and support.

Contact