Resources

Resources

• Aboriginal Health Hospital to Community Pathways Project The Aboriginal Hospital to Community Project was undertaken by HealthWest, Werribee Mercy Hospital and Western Health – Sunshine Hospital over 18 months. The project aimed to use a systems approach to embed the principles of cultural safety and service coordination in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander client pathway from hospital to community.
• Cultural Audit Checklist A simple checklist for organisations to assess how welcoming their environment is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Service Mapping in the West HealthWest has compiled a directory of services that are available for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living in the West of Melbourne to raise awareness of what types of services are on offer and how to access those services. The mapping is in two stages, the first detailing service providers who have a presence in the West and who provide services that are specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The second is a listing of Aboriginal specific organisations that provide services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living in Melbourne’s West but are not physically located in the West.
• Health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Melbourne’s west
• Aboriginal specific services accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Melbourne’s west

• The Aboriginal Hospital to Community Project was undertaken by HealthWest, Werribee Mercy Hospital and Western Health – Sunshine Hospital over 18 months.
• The project aimed to use a systems approach to embed the principles of cultural safety and service coordination in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander client pathway from hospital to community.

• A simple checklist for organisations to assess how welcoming their environment is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• HealthWest has compiled a directory of services that are available for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living in the West of Melbourne to raise awareness of what types of services are on offer and how to access those services.
• The mapping is in two stages, the first detailing service providers who have a presence in the West and who provide services that are specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The second is a listing of Aboriginal specific organisations that provide services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities living in Melbourne’s West but are not physically located in the West.

Other Useful Resources & Information

• “Welcome to Country” and an “Acknowledgement to Country” What’s the difference? Welcome to Country is performed by an Aboriginal elder or an Aboriginal person who is from the local area or is a descendent from the local tribe of that area. It is an official welcoming onto the country from the original custodians of the land that the meeting or event is taking place on. A “Welcome to Country” is usually a speech but can include singing, dancing and or smoking ceremonies. Request Form for Wurundjeri council Welcome to Country. Acknowledgement to Country can be performed by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and is a way of showing awareness and respect for the traditional owners of the land that the meeting or event is taking place on. An example of an “Acknowledgement of Country” is as follows: I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri people and pay my respects to elders past and present. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, and pay my respects to elders past and present. Be mindful to acknowledge the correct tribe if using tribal name details and if unsure simply acknowledge the traditional owners of the land as per the second example above.
• Aboriginal Health Status Overview of Australian Indigenous health status 2013 Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Key Indicators 2014 Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
• Partnerships with Aboriginal communities Fact Sheet: When to engage with Victoria’s Traditional Owners State Government of Victoria, October 2011
• Organisation cultural audit tools Working with Aboriginal people and communities: Health and community services audit Produced by the Making Two Worlds Work Project. Asking the Question Training Resource: Are You (or is the Person) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Origin? Helping your Organisation to create a welcoming environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
• Victorian government resources Koolin Balit: Victorian Government strategic directions for Aboriginal health 2012-2022 Accessibility of Mainstream Services for Aboriginal Victorians- Victorian Auditor-General’s Report May 2014 Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework: Building for the future: a plan for ‘Closing the Gap’ in Victoria by 2031 State Government of Victoria, 2012 Victorian Department of Health – Aboriginal Publications (on a range of topics)
• Resources for hospitals Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patient Quality Improvement Toolkit for Hospital Staff La Trobe University, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit, University of Melbourne, June 2010 Advance Care Planning with Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders Austin Health 2010

• Welcome to Country is performed by an Aboriginal elder or an Aboriginal person who is from the local area or is a descendent from the local tribe of that area. It is an official welcoming onto the country from the original custodians of the land that the meeting or event is taking place on. A “Welcome to Country” is usually a speech but can include singing, dancing and or smoking ceremonies. Request Form for Wurundjeri council Welcome to Country.
• Acknowledgement to Country can be performed by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and is a way of showing awareness and respect for the traditional owners of the land that the meeting or event is taking place on. An example of an “Acknowledgement of Country” is as follows: I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri people and pay my respects to elders past and present. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, and pay my respects to elders past and present. Be mindful to acknowledge the correct tribe if using tribal name details and if unsure simply acknowledge the traditional owners of the land as per the second example above.

• I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri people and pay my respects to elders past and present.
• I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, and pay my respects to elders past and present.
• Be mindful to acknowledge the correct tribe if using tribal name details and if unsure simply acknowledge the traditional owners of the land as per the second example above.

• Overview of Australian Indigenous health status 2013 Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Key Indicators 2014
• Closing the Gap Clearinghouse

• Fact Sheet: When to engage with Victoria’s Traditional Owners State Government of Victoria, October 2011

• Working with Aboriginal people and communities: Health and community services audit Produced by the Making Two Worlds Work Project.
• Asking the Question Training Resource: Are You (or is the Person) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Origin?
• Helping your Organisation to create a welcoming environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

• Koolin Balit: Victorian Government strategic directions for Aboriginal health 2012-2022
• Accessibility of Mainstream Services for Aboriginal Victorians- Victorian Auditor-General’s Report May 2014
• Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework: Building for the future: a plan for ‘Closing the Gap’ in Victoria by 2031 State Government of Victoria, 2012
• Victorian Department of Health – Aboriginal Publications (on a range of topics)

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patient Quality Improvement Toolkit for Hospital Staff La Trobe University, Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit, University of Melbourne, June 2010
• Advance Care Planning with Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders Austin Health 2010