IAHA would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians across the lands, waters and seas that we work and live on and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future and thank them for their continuing custodianship.
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As a national member-based organisation, IAHA visits and attends community events and community-controlled organisations around the country to celebrate achievements, promote careers, collaborate on projects and work with communities on specific projects that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and informed.
Our members and team are working with high schools, community-controlled health services, carers, Elders groups, disability advocates and across the aged sector to develop, research and/or advocate for an allied health workforce that is readily accessible and culturally safe and responsive to meet the local community needs in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.
Remote and Rural Indigenous allied health workforce development project (RIAHP)
The Remote and Rural Indigenous allied health workforce development project (RIAHP) was completed by Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) between 2017 and 2019. The Department of Social Services (DSS) National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Sector Development Fund funded this project.
The overall purpose of the RIAHP was to advocate and build the evidence around the critical need for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce in remote and rural communities.
The main aim of the RIAHP was to identify needs, build this workforce and increase access for NDIS eligible (and other) people living in communities to access culturally safe and responsive allied health services. The project was funded recognising the severe shortage of such services in remote and rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the implications for the effective rollout of the NDIS, and the potential benefit it aims to deliver. Notably, the NDIS presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop quality, cost-effective and accessible services for people at serious risk of being left further behind and for whom existing service arrangements are wholly inadequate or even by any reasonable comparison non-existent.
IAHA’s approach is to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s perspectives on what their community needs and how it can work for them remained the central focus and priority of this work. With considered engagement and respect for each community’s ways of knowing, being and doing, the Tennant Creek and Palm Island communities shared valuable insight and knowledge with the project team.
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