Northern Rivers Region

An Agreement Between:

• Indigenous Allied Health Australia 
• Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation
• Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service
• Rekindling the Spirit
• Northern New South Wales Local Health District

The New South Wales Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector (ACCHS), Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) & Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSW LHD) regional network partnership brings together the (5) organisations in supporting and growing the regional Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health workforce within the Northern Rivers region.

Under this Partnership Agreement, the partners will work together in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.

Flinders University

IAHA and Flinders University (Northern Territory), signed a Collaboration Agreement in 2019.

 

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and Flinders Northern Territory (FNT) are committed and responsive to the health workforce (notably allied health) needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory. This includes increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the medical and allied health workforce, fostering a community centred and priority driven allied health research agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and strengthening the cultural responsiveness of medical and allied health graduates.

 

FNT and IAHA will collaborate together to work towards achieving the following goal: 

• increasing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce and the cultural capability of the broader allied health workforce in remote and regional Northern Territory and Northern Australia to improve the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

 

FNT and IAHA will collaborate and share knowledge, information, experience and resources to:

1. Influence student placement opportunities in remote and regional NT; to ensure that all students on placement in the NT, experience a placement this is culturally responsive to the unique health needs of people that live and reside in Northern Australia.
2. Increase the opportunities for Allied Health students, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health students to have a student placement experience that is culturally safe in remote and regional NT and Northern Australia;
3. Support and deliver culturally safe and responsive orientation and placement immersion experiences to students on placement in the NT;
4. Lead, influence and inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health education, research and workforce development initiatives.

 

Australian Council of Pro-Vice-Chancellors and Deans of Health Sciences

The second Collaboration Agreement between Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and Australian Council of Pro-Vice-Chancellors and Deans of Health Sciences (ACPDHS) was signed at the 2015 IAHA National Conference on 30 November 2015 and extended for another two years. .

Both organisations highlighted that they remain committed and responsive to the allied health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This includes increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the allied health workforce, fostering a community centred and priority driven allied health research agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and strengthening the cultural competence of allied health graduates.

Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health

IAHA and MICRRH are committed to a formal collaboration agreement to be more responsive to the allied health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This includes increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the allied health workforce, fostering a community centred and priority driven allied health research agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and strengthening the cultural competence of allied health graduates.

• NATSILHM agreement
• SARRAH Agreement
• Indigenous Dentists Association agreement

Indigenous Dentists Association Australia

On the 21st of May 2018, Indigenous Allied Health Australia and Indigenous Dentists’ Association of Australia (IDAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Mercure Hotel, Sydney. IDAA is committed to promoting improved standards of Indigenous oral health, including through supporting Indigenous dentists and dental students.

IAHA and IDAA look forward to exploring the opportunities to collaborate together on joint projects, given IAHA’s membership includes dentists, and given our shared values, and purpose to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Watch the video below to learn more about this MOU.

SARRAH

Indigenous Allied Health Australia and Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 2018 SARRAH National Conference in Darwin, NT. SARRAH exists so that rural and remote Australian communities have allied health services that support equitable and sustainable health and wellbeing.

During the term of the MOU, IAHA and SARRAH agreed to collaborate on four key projects, including:

1. expansion of the allied health rural generalist pathway into a national training pathway
2. development and trial of a new model of community-led service delivery to address areas of currently unmet health needs in remote communities
3. develop and support a culturally safe and responsive allied health workforce that meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
4. review and revise the SARRAH Transition Toolkit

Read the full MOU here.

Allied Health Professions Australia

In recognition of Close the Gap Day 2017, Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and (AHPA), the peak body representing and advocating for the role of allied health professions, and its member and friend organisations, re-committed to a Statement of Intent to work together to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by year 2030. The Signing of the Statement of Intent took place in Melbourne, Victoria. 

IAHA Chairperson, Nicole Turner recognised the valuable role allied health plays in Closing the Gap. “As Allied health professionals we are diverse and intersect across many sectors including education, community services, justice, aged care, disability and health and therefore we are key players in achieving positive health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Understanding the contribution we can make to close the gap brings with it a sense of shared responsibility to do our part. We firmly believe that we are stronger together and a whole-of-sector approach is needed if we are to achieve sustainable, intergenerational change” said Ms Turner.

NSW Rural Doctors Network

IAHA and the NSW Rural Doctors Network (NSWRDN) signed a formal partnership in September 2019 in Sydney. The partnership is a commitment to work in collaboration on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce development in NSW and to share information and expertise in supporting the current allied health workforce including professional development opportunities and promoting and building cultural safety.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet provides support to those working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector by making research and other knowledge readily accessible. In this way, they contribute to closing the gap in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. IAHA partners with the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet in sharing expertise on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce development and promotes stories and experiences of IAHA members on the key components of workforce development including:

1. Pathways into allied health
2. Student support and engagement
3. Transition to early careers for our graduates
4. Allied health career development and support
5. Enable future workforce development

International Collaboration and Partnership

IAHA has developed strong connections and relationships with international First nation groups that share our vision and priorities in building, supporting and leading allied health workforce development.

IAHA has presented at numerous international conferences to build the profile of IAHA and share the activities and approaches IAHA is taking in supporting our members, growing the allied health workforce and in interprofessional education and learning. In attending these conferences, IAHA invites an International First Nations speaker to national events and we continue to meet and change the conversation from that of a deficit discourse to a strengths-based narrative and successes with culture and cultural safety at the centre of what we aim to achieve.

IAHA held the first International Indigenous Allied Health forum in Sydney 2018, with delegates attending from Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand and Borneo including graduates and students. The international First nation students participated in their first Indigenous Health Fusion Team Challenge with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student members. Their participation was supported by their graduates and support team throughout with everyone gaining lifetime friends, networks, wealth of knowledge supported by professional and cultural exchange.

IAHA has developed a collaboration with our international partners and continue to work together on new activities and projects.

IAHA and Nga Pou Mana have engaged in a formal partnership commencing in 2020 to work collaboratively on building our allied health workforce through share successes, building our networks and support base and effecting change in the national and international space.

Southern Cross University

The IAHA National Academy students will have the opportunity to remain on Country while undertaking Year 11 and 12 and a school-based traineeship to provide a blended learning experience.