Policy Development
Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) is committed to providing national leadership around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health policy development and implementation.
IAHA has a particular focus on amplifying the role of the allied health workforce to help people achieve positive outcomes in their health to live long, strong and healthy lives. IAHA has had ten years of working collaboratively with the Australian Government, corporate members and stakeholders to ensure that health and wellbeing care is culturally safe, responsive, equitable and accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Board of Directors guides IAHA, its membership and national policy in advocating for increased recognition of the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce and the role allied health plays in improving access to and the delivery of culturally responsive and holistic health care services.
IAHA works collaboratively with many organisations and individuals to ensure that allied health professions and services are kept at the forefront of policy development and decisions impacting the allied health workforce and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
IAHA is actively engaged in the following national and jurisdictional policy areas, including:
- Cultural Safety and responsiveness
- Addressing Racism
- Allied health workforce development
- Allied Health recognition and value in the health system
- Indigenous Health and wellbeing
- Allied Health services and service models
- Allied Health profession and workforce models
Please contact us if you would like to discuss existing and/or emerging policy initiatives.
Changing the Conversation: Strengthening a rights-based holistic approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing
Hannah Neumayer, an Intern with the Australian National Internship Program, spent a 12-week internship with IAHA in early 2013. This resulted in a 12,000-word paper, ‘Changing the Conversation: Strengthening a rights-based holistic approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing’ submitted to Australian National University on 12 May 2013 as part of her Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology Major). She received a Distinction for this work, and IAHA was pleased to have her as a part of the team for the duration of her internship.