Working Together

Whether your role in the Australian health care workforce is based in a hospital, hospice, residential aged care, or a primary health care or community care setting, you will at some point go on a palliative care journey with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and their family. Many different members of the health care workforce can contribute to end of life care for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. The health care workforce roles that may be involved in their palliative care journey might include palliative care specialists, doctors, nurses, residential aged care workers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, health practitioners and liaison officers, and allied health practitioners such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and speech pathologists. Traditional healers may also play a role for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Therefore, working together as a multidisciplinary team to provide interprofessional care is essential to ensuring the best possible palliative care journey for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are involved in the Australian health care workforce in many different roles. Many are part of the medical, nursing and allied health practitioners who provide care in hospital and in primary care or community care settings. Others contribute to improving health outcomes by working as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners or Health Workers or Liaison Officers.

Aboriginal Health Workers and Health Practitioners are the cornerstone for the delivery of health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly in rural primary care settings. Their role is crucial to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and they play a vital role in the primary health care workforce. They are often the first health care worker an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient would see.

While many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners and Health Workers are employed in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) or the Government Health Sector, many also work within mainstream services such as general practices and other non-government organisations. These positions and roles exist in metropolitan, regional and remote areas. For example, many hospitals and health services employ Aboriginal Liaison Officers and Health Workers who offer cultural expertise and a cultural lens for engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families. They provide cross-cultural advocacy for these families and form a vital part of the interdisciplinary team who care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Their involvement increases the likelihood of a patient feeling culturally safe in the health service. They also help to ensure that the patient has a good understanding of the diagnosis and treatment advice.

During the difficult time when palliative care becomes necessary, the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, health practitioners, liaison officers, doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals as part of the multidisciplinary care team can help ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients receive culturally responsive palliative care.

The following resources provide more information on the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care workforce:

• Palliative Care Victoria has a podcast about how Aboriginal Health Liaison Workers can provide support for people with a life-limiting illness.
• McGrath PD, Patton MA, Ogilvie KF, Rayner RD, McGrath ZM, Holewa HA. The case for Aboriginal Health Workers in palliative care. Aust Health Rev 2007;31(3):430-9.
• Mitchell M, Hussey LM. The Aboriginal health worker. Med J Aust. 2006;184(10):529-30. This article describes the role, rewards, and challenges of being an Aboriginal Health Worker in the community you live in.
• National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) describes the role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.
• The Centre of Research Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange (CREATE) has developed a resource to support staff and organisations working with ACCHOs – Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in practice: Sharing ways of working from the ACCHO sector.

National

• National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
• Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health – Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Professional associations

• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Professionals (NAATSIHWP)
• Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA)
• Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINAM)
• Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA)
• Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA)

How to find Aboriginal Health Workers, Health Practitioners and Liaison Officers

• The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website provides an interactive map to search for Aboriginal and Islander Medical/Health Services by state/territory
• On the National Health Services Directory, you can choose ‘Aboriginal Health Clinic’ from More Services’ in the ‘Find a Health Service Directory’. You can then search for your local Aboriginal health clinics by postcode, city, suburb or town.