Indigenous Outreach Workers
Warren Snowdon
posted Friday, 19 February 2010
National efforts to close the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation received a boost today with the announcement of 83 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Worker placements across Australia.
Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, said funding had been approved for 83 positions, more than half of the 160 positions that are being funded under a $42 million commitment to build the capacity of the Indigenous health workforce over four years. [See attached table for placement details].
“Expanding the Indigenous health workforce is a key element of the Rudd Government’s $805.5m Indigenous Chronic Disease Package, under the COAG National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes,” Mr Snowdon said.
Queensland will receive twenty four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers, New South Wales has been allocated twenty three, Western Australia will receive twelve, followed by Victoria with nine placements, the Northern Territory gets eight, South Australia has been allocated six and the Australian Capital Territory will receive one.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will help increase community engagement with health services, including increasing the uptake of Indigenous health checks and identifying Indigenous people who would benefit from improved access to health services.
“In addition, they will assist Indigenous people to access other health services, including follow-up care, specialist services and community pharmacies,” he said.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers will be employed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Divisions of General Practice.
They will have access to nationally accredited basic level training through the vocational education and training sector.
“This will give them the flexibility to develop career paths in the health sector if they choose, by undertaking more advanced training such as that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers or Enrolled Nurses,” Mr Snowdon said.
“We already have dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers who perform a vital role in providing primary health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and these new roles will extend our workforce even further,” Mr Snowdon said.
The Rudd Government’s $805.5million Indigenous Chronic Disease Package will also provide significant new resources to improve the prevention, early detection and management of chronic diseases which account for some two-thirds of premature deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“Some of the biggest contributors to excess mortality are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases, with smoking alone accounting for around 20 per cent of all Indigenous deaths,” Mr Snowdon said.
The Prime Minister’s Report on Closing the Gap released on Thursday 11 February 2010 announced that the 83 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers would be appointed to health clinics and organisations across Australia before the end of June.