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Programs

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Programs

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs and initiatives are managed by the Department of Health and Ageing to improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to effective health care services essential to improving health, and life expectancy, and reducing child mortality.

These programs aim to contribute to closing the gap within a decade by addressing the following areas of health:

1. Primary Health Care
2. Social and Emotional Wellbeing
3. Substance Use
4. Child and Maternal Health
5. Chronic Disease
6. Remote Services (including Closing the Gap in the Northern Territory)
7. Workforce

Programs and initiatives provided by the Department of Health and Ageing under these areas include:

• Primary Health Care
• Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program
• Eye and Ear Health Program
• Healthy for Life
• New Directions Mothers and Babies Services
• Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program
• Social and Emotional Wellbeing
• Strong fathers Strong families
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Substance Use Program

Primary Health Care

The Primary Health Care base funding program provides ongoing funding to support Indigenous Health organisations to provide primary health care services; undertake testing and treatment for communicable diseases; undertake capital projects that support delivery for Indigenous health organisations; and improve the quality of and access to services.

Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program

The Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) is a nurse led home visiting program being implemented in selected sites across Australia. Information about the program is now available from the Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program website or contact OATSIH Enquires.

Eye and Ear Health Program

The Improving Eye and Ear Health Services for Indigenous Australians for Better Education and Employment Outcomes measure expands eye and ear health services for Indigenous Australians, providing $58.3 million over four years from 2009-10. The eye health components of the measure include trachoma surveillance and control activities, an expansion of the Visiting Optometrist Scheme, and eye surgery intensives in Alice Springs under the Central Australian and Barkly Integrated Eye Health Strategy.

The ear health components of the measure include hearing health promotion, training of health workers in ear health and hearing, maintenance and purchase of equipment for ear health screening, and specialist services including ear surgery.

Developmental Market Research to Inform Indigenous Ear Health Social Marketing Initiatives

As part of the Improving Eye and Ear Health Services for Indigenous Australians for Better Education and Employment Outcomes measure, social marketing activities targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are being developed and implemented from 2010 to 2013 to help promote ear and hearing health. To guide the strategic development of these communication activities, the Department commissioned extensive market research with community members caring for young children, elders, local health workers, ear specialists and school staff in 14 metropolitan, regional and remote communities around Australia. Key ear and hearing policy stakeholders were also consulted, following a review of current ear health promotion literature.

This qualitative market research has provided a detailed understanding of people’s current awareness, knowledge and attitudes in relation to ear and hearing health. Key barriers and motivators associated with reducing ear disease were also identified, together with people’s communication preferences.

You can view the final report of these market research findings and the implications for Indigenous ear health communications by clicking on the following link:

Developmental Market Research to Inform Indigenous Ear Health Social Marketing Initiatives

For more information please contact OATSIH Enquiries

Healthy for Life

Information regarding the Healthy for Life Program available from the Healthy for Life website is currently being updated. For information about the program, please contact the Healthy for Life team.

New Directions Mothers and Babies Services

This program aims to increase access to child and maternal health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. It provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their mothers with access to antenatal care; standard information about baby care; practical advice and assistance with breastfeeding, nutrition and parenting; monitoring of developmental milestones, immunisation status and infections; and health checks for Indigenous children before starting school.

Reports

The annual report on implementation of the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership Agreement and Attachment A

Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program

The Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program provides a range of strategies to address petrol sniffing in Indigenous communities.
The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) has administered the Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program, formerly the COMGAS scheme, since 1998.

Petrol Sniffing Prevention ProgramTop of page

For further information contact: OATSIH Enquiries

Social and Emotional Well Being

The Link Up and Bringing Them Home (BTH) Programs provide family tracing, reunions and counselling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people separated from their families as a result of past governments. The COAG Improving the Capacity of workers in Indigenous Communities Measure supports health practitioners to identify and address mental illness and associated substance use issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.

For more information please refer to the Bringing Them Home page.

Strong Fathers Strong Families

This initiative, commencing in 2010-11, will target OATSIH-funded child and maternal health services delivering the Commonwealth Government's New Directions Mothers and Babies Services, Healthy for Life and Australian Nurse Family Partnership Programs.

The aim of the program is to provide access for Indigenous fathers, grandfathers and other male relatives to culturally appropriate, more male-inclusive or separate antenatal and other health-related services and messages that assist them to be more involved in the early development of their children's and family's lives.

Australian Government Strong Fathers Strong Families Program – Questions and Answers Fact Sheet

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Substance Use Program

The Australian Government funds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services through a number of programs, including:

• the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Substance Use Program;
• the 2006 Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) Drug and Alcohol Measure (2006 COAG);
• the 2007 COAG Closing the Gap – Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Services Measure (2007 COAG); and
• the continuation of activities to support alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment and rehabilitation commenced under the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) funded by the Closing the Gap – Northern Territory – Indigenous Health and Related Services Measure (2009-10 to 2011-12).

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Substance Use Program provides funding to organisations across Australia to deliver, or support the delivery of, AOD treatment and rehabilitation services to Indigenous Australians. In 2010-11, 95 organisations will be funded to provide a broad range of AOD programs in various settings including residential rehabilitation facilities, day centres, Aboriginal Medical Services, sobering up shelters, multidisciplinary teams specialising in AOD and related issues, outreach services, wellbeing centres and transitional aftercare services. A number of peak bodies and state and territory governments also receive funding from the Program to support and build the capacity of the service providers.

The 2006 COAG drug and alcohol measure (2006 COAG) has provided $49.3 million over four years (2006-07 to 2009-10) for additional drug and alcohol services in regional and remote Indigenous communities. Recurrent operational funding of $14.4 million is being provided for projects established under this measure from 2010-11. This investment has resulted in:

• new and upgraded residential rehabilitation services, day centres in WA, SA, QLD;
• establishment of four new Wellbeing Centres in QLD as part of the Cape York Welfare Reforms;
• enhanced capacity of Community Drug Service Teams in WA;
• development of the remote drug and alcohol workforce and a new youth volatile substance use treatment service in the NT; and
• new and upgraded sobering up shelters in the NT.

The 2007 COAG Closing the Gap – Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Services measure (2007 COAG) is providing $49.3 million over four years (2008-09 to 2011-12) to increase drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services, particularly in remote Indigenous communities. Priorities for the 2007 COAG measure include the:

• establishment of new residential rehabilitation facilities in WA, SA, ACT and QLD;
• establishment and enhancement of Wellbeing Centres in QLD;
• establishment of transitional after care and non-residential services in NT, NSW, QLD and TAS;
• enhancement or continuation of existing services in WA, NSW, QLD, VIC and NT.

Closing the Gap – NT – Indigenous Health and Related Services measure

Approximately $7.80 million is being provided over three years (2009-10 to 2011-12) to continue selected AOD services commenced under the NTER.

This funding has increased the AOD workforce in the primary health care and stand alone substance use service settings, including additional registered nurses, social workers, AOD workers and community support workers located across Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy and Hermannsburg.

Funding is also provided to Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (NT DHF) for the provision of professional support and development to the AOD workers in the primary health care setting.

This investment in the AOD workforce is complemented by other Australian Government funded AOD programs across the NT.

Media releases

• Helping close the gap through innovative home visit program

All Media releases

Program/Initiatives

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme
• Petrol Sniffing Prevention Program
• Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas
• Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme
• Quality Assurance for Aboriginal Medical Services (QAAMS)

All Program/Initiatives

Publications

• Evaluation of the sustainability and benefits of swimming pools in the Anagu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands (APY lands) in South Australia.
• A National Health and Hospitals Network for Australia’s future
• Enquiry into claims regarding Leprosy testing on Aboriginal Children in the Northern Territory between 1920 and 1960
• The Progress of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check Initiative: Preliminary Results from the Child Health Check and Follow-up data collections
• Evaluation of the Child Health Check initiative and expanding health services delivery initiative

All Publications
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