Page 2753 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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rehabilitation; attempting to break the cycle of intergenerational drug use and fostering reconnection to our regional cultural values and beliefs, family and social networks and cultural education programs.
This investigation is being conducted as a COAG trial in partnership with the Australian government and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community under the COAG shared responsibility agreement signed in April last year. In addition to targeted initiatives, the government recognises the importance of a holistic and culturally appropriate approach to addressing substance abuse issues. It is providing support and funding for a range of health and health related programs at Winnunga Nimmityjah.
These include, firstly and very importantly, the relocation of Winnunga from Ainslie to the much larger and better equipped Narrabundah Health Centre; pre and postnatal support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and their babies, including education on a healthy lifestyle during and after birth; equipment and operational expenses for a hearing health program for primary school children to avoid loss of educational opportunities; equipment and operational expenses for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dental health program; a mental health liaison service to support access to mainstream mental health services; health promotion programs funded through HealthPact and funding for administrative support including a new computerised patient administration system.
The ACT government invests significantly and strongly in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services here in the ACT. In addition, the ACT government, the Australian government and Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service are developing a five-year plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and family wellbeing in the ACT. It is expected that the plan will be released in the near future following the final consultation phase, which will be conducted in the coming weeks.
The plan articulates how aspects of a number of existing national frameworks will be implemented in the ACT and includes focus on work such as the national strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, the national social and emotional wellbeing strategy and the national health and workforce strategy. The broad objectives of the plan are to address identified health and family wellbeing priorities, including family resilience, maternal and child health, social health, chronic and infectious disease prevention and management and the frail aged and people with disabilities. Other objectives are to provide an effective and responsive health and family wellbeing system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT, to influence the health and family wellbeing impacts of the non-health sector and to improve resourcing and accountability.
In addressing these objectives the plan includes as one of its major focus areas the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, of which a reduction in substance abuse is a key element. As a result of a recent in-depth investigation into the quality of data on Aboriginal health in the ACT, projects will also be initiated to improve the accuracy and availability of data to support and guide our work in this area.
In summary, the government has undertaken a wide range of substantial initiatives to ensure our responsibilities are met in relation to the need for new and expanded services in the ACT to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander illegal and problematic drug
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