cation (487 KB)
‘Risk and Resilience’ – plain language report for community (130 KB)
‘Risk and Resilience’ – plain language report for staff (106 KB)
- Emma Carlin, Research Fellow, RCSWA
- Katherine Ferrari, KMMS Project Officer, KAMS
- Diana Jans, KMMS Research Project Officer, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Cairns
- Professor David Atkinson, RCSWA
- A/Professor Julia Marley, RCSWA
- A/Professor Mark Wenitong, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Cairns
- Professor Karen Edmond, Unicef and University of Western Australia
- Dr Ernest Hunter, James Cook University, Cairns
- Dr Catherine Engelke, Rural Clinical School of WA, WA Country Health Service – Kimberley, Kununurra
- Professor Rhonda Marriott, Murdoch University, WA Department of Health, Perth
- Dr Sandra Campbell, James Cook University, Cairns
- Dr Stephanie Trust, Kununurra Medical, Kununurra
- A/Professor Murray Chapman, Abbotsford Psychiatry, Perth
- Ms Janet de San Miguel, KAMS, Broome
- Dr Emma Griffiths, KAMS and RCSWA, Broome
- A/Professor Rubin, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Cairns
- Dr Karla Canuto, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Cairns
- Ms Melissa Williams, WA Country Health Service – Kimberley, Broome
- Dr David Cutts, WA Country Health Service – Pilbara
- Dr Sarah McEwan, WA Country Health Service – Pilbara
- Dr Kylee Cox, WA Country Health Service – Central Office, Perth
- Donna Stephen, KAMS
- Jayne Kotz, Murdoch University, Perth
- Dr Sharon Evans, RCSWA, Perth
Bringing Cultural ways and healing into mental health and wellbeing systems to better serve the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. UWA in partnership with KAMS are working towards empowering access and outcomes for Kimberley Aboriginal people by developing, implementing and evaluating a new or improved model of SEWB & MH care for the ACCHS. More detail can be found at: https://timhwb.org.au/.
Project Staff: Zaccariah Cox, Aboriginal Wellbeing Research Officer; Emma Carlin, Senior Research Officer
Changing mental health services to improve the mental health of Aboriginal young people living in WA. The team from Curtin, Elder’s & Young people from Broome in partnership with KAMS are working with Headspace Broome to co-design improved ways of operating to encourage access and better outcomes for Aboriginal young people.
Project Staff: Zaccariah Cox, Aboriginal Wellbeing Research Officer; Emma Carlin, Senior Research Officer
Improving Health Services
Accessing health care at a remote Western Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service: Pilot Study
Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The emphasis of the service is on Aboriginal health, preventive health, remote health, primary care and chronic disease management. The service has a Chief Executive Officer and is run by a board of local Aboriginal people. The buildings and infrastructure of the service have been designed to be appealing and accessible to Aboriginal people. DAHS should be the most accessible form of health care available for Aboriginal people in Derby and surrounding communities. In practice, however, DAHS finds it difficult to initiate and maintain relationship with many people. Anecdotally the group which is most difficult to access is the 16-25 year old age group. DAHS would like to know why this is so.
- To document the utilisation of health care services at a remote Western Australian Community Controlled Health Service by 16-25 year olds.
- To identify the barriers and enablers of access for 16-25 year olds.
Findings so far:
- 26 young Aboriginal people were interviewed.
- Participants appreciated interacting with Aboriginal staff, local staff, and longer term DAHS staff. This improved communication and interpersonal interactions, which were reported to be of prime importance for young Aboriginal people accessing health services.
- Maintaining confidentiality, minimising shame, and gender matching with health staff were also key issues for young people. 