The final round of consultations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plan has been scheduled, to gather input from South Australia, Katherine and Nhulunbuy during August.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff have been leading the development of the plan, which will be relevant and useful to all CMPH staff, outlining community-informed pathways to improve engagement and impact.
Associate Professor Maree Meredith and Lecturer Kath Martin are working with staff across South Australia and the Northern Territory to develop a new type of plan that contains goals and measurable outcomes for the first time. These metrics are being developed in consultation with community representatives across the central Australian corridor, as well as input from Flinders staff and students.
The plan will outline a three-year framework to focus and leverage the impact of the University’s research and teaming on Aboriginal health and wellbeing.
Consultations led by Dr Sue Bertossa, Dr Courtney Ryder, Professor Ray Mahoney and Professor Simone Tur will be conducted in Adelaide on 10 and 11 August and there will then be a two-week window for communities and staff in key strategic areas such as Katherine and Nhulunbuy to feed into the final draft of the plan before it is presented to CMPH executive for approval in early September.
The plan is being informed by consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as well as staff and will align with the University’s RAP activities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and student strategies, and the latest initiatives in examining the contribution of Flinders to Indigenous research through the ERA process.
“It’s really exciting to see so many staff eager to contribute to the development of this new plan and the tremendous support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing across Flinders,” Associate Professor Meredith said.
One of the best parts of this process has been to see the generosity and enthusiasm of community members who want to have a voice in the direction of research and education relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and who are keen to engage with Flinders.
“This is a Plan which will have relevance and utility to all CMPH staff, both non-Indigenous and Indigenous and which also dovetails many different funding and reporting opportunities for the University – demonstrating the strength, depth and outcome of Flinders’ commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.”