Aboriginal Health

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Youth Arts and Culture Program

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Arts and Culture Program targets young ATSI people and their families to develop practice based arts activities supportive of Aboriginal and Torres Islander culture and identity.

Service Details:
The project is coordinated by an experienced artist from an Aboriginal background who has an established ATSI visual and media arts. Tha artist has worked with the young people from VCOKE, Broadmeadows and Roxburgh Park Colleges to develop a series of arts industry social enterprise activities with the aim of improving participants knowledge and skills, self advocacy and confidence, connection to their culture and knowledge of arts industry/community networks.

Activities in 2008:

• Creation of a South Eastern Urban Aboriginal Beachware Collection including textile design
• Production of DVD documenting the project and daily life at the Victorian College of Koori Education
• Creation of a Pictorial and Text Based Document  
• Development of an exhibition at the Koori Heritage Centre in NAIDOC Week

Eligibility: Young People of ATSI background
Referral: Contact Suzy Pinchen, Manager, Child Youth and Family Service.
Ph: 8345 5678
Referrals from schools, families or self.
Cost: Free
Location: School and community based.
Operating hours: Operates during school term only.
 

School Docs Program

Outreach General Practice Clinic based at Victorian College of Koorie Education (VCKE), Prep – Year 12 Glenroy campus.

Service Details:
A Community Development developed in partnership with the school after researching the needs of the school population. Work was based on relationship building with the school community and as a result of this relationship – health needs were identified in a needs analysis as a priority issue. A Health and Wellbeing committee was established to look at a health promoting school environment. It was through this DCH and VCKE working group that the concept of a GP clinic on site was proposed.

The initiative by Medicare in 2006 to promote Annual Special Medicare Item Comprehensive Child Health Checks to improve long term health outcomes for indigenous community members provided the impetus to establish the GP Clinic.

Dianella Community Health also provide Podiatry screenings of all students and the Audiology department provides annual screenings and recall / follow.

Services Available:

• School Docs clinic on site at VCKE
• Priority Accesss to DCH services for ATSI community
• Priority access to Emergency Dental via Community Health Nurse
• DCH Medical Practice also sees students as a priority

Eligibility: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Background and Medicare Registration.
Annual Health checks can be done once every 12 months only.
Referral: VCKE Staff book students into the clinic or students can self refer and drop in for a chat with the Community Health Nurse.
For details contact Maree Kendall on 8345 5330.
Cost: Free
Location: Based at the VCKE school. Audiology screenings are done at the Broadmeadows site.
Operating hours: School Docs Clinic operates during school terms on a fortnightly, as required, basis.