WentWest Stories, Baabayn: Karri’s Story
Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation connects Aboriginal community members to services that help them recover from trauma, reconnect to their community, and build a sense of self-worth and confidence. Baabayn has strong contacts in the community and prides itself on providing a welcoming environment where individuals and families can heal. The organisation runs activities, drop-in support and […]
Working Together to Close the Gap
3 March 2022 Currently, the target to close the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians by 2031 is not on track[1]. Nationally, non-Aboriginal children are expected to live an average of 8.6 and 7.8 years longer than Aboriginal children[2]. Figures from 2019 show that 3 in 10 Aboriginal Australians who needed support […]
WentWest Stories, KEYS: Tamara’s Story
The Western Sydney Kids Early Years (KEYS) Network is the first of its kind in New South Wales. It is designed to align social and health sector agendas to deliver cohesive client services. KEYS relies on multi-sector collaboration to develop a coordinated care model for those stuck in a cycle of disadvantage. The KEYS Network […]
WentWest Stories, ITC: Frank’s Story
Long-term health conditions affect almost 90% of Aboriginal Elders or Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 551. One-quarter of Indigenous people also report problems accessing service providers to support their health and social care needs. The Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program improves health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic […]
WentWest Stories, Marrin Weejali: Maya’s Story
Marrin Weejali is an Aboriginal community organisation providing culturally safe alcohol, other drug and non-acute mental health counselling, referral and advocacy services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Sydney. One in six women in Australia have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or previous partner, and one in four have […]
WentWest Stories, Marrin Weejali: Michael’s Story
Marrin Weejali is an Aboriginal community organisation providing culturally safe alcohol, drug and non-acute mental health counselling, referral and advocacy services in Western Sydney. They take a personal and community-driven approach to identify the root causes of substance misuse and help clients find healthy solutions to work through their mental health issues.Over 13,000 Aboriginal and […]
WentWest Stories, the Shed: Luke’s Story
Compared to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the same age group, the Stolen Generations are 40% more likely to be living with a profound disability and 40% more likely to have poor mental health1. The Shed is a safe, welcoming environment where people can share their stories in a non-judgemental setting. The service assists […]
Changing the statistics on Aboriginal Health
Why Aboriginal health is a priority in our region Western Sydney has one of the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in the nation, and improving Aboriginal health is a health priority for our region. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are nearly twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to commit suicide, […]
National Reconciliation Action Week
Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (27th May – 3rd June). This year’s NRW theme is ‘More than a word. Reconciliation takes action’, which asks us to move beyond awareness to take action. Western Sydney has one of the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in the nation, and supporting Aboriginal […]
715 Health Check During Close the Gap Day
National Close the Gap Day is on Thursday 18 March, the aim of the day is to bring people together to share information and take meaningful action in support of achieving health equality for First Nations Peoples. This is a timely reminder to audit your patients and recall those identified to be of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent to […]