walking together with community for reconciliation

We brought our services to mob, in community, as part of our ongoing work to remove barriers and close the health gaps.

This year, we came together for Invasion Day and National Reconciliation Week to meet mob in community and provide free & immediate access to health and support services.

Led by our First Nations staff, our Allies in Action Working Group built on the existing relationships of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health team (Yakeen Tharn team) through their weekly Billabong BBQ program for over 20 years.

“Billabong BBQ is an opportunity to meet mob where they are, build trust and recognise familiar faces… have a yarn, provide food relief and pathways to access health and social supports,” says the Yakeen Tharn Team Leader, Jaimee Sweet, Bundjalung woman.

On January 27th, the day after Invasion Day, we met mob over a BBQ, live music and cultural activities and brought along GPs, nurses, podiatrists, dentists, diabetes nurses, paediatricians and mental health, and AOD support workers.

Manpreet Kaur was part of the oral health team who substituted their public holiday to bring along the smile squad van and provide assessment and free equipment for mob.

Manpreet recalls one assessment which meant a lot to her and the community. Uncle Robin was able to finally have an assessment after being on a waitlist elsewhere for over 7 years.

The team then took the opportunity to book Uncle Robin in for a priority, follow-up appointment, due to cohealth’s priority access policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Without proactive outreach people like Uncle Robin will continue to get left behind and present with more acute needs in the emergency department.”

Manpreet Kaur, Oral Health Assistant

cohealth recognises the ongoing impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and we are proud to be working to innovate the ways in which we provide health, wellbeing and social support for mob.