Improving Koori Access to Darebin Community Health Service

Abstract

While Koori Liaison positions have existed in tertiary health settings in Victoria for some time, the employment of a Koori worker in a broad-based primary health care service is a relatively new initiative. The advantages of locating a Koori access worker in a community health service are numerous: the worker is well positioned to work very closely with the local Koori community at a grass-roots level, with multi-disciplinary health professionals within the organisation, and also with external agencies, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. The role of the access worker is to advocate for improved Koori access to Darebin Community Health services, local health and welfare agencies and local general practitioners. An early emphasis of the position was to establish a strong relationship with the local Koori community and to build effective working relationships with and referral pathways to health care providers.