Acknowledgement

1. Acknowledgement We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Country we are on today. We pay respect to Elders past and present. We also pay respect to Elders from other Nations who are present here today and thank them for their involvement in the forum.

2. Aboriginal Workforce Program How does Murrumbidgee LHD make it work?

3. Murrumbidgee Local Health District

4. Commencement of the Aboriginal MH Workforce Program in 2007 • Prior to 2007:There were three positions that existed in Mental Health for Aboriginal workers in the Murrumbidgee region. • There was no formal training provided to the Aboriginal worker at that time. • There seemed to be some confusion around where the Aboriginal worker actually fitted into the system.

5. Previous to the Aboriginal MH Workforce Program • Short terms of employment (contracts) • Unhappy workers • Some Aboriginal Mental Health staff not trained as mental health clinicians • Unrealistic expectations of Aboriginal Mental Health staff from other staff • Extended vacancies, difficulty filling vacancies • Lack of understanding of and support for Aboriginal staff • No broader Aboriginal Mental Health planning • Poor linkages between the Mental Health Service and Aboriginal communities • Poor access for Aboriginal people

6. First cohort graduated in 2010 • In 2007 – the then Greater Southern Area Health became involved in the NSW Aboriginal Workforce Program. • They started off with five Aboriginal Mental Health Trainees • Part time District Clinical Leader

7. Changes We have Made In Our LHD • Vacancies are actively managed to allow for lateral transfers into fulltime clinician roles. • If there are no vacant positions available to transfer the trainee into – they remain in the traineeship FTE until one becomes available. • If there have been issues in teams, the vacant traineeship will be moved into another geographical area where there is the best capacity to support the trainee. • Trainees are ALWAYS seen as part of community teams where they have their traineeship.

8. Changes continued: • Supports are put in place around the traineeship • Development, Endorsement and Implementation of the Murrumbidgee MHDA Aboriginal Business Plan • Additional education to teams around the program. • Made the District Aboriginal MHDA Clinical Leader/Coordinators position fulltime. • Training of the Aboriginal Workforce is not limited to the Djurriwang Program, eg: the entire AWF will be trained in AMHFA within the next two weeks.

9. Changes • What kind of changes have the LHD made to better support the program? • What successes do we have?

10. Outcomes • Robyn Manzie (Director MHDA) wrote a decision memo – to get everybody paid correctly • There are 10 graduates of the program, all but one remain in the mental health field. • If a traineeship becomes vacant prior to completion of the program, the position is re-advertised for existing students of the Djurriwang Program. • If someone fails a subject – they are given opportunity to remedy this, and increased support is given as identified by the trainee and their manager. • We currently have 13 Aboriginal workforce members.

11. Future • Retain staff that we have. • Continue to grow the skills within the Aboriginal Workforce. • Through CAPE continue to support the career aspirations of the Aboriginal Workforce.