Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Wellbeing

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Wellbeing
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Introduction
Aboriginal community controlled health service is a suitable cultural outcome in primary
health services started, governed and planned by local Aboriginal communities in Australia
through the Aboriginal board of directors who are elected. ACCHS deals with early intervention
and comprehensive care and prevention to reduce challenges to get health care (Clapham,
Bennett‐Brook & Hunter, 2018). The National umbrella organization representing Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health Organization is involved in the expansion, promotion and
increasing of the provision of culturally appropriate healthcare; addressing the health needs of
Aborigines through research and data analysis; representing and advocating for Aborigines in
health services, programs and research. Benefits in ACCHS include integrated holistic service
deliver (Jackson, 2018).
Definition of ACCHS and Response to Holistic Needs
The ACCHS are autonomous primary health services that are appropriate culturally;
initiated, controlled and planned by local Aboriginal community through Aboriginal board of
directors elected by the people. According to Coombs (2018) ACCHS are practically the
expressions of Aboriginal self-determination in their health and are important in delivery of
services that involves Aboriginal people primary care which is comprehensive. ACCHS responds
to holistic health needs as per Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander definition of health by
ensuring that incorporation is a must by Aboriginal organizations, initiated by the local
Aboriginal community, based locally, governed by directors of the Aboriginal board and
delivering appropriate health services that are cultural and holistic to the community. The
improvement of Aboriginal health involves working towards the emotional, social, and cultural
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well-being of all individuals as well as improving the physically well-being of the whole
community in which every member has the chance achieve their full potential as human beings.
Approximately 50% of all primary health care is provided by ACCHSs to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples who oversee, run and own health services that are community-
controlled. ACCHS that gives Aboriginal people a say on what their health service is all about is
an example of Aboriginal self‐determination in practice (Mazel, 2016). With the care models
more team-based than general practitioner-focused, it is part of ACCHS leadership that involves
both the community and ACCHS management. Nonetheless, the ACCHS and PCMH models
have so much in common. Care is patient-focused but may encompass the family and may also
have a significant physician inclusion which is combined with the help of health specialists,
mental health community services and professionals especially those delivered at home and is
defined by participation in quality-improvement programs found in clinics. Importantly, with the
increase in government policy and regionalization that involves supporting more models of care
that are community driven. (with the advent of Medicare Locals and Health and Hospital
Networks), community-operated health services are provided with prototypes by the ACCHSs
ACCHSs and GPs
ACCHS doctors work in multidisciplinary teams. Knowledge of both the social and
cultural aspects of the background of a patient is important to patient management which every
Aboriginal health workers’ and registered nurses’ should be having, and they mostly are
independent on their work on aspects that involve planned care. Allowing GPs to work with a
health care team that is primary and truly multidiscipline, ACCHS is supported by health
professionals and specialists who visit occasionally. Time pressures, job demands and perpetual
change are the stressors of mainstream general practice
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