This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives | |
|---|---|
| Name | Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Region served | Australia |
| Leader title | National President |
Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives is an Australian peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives. It operates within the context of Australian health systems and Indigenous affairs, engaging with national institutions and Indigenous organisations to improve health outcomes for First Nations communities. The organisation collaborates with professional colleges, research centres and policy bodies across state and federal jurisdictions.
The organisation emerged in the late 20th century through networks that included Aboriginal Health Service (Redfern), Royal College of Nursing, Australia, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and Indigenous advocacy groups such as National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and Aboriginal Medical Service. Founding activity connected leaders from Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum, and community representatives from regions including Darwin, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Early conferences coincided with major national events such as Mabo v Queensland (No 2), the Bring Them Home report, and debates around the Native Title Act 1993. Subsequent milestones included collaborations with tertiary institutions like University of Sydney, University of Queensland, Monash University, Charles Darwin University, and Flinders University to support workforce development and culturally safe practice.
The organisation's mission aligns with aims advanced by bodies such as Closing the Gap, Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (Department of Health and Aged Care), and the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Objectives reference professional standards upheld by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and sector stakeholders including Australian College of Midwives, Public Health Association of Australia, and Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association. Goals include strengthening Indigenous workforce representation within institutions such as Queensland Health, NSW Health, Victorian Department of Health, and improving service delivery in settings associated with Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital, and community-controlled clinics.
Governance structures reflect models used by organisations like Lowitja Institute, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Australian Medical Association. Executive leadership liaises with councils from states and territories, engaging with bodies such as Aboriginal Legal Service, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, and regional health services in Torres Strait Islands, Far North Queensland, Kimberley, and Gove Peninsula. Membership encompasses nurses and midwives employed by institutions including St Vincent's Health Australia, Calvary Health Care, NSW Ambulance, and community-controlled health services across metropolitan and remote regions. The organisation interacts with regulatory and funding agencies such as Commonwealth Department of Health, National Disability Insurance Agency, and philanthropic partners like Ian Potter Foundation.
Programs mirror initiatives from entities like Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, Australian Red Cross, and Beyond Blue in delivering culturally appropriate support. Services include workforce data collection influenced by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reporting, mentoring models used by Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, and clinical resources akin to those from Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Regional programs operate with referrals to hospitals such as Royal Adelaide Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, and community services in locales including Townsville, Burrup Peninsula, and Alice Springs Hospital.
Advocacy work engages with inquiries and forums like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, and parliamentary processes within the Parliament of Australia. The organisation provides submissions to statutory bodies including the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Productivity Commission, and the Australian Law Reform Commission, and collaborates with peak health policy stakeholders such as The Lowitja Institute and Public Health Association of Australia. It participates in national campaigns alongside organisations like Reconciliation Australia, Treaty Working Group (Victoria), and state treaty processes in Victoria and Queensland.
Education initiatives draw on curricula and accreditation frameworks from institutions including Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, Griffith University, and vocational pathways associated with TAFE Queensland. Programs partner with research centres such as Menzies School of Health Research, Telethon Kids Institute, Kirby Institute, and Lowitja Institute to support culturally safe clinical placements in hospitals like Fiona Stanley Hospital and community sites across Cape York. Scholarships, cadetships and continuing professional development align with funding schemes from Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, and philanthropic trusts such as Beswick Foundation.
Partnerships include collaborations with Indigenous organisations such as National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (organisation itself not linked), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (historical), and community-controlled health services represented by National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. Engagement extends to allied professional bodies like Australian College of Nursing, educational institutions including University of Tasmania, Curtin University, and international Indigenous networks such as World Indigenous Nursing Forum. Community engagement activities have taken place in events and locations including NAIDOC Week, National Reconciliation Week, Garma Festival, Alice Springs Desert Festival, and regional forums in Thursday Island and Kowanyama.
Category:Health organisations based in Australia Category:Indigenous Australian organisations