About

The Gold Coast Karulbo Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Partnership Advisory Group – Kalwun Health Service, Krurungal and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (GCHHS) have worked together over the past few years to improve collaboration between each of the services & also to increase the profile within the Gold Coast region. Through community consultation and planning sessions the core services and network members have identified key areas as priorities where working groups with staff who specialise in those areas have been established to progress these include: Partnerships, Elders, Promotion, Youth, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, Education and Workforce.One of the key aims of the ‘Karulbo Partnership’ is for ‘services to work collaboratively in progressing the health and wellbeing of the Community’. A number of services actively participate in the Karulbo Partnership with representatives that include not only health and Wellbeing Services but also our Elders, Support Services, Education, Workforce, Gold Coast City Council, DATSIMA all of whom have been an integral part of Karulbos network & involved in partnership meetings.

Other collaboration between the core services has included: eye health clinics, Heart health clinics, ‘Healthy Fit & Deadly Mob’ (Healthy lifestyle program) & training (A&TSI Mental Health). The ‘Making Two Worlds Work’ (Vic Partnership Project) was the basis on which the ‘Karulbo’ resources were formed.

The ‘Karulbo’ resources included posters, postcards, banners, business cards, service directory and a resource kit with information sheets about Protocols, local cultural history & an audit tool for non-indigenous organisations. The core services identified Identity, Early Years, Social & Emotional Wellbeing, Chronic Disease, Healthy Lifestyle, Men’s/Women’s Business, Antenatal & Social Determinants as the key elements that needed to be promoted within the community. In consultation with the community opportunity was given for suggestions & comments on design & slogans for the resources all this feedback was used to complete the posters & postcards.

These resources were distributed to organisations within the core agencies’ networks and have certainly increased the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community services profile on the Gold Coast.The Elders Advisory groups were invited to a number of community meetings to provide input about cultural appropriateness & offer suggestions about programs/events that they would like to see more of for their group.

The Elders Advisory Group provided significant advice on aspects of the Resource Kit and overall have given positive input towards all of the resources.

Kalwun

Kalwun Health Service offers a unique combination of primary health care and community-based services to the Gold Coast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Research and previous trends indicates that there is a significant need for quality Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care, health promotion, prevention and intervention activities, dental and outreach services within this region.

Kalwun Health Service is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service which began operation in 1994 under the management of a Chief Executive Officer. It is one of six divisions of Kalwun Development Corporation Ltd. Kalwun business is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by an Executive Director who oversees the day-to-day operations of the company. The other five divisions of Kalwun include;

Kalwun Development Corporation – Finance Administration, Housing and Social Support (Head Office)
Kalwun Home and Community Care (Aged Care)
Kalwun South East Qld Recognised Entity, Family Support and Foster and Kinship Care (Child Safety)
Kalwun Get Set for Work (Youth Options)
Kalwun Paradise Dreaming Tours (Cultural Promotions)

Kalwun Health Service has been instrumental in developing many partnerships and collaborations with other non-Government organisations that either have a similar philosophy of working towards better community services or a mission statement that embraces working with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. Consumers of our services include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, non-Indigenous people and overseas visitors in need of primary health care services.

Kalwun Health Service has attained and maintained AGPAL Accreditation which is reviewed every three years. Management have regular communication and work in close collaboration with the Department of Health and Ageing who are the main funding and external governing body of the service. We are the only Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service addressing the primary health care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the Gold Coast. Kalwun Health Service relocated to its current location, at Miami, in the month of August 2009. We also provide a mobile outreach medical clinic to Fingal, Nerang and Beaudesert on regular basis. In conjunction with the this activity, our clinical team offer a wide range of programs which aim to address the primary health care needs of the community and existing clientele as identified through internal data and external research reports and inquiry’s.We view the future as an opportunity for positive change and innovation. At Kalwun Health Service we are continually growing and adapting to suit the needs of our community.

Kalwun Health Service will provide the following services, among others:

Access to General Practitioners
Dental Treatment – Wed to Fri
Mobile Outreach Clinic
Comprehensive Screening
Onsite Allied Health Services
Immunisation
Child Health
Targeted Women’s & Men’s Health
Sexual Health
Health Promotion and Education
Diabetes Programs
Ante Natal
Home Visits
Transport Service

Krurungal

Krurungal’s mission is to provide for the health, welfare and protection of the Gold Coast Indigenous Community by fostering traditional and cultural healing to address the needs, concerns and requirements of the Community over the short, medium and long term.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service, Gold Coast Health

The service works in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, individuals and community members accessing the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (GCHHS) hospitals and community centres to reach their ultimate health and well-being by providing an effective, confidential and culturally capable health care service.

The Service provides targeted programs and services such as:
– Hospital Liaison
– Dietetics (Appointments and clinics) and Nutrition (Promotion, Bush Tucker Calendar, Needs Assessment)
– Child, Youth and Maternal Health (Parenting Programs, Antenatal Programs, Well Baby Health Checks)
– Chronic Disease (Heart Health Program, Mungulli) and
– Yan-Coorara Social and Emotional Wellbeing Team.

The Service promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through delivery of the Cultural Practice Program and and works closely with hospital and community services to ensure culturally capable care for our clients.