Aboriginal Health College
In 2002 the AH&MRC established the Aboriginal Health College to offer education and research services focused on, and driven by, the needs of Aboriginal communities in NSW. The College currently delivers learning programs structured on a distance education basis; however additional programs are currently in development.
The AH&MRC wishes to acknowledge the financial and professional support of Vision CRC for the Aboriginal Health College.
Construction
Some ten years ago the NSW Government agreed to provide permanent premises for the College at the former Prince Henry Hospital site at Little Bay. In 2003 final arrangements were made to secure the site and an innovative and culturally focused design for the College has been completed. Dillon Kombumerri, Australia’s leading Indigenous architect, is the design team leader.
Funding for the construction of the College has been provided by the NSW State Government. Construction is being managed by Landcom. The project is monitored by a Project Management Committee. The College is scheduled to commence full operations at Little Bay by January 2008
Education and Training Courses
However, whilst the new College building is being built the College is operating from temporary premises at Level 3, 66 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 and is currently providing health educational programs on a distance learning basis with an increasing number of programs available or in development.
The first course (the Diploma in Aboriginal Sexual Health) was developed with financial support from the NSW Health Department -. Its full title is:
Diploma in Community Services (Case Management) (with a focus on Aboriginal Sexual Health)
The second course was the fulfilment of a contractual commitment to the College’s initial operational funding organisation, the Vision Cooperative Research Centre/International Centre for Eye Education (Vision CRC/ICEE) at the University of New South Wales.
Eye Health Care Skills Set – Comprised of 3 competency-based Modules to upgrade the workplace capacity of Aboriginal Health Workers employed in Aboriginal Medical Services and Area Health Services for care planning and to make referrals to optometrists and ophthamologists.
AH&MRC will licence delivery nation-wide in Australia through equivalent peak bodies in all States and Territories.
Priority courses under development/customisation in 2005 and 2006, which will be ready for trial and roll-out during 2006 and 2007, are:
Aboriginal Health Worker Clinical Stream, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma – the College is developing the Course Materials for these four qualifications during 2006, once the new national competency standards have been formally approved.
The College has already educated 20 Associates from Aboriginal Medical Services throughout NSW in the
Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. These Associates will, during 2006, conduct RPL/RCC (recognition of prior learning/recognition of current competencies) for all currently employed Aboriginal Health Workers, to develop a ‘competency mapping gap’ against the new national competency standards in the Clinical/Practice stream.The College will then implement individual and group up-skilling programs to bring all currently employed Aboriginal Health Workers up to at least the Certificate IV level under the new national competency standards.
Certificate IV in Frontline Management – for supervisory staff working in Aboriginal Medical Services. The College has validated the Course Materials and will be ‘road testing’ the course in a pilot program scheduled for July 2006, prior to roll-out in the final quarter of 2006.
Diploma in Business (Management) – for CEOs and senior managers of Aboriginal Medical Services. The College will convene a Validation Panel to review the Course Materials in July 2006, prior to organising a pilot training program.
Both programs customise and contextualise existing accredited courses of the Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council. AH&MRC acknowledges the financial support of the Commonwealth’s Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health to the customisation of these two programs.
The College will distribute the Course Materials for delivery by Aboriginal RTOs linked to Affiliates in each jurisdiction.
Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Work and preparatory Foundation Skills Course – for AOD workers in Aboriginal Medical Services and NSW Health Department/ Area Health Services
Funding for this customisation has been provided by the NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training (BVET). Customisation and validation is a joint project by AH&MRC/Aboriginal Health College with NSW TAFE.
Heart Health Skills Set for Aboriginal Health Workers – this is a competency based program developed and licensed by the National heart Foundation of Australia. Other “skills set” programs will be developed around Ear Health and Chronic Disease.
Certificate IV and Diploma in Mental Health/Emotional and Social Well Being – development of these programs is awaiting completion of a review of the Commonwealth’s current program activities in this field.
Documentation
The code of practice for the college click here and student handbook click here.
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Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) with a focus on Aboriginal Sexual Health Course
A Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) with a focus on Aboriginal Sexual Health is offered through the AH&MRC's Aboriginal Health College. The Course was thoroughly reviewed and enhanced during 2004 and received accreditation from the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board of NSW as part of the accreditation of AH&MRC as a Registered Training Organisation. Financial support for the Course review and enhancement was generously provided by the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch of the NSW Health Department, which has a productive working partnership with the AH&MRC
The AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch funds the full-time position of Course Co-ordinator within AH&MRC. The Course is delivered through distance education and, early in 2005, the AH&MRC web site will be enabled to provide secure access between Course participants and the Course Coordinator
The competency-based Course was regarded as “gold standard” in distance education at the time of AH&MRC RTO accreditation. The Course was developed specifically with Aboriginal community structures, students and their learning needs and environments in mind. For further information on this course Click here.
The following is an outline of the clusters and competency units of the AH&MRC Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) with a focus on Aboriginal Sexual Health Course:
- Code of Practice
- Cluster Summary
- Course Overview
The College has a policy of credit recognition click here and policy for recognition of prior learning click here.