Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health resources

Strengthening cultural responsiveness in mainstream organisations
The Victorian Government’s investment from 2012-2016 enabled Inner North West Primary Care Partnership (INWPCP) to support partner organisations to embed cultural responsiveness practices and address barriers to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The INWPCP convened the Koolin Balit Wellbeing Partnership, a network of local stakeholders with a commitment to closing the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the broader community. The following resources were developed by the INWPCP and Koolin Balit Wellbeing Partnership.
Resource	About
From Symbols to Systems Framework for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed in mainstream health, community and justice.	The Framework provides tools and resources to promote the delivery of culturally informed and responsive services to the Aboriginal community, develop workforce capacity, employ and retain Aboriginal staff. It includes a ‘How to’ guide and a self-assessment tool with suggested actions that organisations can complete to identify what they are doing well and areas for improvement. The Excel spreadsheets can be used to collate results from the self-assessment process and monitor progress. See the Evaluation Report here.
Asking The Question Training Package	The purpose of this training is to assist mainstream member organisations to achieve their goals related to improving health service access, and closing the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by ensuring that all staff have the information, awareness and confidence they need to ask all those accessing their service “Are you (or is the person) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin?”
Culturally Aware and Responsive Communication Guide	This document is intended to provide guidance and understanding regarding the appropriate terminology to use when working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and their communities, or when developing written information. The information contained within this guide is based on literature reviews and consultations with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Welcoming Environments Guide	This guide responds to research on the need to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ access to health services by making environments more inviting and respectful of their culture and advises where to purchase or source Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork, cultural symbols, posters, health promotional material etc.