Cultures of Care Forum |Thursday 9 November

In this together – Supporting better services for older Aboriginal people

Details

Thursday 9 November

9 am to 3.30 pm

Harvard Room, Tweed Administration Building, Brett St, Tweed Heads.

About the forum

However your organisation is positioned – Aboriginal centred or “mainstream”, aged care or health focused – we have a part to play in ensuring the best possible care is available for older Aboriginal people across our region.

The forum supports conversations about how experiences of culture and diversity impact service quality and access. With a focus on strengthening connections with and between Aboriginal services and communities.

• Engage through presentations, a panel discussion, workshops including a yarning circle, with time to connect over morning tea and lunch.

• Be supported to take a reflective journey, make new connections, and identify specific actions and next steps.

We look forward to hosting you as part of this important regional conversation.

Social Futures and Tweed Shire Council have been collaborating to bring Northern NSW and South-East QLD Commonwealth Home Support (CHSP) Providers a range of capacity building workshops and forums. We are excited to be working with local Aboriginal services and community, and the Multicultural Advisory Service, with regional Aboriginal sector support from Booroongen Djugun (Kempsey) to host Cultures of Care.

Improving access to services, exploring workplace culture, and embedding diversity within our organisations is an ongoing journey. Maintain the momentum by registering for other key activities including OPAN’s three-part Planning for Diversity series in Tweed in May/June 2024.

About our speakers

Tracey Castle is acting CEO for Kalwun Development Corporation | Bachelor of Humanities; Grad Cert in Career Development

Tracey Castle is a dedicated professional with a passion for empowering individuals and creating opportunities where otherwise there may be none. She is a proud Aboriginal woman whose family ties lie with the Bundjalung peoples of Far Northern NSW.

As the Acting CEO for Kalwun Development Corporation, a respected organisation committed to Closing the Gap through improving the health and lifespan of Indigenous Community members, Tracey has played a pivotal role in driving positive change and fostering growth withing the community.

With a strong academic background, Tracey holds a Bachelor of Humanities majoring in Society, Politics and Indigenous Studies, showcasing her commitment to understanding and addressing societal challenges.

Additionally, she has earned a Graduate Certificate in Career Development, emphasizing her dedication to helping individuals shape their professional paths. Tracey’s career has been marked by her commitment to making a difference. She has developed and implemented successful employment programs for Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members and supported students through the completion of their tertiary studies. Her unwavering dedication to education and career development has opened doors and provided opportunities where they may not have otherwise existed.

In her advocacy, Tracey embodies the spirit of inclusivity, equality and empowerment. Her work continues to inspire and uplift those she serves, making her a respected figure in the field of community development and education.

Rhee Duthie has worked across the social ecologies of community development, training and education, mental health and social services with young and older people, women, families, and communities for the past 35 years both locally and internationally. She has extensive field work experience working with young people including working as an Advisor to the Minster of Youth Affairs in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Rhee has a special interest in post-traumatic support and recovery where community connection and holistic support is critical. A proud Maori woman who continues to live her culture and support other First Nations women around the world.

Rhee has also been employed as a State-wide Services Manager in Aged and Community Home care, Australian Red Cross and spent many years offering Mental Health First Aid courses in both NSW and Queensland. Her passion also leans into Partnership and Development work, and she has been an accredited Alumni of the International Partnership Brokers Association since 2012.

A Post Graduate Diploma in Health Science supported by a Holistic and Creative Arts Therapy Diploma brings a resilience focus to her nonclinical specialist work.

Rhee currently works for the Multicultural Advisory Service, Ethnic Communities Council QLD.

Liz Scarfe was born in and lives in the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people in Naarm/Melbourne, of English and Scottish folk.

She works as a psychotherapist, facilitator, educator, and supervisor, and is passionate about repairing Western culture and knitting.

For the past four years, Liz has been studying medical anthropology, focusing on learning about settler colonialism, care, structural violence, trauma, place, and belonging.

Rhonda Smith: My name is Rhonda Smith I am a Dunghutti woman with ancestral connection to the Yuin and Worimi people.

I have been working in the Aged, Disability and Employment over the past 30 years, I am a mother of 1 daughter (and soninlaw) and a Nan to 5 Grannies. I hold a BA Arts majoring in Aboriginal Studies from the University of Newcastle, and I am currently studying a BA Social Work (online) with Charles Sturt University.

I enjoy working and advocating for our Mob in the Aged and Disability sectors aiming to engage with our community and aim to challenge structural violence, policies and systems that impacts the ability of our mob to access services and resources to live independently and safely in their home. I am currently employed with Booroongen Djugun Limited in Kempsey (on country) as an Aboriginal Sector Support and Development Officer for almost 5 years ( in January) working within Mid North Coast area with CHSP providers Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal to deliver training and cultural capabilities for service delivery and network with our aged and disability sectors.

I am the First Nations key contact in the NSW Commonwealth Home Support Program Sector Support Network and leading the Caring for First Nations Elders National Sector Support Working Group.

Love to catch up for a yarn.