Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maternal health and preventing infant removals

Partners

• Griffith University
• Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service

Funding

Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Indigenous Health Research Grant $982,000

Aim

IUIH, ATSICHS Brisbane and Griffith University have been working together to fund a Health Justice Partnership within ATSICHS Brisbane programs and services in Logan: Jajumbora Birthing in Our Community (BiOC), Family Wellbeing and Family Participation Program. The Health Justice Partnership provides expectant mothers with access to legal advice and family support during pregnancy, to help reduce the risks and likelihood of infant removals at birth.

Our research will investigate the effectiveness and potential scalability of the First Nations-led Health Justice Partnership pilot program.

Background

By providing timely legal and social support, the Health Justice Partnership aims to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants being removed and placed into out-of-home care and strengthen the health and wellbeing of mothers and families birthing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants. In particular, the partnership seeks to reduce the high numbers of at-birth removals at hospitals.

Under the governance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, guided by community, ATSICHS Brisbane provides a range of services to support families including:

• the Jajumbora BiOC hub which delivers a unique model of maternity care that provides comprehensive and culturally informed maternal and infant health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families;
• the Family Wellbeing team which supports families to be strong, connected and thriving in a culturally safe and respectful way. They work with families to identify what matters most to them and to work towards their goals to improve overall wellbeing; and
• the Family Participation Program which supports families every step of the way when dealing with child protection and the Department of Child Safety, including providing an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander convener to support families through meetings with the Department of Child Safety, and organising a safe and culturally appropriate space for meetings with the Department of Child Safety.

These programs are integrated within a family services model grounded within a culturally intrinsic parenting model which supports connection, belonging and cultural growth.

The IUIH community legal centre provides embedded legal and social support through their Lawyers and a Family Support Practitioner.