Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services

Programs and Services

TAIHS provides an holistic primary health care service that focus on the physical, spiritual, social, emotional, and cultural well-being needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Townsville / Thuringowa region.

Medical Health Services

The Medical Health Services Unit incorporates:

• a general practice medical clinic

• specialist clinics

• a range of sessional allied health services

• a well men’s program

• community outreach services

• walkabout together exercise program based on the Rockhampton 10,000 steps project

• hypertension clinic

• herbal clinic

• aged assessments

• immunization program

• dietitian/healthy lifestyle programs

• health promotion and community education

As well as:

• Eye Health Program

The Regional Eye Health Program is part of a national strategy to improve the status of eye health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The program is based at the Garbutt medical centre. The service area takes in the former ATSIC Townsville region. A visiting ophthalmologist and optometrist provide a regular service to TAIHS clients from the centre.

• Well Women’s Program

This is a collaborative project with the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne University, Queensland Health, and TAIHS. It commenced out of TAIHS in March 2002. The target group is all women, 18–70 years of age. Weekly clinics are held at the Garbutt centre.

• Diabetes Clinics and Education

TAIHS has a team approach to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes. The program offers weekly diabetes clinics, monthly specialist clinics, nutrition advice with a dietitian, education sessions, foot care, and also links in with the TAIHS eye health and exercise programs.

• Child Nutrition, Exercise and Health Project

Under this three-year pilot project, a health worker links in with the medical team, and with selected primary schools, to devise nutrition and exercise plans for a group of children and their families to ascertain the impact on their general health over a period of time.

• Maternal and Child Health Program

In February 2000, the Mums and Babies project, commenced at TAIHS. Under a partnership arrangement between the Queensland Health Child Health Unit and the Aboriginal and Islander Health Team, the Kirwan Women’s Hospital, and TAIHS, a collaborative model of antenatal and postnatal care for women was developed. The program encompasses regular antenatal and postnatal medical examinations, pregnancy nutrition advice, birthing information and support, supervised childcare, and a transport service. The long-term expectation for the program is that it will improve perinatal outcomes, resulting in less pre-term births, less low birth weight babies, and less deaths amongst newborns in our community.
The Mums and Babies clinic also sees large numbers of infants and children who are regularly monitored for growth, development, and hearing. The program has also been extended to include primary health care for children up to eight years of age.

• Breast-feeding Peer Counselling Project

December 2001 saw the start of the BEST program: Breast-feeding Education Support Team. This was a two-year project, piloting the training of community women to act as support counsellors for women who have attended the Mums and Babies program, and who initiated breast-feeding. The evaluation of the project showed that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were breast-feeding their infants for longer periods.

Community and Social Health Services

The Community and Social Health Services has traditionally encompassed a diversity of programs which include client advocacy and follow-up, emergency relief, home visits, counselling, accommodation advice, support to transient people, referrals to other agencies, transport, consultations, and casework with psychiatric clients. It also incorporates:

• mental health counseling

• support and counselling service for persons affected by the Stolen Generation policies and practices

• a diversion service for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait people within a specified region, under the Queensland Illicit Drugs Diversion Initiative

• a part-time psychologist on site, and a visiting psychiatrist

• bereavement transport service

Dental Health Services

The Dental Health Unit has provision for two dentists, a dental technician, and three dental assistants. The unit also works closely with the Medical Unit, and the Maternal and Child Health program to raise awareness of the benefits of good oral health, and undertakes regular educational and promotional activities with local schools.

Supported Accommodation Services

Supported accommodation services are provided by TAIHS for people in accommodation crisis. Through the provision of SAAP funding, overnight and short-term accommodation is available at facilities situated in the West End. The service aims to provide a safe, welcoming, and secure environment for clients. Advocacy, referral, case management, and client support services are available to all our service users.

Alternative Care and Child Protection Service and Youth Shelter

The child protection and shared family support services, and the service to homeless young people in the North Queensland region, commenced operations under the auspice of the Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Services in late 2001.

Intensive Family Support Action Research Project - IFSAR

The aim of this twelve-month pilot project is to provide family support in the home to families who are considered high risk. These families are identified as having such serious issues as: child protection concerns, poor parenting skills, inability to live independently, budgeting issues, gambling, and substance use issues.

Transport

A transport service to and from the medical center is available to all clients who need travel assistance within the city limits of Townsville and Thuringowa.

Staffing

TAIHS currently employs more than 90 staff across all programs.

Medical clinic staff:

• 1 x Practice Manager

• 1 x Senior Medical Officer

• 5 x General Practitioners + 1 x GP Registrar, full time

• 2 x General Practitioners, part time

• 9 x Nurses and Health Workers

• 2 x Eye Health Workers

Accreditation

TAIHS is AGPAL accredited.