Ms Jolie Thomas1, Bianca Othello1, Emily Burrows1, Jordan Tabe1, Jenaya Schmid1
1Allied Health staff and Aboriginal Health staff within Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network, Australia
Biography:
Jolie is the Allied Health Director for Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network in SA and lives and works in Permangk Country in the Adelaide Hills. Jolie leads over 200 fabulous Allied Health staff across beautiful South Australian locations including the Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island. Jolie commenced her career as a rural speech pathologist and has a master’s degree in health and international development. Her passion is for allyship in action within allied health professions, and she is committed to addressing the historical health and wellbeing inequities for Aboriginal families and communities.
Abstract:
In 2024 Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network initiated the implementation of a role specific to focussing on anti-racism and building a foundation of allyship with First Nations staff and communities. It was recognised that our local health network has long benefited from the investment of First Nations staff in maturing our understanding of cultural safety, and of sharing with us First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing.
This presentation will speak to the establishment of the context within which this role has been possible, and the significant impact this focus has had on allied health staff. We will tell the story of how this journey began, what individual staff (both white, and people of colour) have experienced through the impact of this journey and where we could be doing better. We will explore the impact on specific professions and more broadly for allied health services as a collective. Definitions and practical examples of allyship will be discussed, and we will examine how strong leadership within the organisation has enabled individual commitments to allyship, seen a shift in community engagement and embedding of culturally safer clinical and health service environments.
We will explore some of the successful projects within the region, including the #Blakout initiative which has focussed on elevating the voices of First Nations staff and community within Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network.