Engagement of local Indigenous community people to be responsible for promoting healthy practices in their own communities. They were supported by the local Councils and Community Administration and the UFPA. They also provided a communication linkage between community members and service providers.
“No real change will occur with the health standards of Aboriginal people without the people themselves taking on greater ownership. The Cultural Carers Program will provide that empowerment and ownership.” UFPA Founder, Ernie Bridge.
What We Did
In 2011 the UFPA instigated the Community Cultural Carers Program to encourage Community members to not only take responsibility for their own health outcomes, but to pass knowledge, awareness and good practices on to other community members, especially children.
UFPA employed local people to act as UFPA ambassadors in the community and facilitate and support community wellness and activities. Over the years, the program steadily grew and results indicated greater community involvement with UFPA and other health and wellness programs, training and activities. We believed the presence of local people served as a constant reminder to the community about being healthy.
Our Services
The aims of the Cultural Carers program were:
Facilitate ongoing wellness education and activities with the community
Assist with the Health Assessments
Help community members get health care and provide language translation for community members
Advocate to service providers on behalf of the community including cultural sensitivity and language translation
Support health professionals about the culture and language of the community
Work in partnerships to improve Indigenous community health outcomes
Assist with other community matters as directed by the Community Council/Administration
How We Did It
Cultural Carers were carefully selected, in collaboration with their local Council and significant persons and Elders from the local community. Each Cultural Carer received training and ongoing support to act as a go-between for the UFPA. It was our goal that Cultural Carers became an embedded resource in the communities they served.
Proudly, through this program, UFPA provided career opportunities for the Cultural Carers in
health-related fields, administration and management.