Community Newsletter AUGUST 2012

ABORIGINAL ADVISORY GROUP: Karen Glover CHAIR Hearing women’s Eunice Aston Glenise Coulthard CO-CHAIR birthing stories wins Gladys Elphick Kathy Chisholm CO-CHAIR After about 4 years of consultation and Perpetual Trophy Mary Buckskin AHCSA preparation, the first Aboriginal Families The Aboriginal Families Study would like to Study interviews with women began in Jackie Ah Kit warmly acknowledge Eunice Aston on her WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S February this year. Since then we have been wonderful achievement in being joint winner HEALTH NETWORK sitting down with Aboriginal and non of this year’s Gladys Elphick Gladys Perpetual Aboriginal women all across , Tania Axleby-Blake Trophy. Eunice has spent years working WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S listening to them talk about the care they throughout the nation and HEALTH NETWORK received during pregnancy and afterwards across South Australia to promote women with a new baby. Margaret Hampton and families. Her many leadership roles COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE Women participating in the project are including as a member of the Premier’s May Turner ELDERS COUNCIL asked to meet one of the interviewers and Council for Woman, chairperson of the Aboriginal Maternal and complete a questionnaire. Many women Ninkowar Inc, a Ngarrindjeri women’s Infant Care AMIC Worker have appreciated the chance to give feedback organisation based in Murray Bridge, and the Aboriginal Family Support on the care they received, knowing it will establishment of an Aboriginal Cultural and Service AFSS be used to improve services for families Community Centre that is a base for women of Aboriginal babies. and their families. Deborah Fuschtei and Jessica Reid have We feel very privileged that Eunice has ABORIGINAL FAMILIES STUDY recently set up an Aboriginal Families Study decided to work with the Aboriginal Families INTERVIEWERS: office in Port Augusta, and Eunice Aston has Study as research interviewer based in Murray Donna Weetra () begun work in Murray Bridge and will be Bridge. Congratulations Eunice. M: 0424 110 717 travelling to the Riverland and Mount Gambier Emily Jaworek (Adelaide) to talk to women in those communities. The M: 0408 651 063 interviewers covering the Adelaide region are Donna Weetra and Emily Jaworek and across in Roxanne Miller (Port Lincoln) M: 0457 334 134 Port Lincoln, Roxanne Miller heads to Ceduna and west coast communities on a regular basis. Eunice Aston (Murray Bridge) M: 0407 119 750 If you, or someone you know, has given birth to an Aboriginal baby in South Australia in the Jess Reid (Port Augusta) last nine months or is currently pregnant with M: 0418 313 416 an Aboriginal baby, we would love to talk to Deborah Fuschtei (Port you about possibly taking part in the project. Augusta) M: 0417 986 115 Call Donna Weetra, the Fieldwork Coordinator on Freecall 1800 772 193, send Donna an SMS text on 0424 110 717 or contact any of the research interviewers. Eunice Aston

The Aboriginal Families Study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, SA Health, and the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund. www.mcri.edu.au/ AboriginalFamiliesStudy FREECALL: 1800 772 193 Deborah Fuschtei (Research Interviewer) Gift voucher Meet the new My name is Deborah Fuschtei I am a for women Aboriginal Families /Adnymanthnana woman Women who from the Simpson Desert and Flinders participate in the Study interviewers Rangesareas. I was born in Port Augusta Aboriginal Families South Australia I have a strong sense of Emily Jaworek (Research Interviewer) Study receive a $50 belonging to the Aboriginal community I am a descendant of the Larrakia and Wulna gift voucher. acknowledging the unique diverse clans people of the Darwin region and have grown within the Far Northern Region areas. Community Newsletter up in Adelaide. Working on this research project is very close to my heart as I am I have worked in various government and POLICY IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERSHIP: passionate about improving services that non-government agencies gaining a range of Kathy Chisholm effectively support Aboriginal Families. skills and qualifications. Recently I worked CHAIR, AHCSA Having a channel, like the Aboriginal Families with Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Study, gives Aboriginal Families an option to Area Supervisor during the 2011 Census count. Lucy Evans AHCSA be able to share experiences of pregnancy, My role was to supervise and observe field Amanda Mitchell childbirth and postnatal care. This staff in validating the population & dwelling STUDY INVESTIGATOR, AHCSA opportunity is empowering for Aboriginal data, and effectively implement this Karen Glover families and ensures that they enjoy the enumeration plan. I am honoured to be part STUDY INVESTIGATOR, same privileges as non Indigenous families of the Aboriginal Families Study team ABORIGINAL ADVISORY GROUP experiencing the same events in their life. working in the Port Augusta office. Glenise Coulthard STUDY INVESTIGATOR, My grandparents, uncles and aunties and SA HEALTH parents have fought for equal rights for Trish Strachan Indigenous people in Australia for many STUDY INVESTIGATOR, years. I am not only going to enjoy these SA HEALTH opportunities of equal rights, but I will lead April Lawrie Smith my community, to facilitate change for STUDY INVESTIGATOR, improved health care services, for Aboriginal SA HEALTH families experiencing the wonderful delight Heather Petty of new a child in their family. SA HEALTH Jessica Reid (Research Interviewer) Verity Paterson Hi my name is Jessica Reid. I’m a SA HEALTH woman, born in Ceduna and I grew up in Tania Axleby-Blake Adelaide. I’ve worked for over 4 years with the Deborah Fuschtei SA HEALTH University of Adelaide based in the Women’s Stephanie Brown and Children’s Hospital as a research Services all over South Australia have PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, MCRI assistant in the department of Obstetrics and helped us link to the women we want to Jane Yelland Gynaecology. In this time I’ve worked on talk to, and have supported us to arrange STUDY INVESTIGATOR, MCRI projects including the “Preventing Infant the interviews. Deaths in Aboriginal and Teenage Women – Susan Donath We would sincerely like to thank all those STUDY INVESTIGATOR, MCRI in South Australia” report. I am very excited to join the Aboriginal Families Study team in the services and acknowledge their support. Georgie Stamp role of research interviewer in Port Augusta. STUDY INVESTIGATOR Jonathan Newbury STUDY INVESTIGATOR, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE Anna Caponi STUDY INVESTIGATOR, Jeffrey Robinson STUDY INVESTIGATOR Fiona Arney STUDY INVESTIGATOR The Aboriginal Families Study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, SA Health, and the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund. Margaret Hampton STUDY INVESTIGATOR

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