Aboriginal allied health professionals are a vital part of the NSW allied health workforce and healthcare system, delivering valuable services across all NSW local health districts and speciality networks.
The large blue circles represent the 23 Allied Health professions. NSW Aboriginal communities are represented by the U-shaped symbols around the black circles, this depicts people gathering. The blue lines meeting up at each community, symbolises the Aboriginal allied health cadetship program supporting community members along their journey to become allied health professionals.
The light brown lines represent the diverse range of conditions that allied health professionals provide services for which that continue to impact Aboriginal communities. The blues crossing over the light brown lines indicate the cadetship is working to grow the Aboriginal workforce and improve health outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
The artwork was commissioned by NSW Health and completed in December 2021. The artist is Leona McGrath, from Shaley Creations. Leona is a proud Woopaburra and Kuku Yalanji woman from Queensland who is now based in NSW.
The overarching aim of the NSW Health Aboriginal Allied Health Cultural Mentoring Framework is to provide guidance, support and career planning opportunities through cultural mentoring to Aboriginal allied health trainees, cadets, assistants, graduates, technicians and professionals in NSW Health. It also provides information for healthcare services and health administrators on how to support cultural mentoring for the Aboriginal allied health workforce in NSW Health.
The NSW Health Aboriginal Allied Health Cultural Mentoring program (Course code: 607396910) available on My Health Learning, includes a comprehensive learning package that equips mentors and mentees with the skills and knowledge to build strong, culturally responsive mentoring relationships.
A dedicated module also supports supervisors and managers in fostering inclusive workplaces and effectively supporting mentees, titled Supporting cultural mentoring in the workplace (Course code: 595107321). This module equips supervisors and managers with the skills and knowledge to support cultural mentoring in the workplace and help Aboriginal allied health staff access and benefit from the program.
More information can be found on the Aboriginal workforce in NSW Health webpage. This includes resources and information relating to: