Close the Gap Day

Close the Gap Day

At Pathways to Care, we prioritise the nuances of working in a personalised way with all of our participants. This can be in relation to a person’s regional, intellectual or cultural needs.

In honour of Close the Gap Day on the 17th March, we want to share some of the enriching work we do to help support our participants with Indigenous Australian heritage. 

Keeley Goldrick, our National Manager of Support Coordination reflects on some of the activities that we have worked collectively on, which include mentoring, health services, art and social programs.

“I am a part of a range of care teams where cultural identity is a really important consideration for the participant.

“I have great respect for the work and input that the Bendigo District Aboriginal Co-operative workers bring to the conversation, especially when we have tried a range of different supports that have been unsuccessful or unrewarding for our participant. They are open to working collaboratively to create a range of creative programs that interest and support participants in the right ways.”

At Pathways to Care we work alongside some amazing local services, which provide rich perspectives alongside great quality service. BDAC (Bendigo District Aboriginal Co-Operative) and BADAC (Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative). We often refer our participants to their support to:

• Support people with appropriate communication.

• Ensure that professionals are treating participants respectfully.

• Provide a culturally safe avenue to address unfair treatment and cultural barriers.

• Provide the intellectual human resources to promote empowerment.

• Educate providers on cultural notions of family and kinship inclusion.

• Offer a range of culturally enriching programs in the recreational, social and health domains.

It’s important to promote cultural safety as part of any service. The concept originated in response to the harmful effects of colonisation and the ongoing legacy of colonisation on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians.

You can also show your support for Close the Gap by marking National Close the Gap Day on the third Thursday in March each year. Find out more at Antar about how to advocate for health equality.