More than 35 allied health students each year will undertake placements and hands-on training in Katherine health clinics thanks to a $1.9 million grant from the Federal Government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie will visit Katherine today (March 1) to announce the new Katherine Regional Collaborative Allied Health Placement Program, which will increase local access to occupational therapists, speech pathologists and social workers for patients in Katherine.
Flinders University Northern Territory will receive the funding for the program to provide around 260 weeks of new placement opportunities for 36 students each year, three additional allied health clinicians and employ an Aboriginal allied health assistant.
Dr Gillespie said the program would help to improve the recruitment and retention of local allied health professionals.
"There is growing evidence that students who have a positive and rewarding extended training experience in a rural or remote area are more likely to take up rural practice upon graduation, which is what this site will help to provide for students," Dr Gillespie said.
"A focus of the new allied health placement program will be to increase placement numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students undertaking their training in Katherine."
READ MORE:
Dr Gillespie said the project had strong local support, partnering with Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and two Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) - Wurli-Wurlinjang and the Katherine West Health Board (KWHB).
Dr Gillespie said the partnership with Wurli-Wurlinjang would enable the employment of speech pathology and occupational therapy supervisors to support allied health students at its clinics.
"Allied Health supervisors will be employed through Flinders University to supervise final-year allied health students within local health services.
"The Aboriginal allied health assistant will be employed full-time to support the students and supervisors, and assist the team to work with local schools, families, community, and the health service to improve engagement, coordination and integrated care.
"The site will also support the development of a Katherine-located IAHA Health Academy, mirroring its successful Darwin model."
It will also provide a scholarship for one allied health assistant traineeship, supported through the Academy and embedded into Wurli-Wurlinjang.
The partnership with KWHB will enable a part-time social work supervisor to be employed to join the social work team. Social work students will work under supervision as part of the team.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will be a priority and they will be guided by IAHA, which will mentor and support both supervisors and students on placement," Dr Gillespie said.
"The local Katherine economy will get a boost too because along with the employment of more staff and the increase in students on placement, Flinders NT will purchase additional student accommodation and an 8-seater vehicle to transport students and supervision staff."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark katherinetimes.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @KatherineTimes
- Follow us on Instagram @katherinetimes
- Follow us on Google News
- Contact us at editor.kathtimes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?: Send letters to the editor or story tips to editor.kathtimes@austcommunitymedia.com.au