Meet KobiTeam Leader, Integrated Care Service My name is Kobi and I am from the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. I was born in Darwin and lived there with my family for 8 years before my mother moved back to La Perouse. I am from the Djirrabal (North QLD) and Yuin (South Coast, NSW) nations. I have been employed with the Justice Health NSW for the past seven years in various roles in the Medical Appointments Unit and as a Care Navigator in the Care Navigation Support Program. Recently I was promoted to the role of Team Leader, Integrated Care Service based at Long Bay Hospital. The Integrated Care Service provides assistance to people in custody with chronic disease and other health related issues. The Integrated Care Service coordinates quality care for patients whilst in custody. As the Team Leader it is my role to ensure that my team provides a quality service that is efficient and effective. I enjoy working with our patients and assisting them with the health care needs on their return home. I am in the final stages of completing my Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care with a focus on chronic disease, which will provide me with the foundation to continue to progress in my career and to help my community, patients and family. |
Meet Lyle
My name is Lyle and I am an Aboriginal man from the Wailwan tribe. I was born in Warren, Central West NSW and lived in small communities in Quambone and Warren, where I completed my schooling to year 12. I have been employed as an Aboriginal Mental Health Clinician with Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network for the past ten years. My job entails working with Aboriginal patients in custody with limited health literacy or poor mental health. Part of my role is to complete Aboriginal culture-specific mental health assessments and work in a multidisciplinary team with psychiatrists and nurses to achieve best health outcomes for Aboriginal patients. My job also leads me into specialised areas of mental health including forensic mental health, which deals with patients found not guilty of an offence by reason of mental illness or those unfit to participate in the court process as a result of their mental illness. Forensic Mental Health is very interesting because health and the law overlap and combine to determine legal outcomes for patients. I am passionate about these two areas, especially when it comes to Aboriginal patients and their health. Even though there are many challenges in the area of mental health I enjoy providing culturally appropriate help for Aboriginal people in custody. It also gives me the chance to negotiate on behalf of Aboriginal patients for better health outcomes from a cultural perspective. I have completed a Bachelor of Health/Science (Mental Health) and am currently a third year student completing a Bachelor of Nursing to become a Registered Nurse. Once I have completed my degree I plan on enrolling in a Bachelor of Laws. |
Aboriginal Mental Health Clinician, Custodial Mental Health