28 May 2025
This week is National Reconciliation Week, and we’re spotlighting the organisations that make up our Aboriginal Consultative Council, a group intended to build trust and strengthen shared decision making and therefore support self-determination within the community.
Today we are spotlighting the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS).
The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) was established in 1973 to address the specific medical needs of Victorian indigenous communities. The organisation has expanded steadily over past 40 years to provide a comprehensive range of medical, dental and social services for our community.
As well as providing a variety of medical services, VAHS is committed to supporting the well-being of the community through contributions to community events and activities. VAHS is also committed to assisting research into the ongoing needs of the community.
EMPHN funds VAHS to deliver the Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program supporting First Nations people with chronic health conditions through access to care coordination, multidisciplinary care and support for self-management. The ITC program aims to improve access to culturally safe primary care services, promoting self-determined choices.
“National Reconciliation Week is a time for us to share our Culture with all Australians, and work together to truly achieve reconciliation in Australia.
Quote attributable to VAHS Chief Operating Officer, Gavin Brown
Truth-telling is vital, which means listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples accounts of the impact of colonisation, acknowledging how we have been silenced throughout history and elevating our voices to advance reconciliation.
In a health context, self-determination is vital, empowering Aboriginal people to do what we have done for millennia, which is make decisions about matters that affect our lives and look after our health beyond just physical and mental, but spiritual and emotional wellbeing too.“
