Improving community knowledge of services, reducing isolation, and improving health and wellbeing through an Aboriginal services directory for the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula.
Improving Access to Aboriginal Health Services
Access to appropriate services is an important part of improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities. A well-structured Aboriginal services directory can make it easier for individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to identify relevant services and understand where support is available.
The Aboriginal community in Frankston-Mornington Peninsula
In 2011, there were 1981 people who identify as Aboriginal living in the Frankston-Mornington catchment, with almost 11% aged over 55, and a further 4% over 65 years. A significant proportion of this same population is 25 years or younger.
A key part of Victoria’s government strategy for Aboriginal health, Koolin Balit, aimed to improve access to services and outcomes for Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal Health Alliance – part of the Peninsula Model approach to primary health planning – identified a need for local easy-to-access information on culturally safe services for communities on the Peninsula, the (previous) Frankston-Mornington Peninsula Medicare Local auspiced a project to address this need. Better access to this information can improve community knowledge of services, reduce isolation, and improve health and wellbeing.
Aboriginal service directories have been developed in Gippsland Victoria, northern Sydney, inner western Sydney, and South Australia, and Larter was previously involved in the review of the Gippsland community services directory (the Black Pages).
Our response
Larter Consulting provided project support to develop the local service directory, engaging heiDesign to deliver the graphic design.
Local services were mapped and Aboriginal-specific service providers and community members were consulted with to identify the community’s health service information needs. Community consultations were supported by the Aboriginal Health Alliance, Peninsula Shire and Peninsula Health, and included visiting local gathering places. Through these consultations Larter identified the appropriate structure, content and format for the directory, including the use of culturally appropriate branding and language.
The outcome
The Boon Wurrung Djiri Djiri (“messenger of the Boon Wurrung”) is a 60-page hardcopy resource that was distributed throughout the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula catchment. Community consultations determined that the directory be divided by:
– Community Support
– Emergency Services
– Health
– Legal
A copy of the directory ca be viewed here: Service directory final.
The art work selected for the design is from Diane Aiello’s Goanna Grey and reproduced kindly here.
The Aboriginal service directory was well received by the local Aboriginal community and service providers in the catchment, and there was interest to reproduce the directory for a larger catchment area.
Supporting Better Health Service Navigation
Improving access is not only about increasing the number of available services. People also need clear and accessible information about where to find appropriate support. An Aboriginal health services directory can help improve service navigation, strengthen connections between providers, and support healthcare organisations to better understand the local service landscape.
Conclusion
An effective Aboriginal services directory can help improve access to relevant healthcare services and community support by making service information easier to find and navigate. Through stakeholder engagement, research, and careful information design, Larter helps organisations strengthen connections between communities and service providers while supporting more informed health service planning.