VACCHO works closely with external stakeholders of all kinds: state and federal governments, other Aboriginal organisations, mainstream health services and corporate services – to name a few.

Led by highly respected Gunditjmara woman and VACCHO CEO, Dr. Jill Gallagher AO, VACCHO seeks to raise awareness, change laws and policies and make Victoria a more equitable, inclusive state.

Our aim? Driving positive change in Aboriginal health and wellbeing sector – now, and into the future. Because change doesn’t happen in a vacuum – it happens when we work together towards a shared goal.

VACCHO is committed to supporting strong organisations – by starting with strong foundations.

We offer Members practical advice and support in these key areas:

• Finance, audit and commercial risk
• Corporate governance, board and secretariat support
• Business development, funding alerts and proposal support
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning
• IT systems, purchasing and security
• Business informatics
• Deadly Data and member dashboards
• Client Management System development and deployment
• Infrastructure planning and advocacy
• Workforce strategy projects
• People and operations
• Quality, risk and clinical governance
• LGBTQIASB+ inclusion and Rainbow Tick Accreditation
• Quality Management System development and deployment
• Member engagement and advisory services

VACCHO’s primary aim is to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across all life stages. And here are some key ways we make that happen.

We support healthy Communities by:

• Sharing strengths-based health information resources and campaigns – and providing on-the-ground support at health promotion events.
• Driving initiatives to improve Community food security, including access to emergency food relief.

We develop the ACCO workforce through:

• Scholarships for Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners.
• Training and professional development opportunities for healthcare workers.
• Optimising clinical operations, including MBS billing guidelines and practices.

We promote screening and early detection by:

• Enhancing the quality of Aboriginal health checks (Medicare 715).
• Increasing access to cancer, sexually transmitted infection and blood borne virus screening.
• Supporting hearing and vision screening and follow-up care.

We enhance quality of life with:

• Training and professional development opportunities for workers in Community and residential aged care.
• Information and support to navigate the NDIS access pathway.
• Support to understand and access community palliative care.

We improve public health by providing:

• Advice and practical support from a Public Health Medical Officer.
• On-the-ground support for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) projects.
• Public health support and advice during pandemics or local disease outbreaks, natural disasters and other emergencies.

Learn more >

VACCHO’s Aboriginal Cultural Safety Training and Accreditation program is designed to help individuals and organisations build their cultural understandings.

The Cultural Safety Training program focuses on building respectful and effective relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through a blend of stories and practical strategies, participants gain a deeper understanding of cultural identity and the impacts of colonisation.

The Cultural Safety Accreditation program is focused on working with organisations to address systemic and structural processes that can hinder working in a culturally responsive manner.

Both Training and Accreditation programs are available to corporate, government, not-for-profit and professional services.

The programs are supportive, non-judgemental and lay the foundation for culturally safe practices – in both work and life.

Learn more >

Good health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is about more than just physical wellbeing. It’s about social, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing, too.

The Balit Durn Durn Centre (BDDC) seeks to expand and improve social and emotional wellbeing services, policy and research. Its aim is to ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access high-quality, culturally safe mental healthcare no matter where they are in Victoria.

The BDDC supports ACCOs and the broader Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) sector by:

• Embedding Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing in SEWB services and policy
• Supporting and strengthening the SEWB workforce
• Leading and influencing policy and advocacy
• Creating and disseminating trusted research

Learn more >

The Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal Vocational Education and Training, Yagilaith Djerring, is our registered training organisation (RTO) delivering nationally accredited courses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Whether students are looking to start a new career or upskill, Yagilaith Djerring equips them with in-demand skills to assist Community.

We have nationally accredited courses focussed on:

• Aboriginal Health
• Business and Leadership
• Social and Emotional Wellbeing

With the guidance of our highly valued Aboriginal Student Mentors, students get wrap around support to achieve their education goals.

That means our deadly students not only gain valuable skills – they graduate confident, strong in their culture and workforce ready.

Learn more >

The Centre for Aboriginal Medical, Health and Wellbeing Research aims to ensure Aboriginal research is in Aboriginal Hands.

The Centre works to:

• Place ethics, self-determination and data sovereignty at the core of research
• Empower ACCOs to lead research initiatives
• Foster more medical, health and wellbeing research by and for Community
• Facilitate marra ngarrgoo, marra goorri, the Victorian Aboriginal Health, Medical and Wellbeing Research Accord

It also aims to maintain strong and effective strategic direction and culturally appropriate leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.

In other words, if it’s research about Mob in Victoria, this Centre helps ensure it’s done by Mob in Victoria.

Learn more >

Under the auspices of VACCHO, the Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Digital in Health (CEADH) is a national organisation for advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander digital health.

That means embedding Mob’s views, experiences and innovations in health systems, tools and services that use communication and information technology – to improve Community’s health and wellbeing outcomes.

Working across a broad digital health portfolio, CEADH aims to:

• Ensure ACCOs can connect to mainstream health services through high quality, user-friendly health systems, data and infrastructure
• Improve mainstream digital health services’ cultural safety
• Create informatics career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Advocate for and cement Indigenous health data sovereignty

United by peak bodies from every Australian state and territory, CEADH is a shared voice, building visibility of – and strength in – Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being across the digital health sector.

Learn more >