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General Information on Congress and its Branches
This section will cover some general information on Congress and its relevant Branches. More detailed information can be obtained from the ‘Branches’ page on this website.
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) was formed in 1973 to support and advocate for Aboriginal people in the struggle for justice and equity. Since that time, Congress has expanded to become the largest and oldest Aboriginal Community controlled Health Service in the Northern Territory.
Congress now provides a comprehensive primary health care service to the Aboriginal Community of Alice Springs and to outstations within a 100 kilometre radius.
Today Congress encompasses nine (9) branches in total;
- Directorate
- Corporate Services
- Alukura (Women’s Health)
- Childcare
- Education & Training
- Remote Health Services (RHS)
- Social & Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB)
- Services (Clinical)
- Male Health
1. DIRECTORATE
Directorate manages Congress’ external relations, including interagency matters, and develops health policy and provides policy analysis on health and social issues.
2. CORPORATE SERVICES
Corporate Services provides a range of corporate administrative and management support services to enable the whole of Congress to function efficiently and effectively within statutory, financial and corporate governance frameworks. This also includes Human Resource Management, Asset Management and Information Technology (IT) Management.
3. ALUKURA
Alukura is a women’s only health service providing a range of services to Aboriginal women from Alice Springs and within 100 kilometres of the town. It is situated in a purpose built facility on the outskirts of Alice Springs; in a safe women friendly environment.
Programs and services include a specialised women’s health clinic, maternity care clinic, Maternal and Child Health program, weekly Obstetrician/Gynaecologist specialist clinic, weekly dietician, diabetic educator and psychologist sessions and the Young Women’s Community Health Education Program.
4. CHILDCARE
Ampe Kenhe Apmere, also known as Congress Child Care is a Commonwealth funded, fully licensed and accredited Multi-Functional Aboriginal Children’s Service.
The service has a commitment to high quality, culturally appropriate child care. The staff are trained in all areas of development of children and provide a wide range of experiences based on this knowledge.
5. EDUCATION & TRAINING
Congress Education and Training is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) which delivers the nationally accredited Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice) course.
The core business of the Branch is to facilitate and deliver this Vocational Educational Training to undergraduate Aboriginal Health Workers seeking registration to practice within the Northern Territory.
The Education and Training Branch is situated at Colocag Plaza where block training is delivered within the Training Room. Clinic placement is facilitated within the general clinic and program areas on Gap Rd.
6. REMOTE HEALTH SERVICES
The Remote Health Services (RHS) Branch of Congress provides acute clinic, public health, medical, social and preventable population health interventions and alcohol & other drugs services to a number of remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia.
Branch Staff generally live in the Community where they work; however, the RHS Manager is based in Alice Springs; as are administrative and corporate support staff.
Congress believes in the philosophy of Community control and each Community is actively engaged in the strategic management of health service delivery.
7. SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
The Social & Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) social health team provides an extensive range of counselling and support services to clients confronting an increasingly complex range of social issues.
The SEWB branch also provides an extensive service to youth, through the Youth Outreach team.
Social Health teams in Aboriginal community-controlled health services are multi-skilled and multidiscipline teams that provide a range of social health services, including mental health, substance use, grief and loss, and family and welfare support.
8. CLINICAL SERVICES
The Services Branch provides a 7 day/week clinic service and community health outreach programs to the Aboriginal community of Alice Springs and outlying communities at the Gap Road Clinic. Services Branch staff include GPs, Registered Nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Liaison Workers, Social Workers, Receptionists and Drivers. Clients also have access to a range of visiting medical specialists and allied health professionals.
9. MALE HEALTH
The Male Health Team currently looks after male sexual health, health education and conducts health checks for males. Male Aboriginal Health Workers are available on request and can refer men to a male doctor in the main clinic as required. The Well Men’s Check targets the main risk factors for Aboriginal men and youths.
Congress plans to expand, relocate and refocus the Male Health program in the near future.
Male Health are currently undertaking consultations with men in the Community and the various agencies associated with Male Health in order to plan how to go about it and are looking for a new building that will be central to town, separate and private.
The expectation is that the new Male Health program will continue doing what it does now, with the main focus being on alcohol, smoking, and violence, and parenting related.
Some of the ways that a Male Health centre might approach these issues, for example, are through sport, cultural support, a culturally and gender appropriate clinic service and assistance with education and employment
