Still strong in the Shoalhaven

The community came together at the SCMSAC open day

The open day included unveiling a new cultural installation and history timeline display. ‘It was an emotional day as we celebrated 40 years of hard work and service of so many. We honoured the struggle, pain and sorrow of the courageous leaders that have come before us and we are so very grateful,’ said Chairperson Jannice Luland.

A small part of the installation honouring those who worked hard to establish and continue the SMCSAC

The permanent installation in the ground floor corridors at the Jane Ardler Centre shares the SCMSAC’s story of the transition from a small group in the 1980s working in a resource room at the Junction Street Cultural Centre to a team of more than 120 working in an architecturally designed, state of the art health facility today. ‘Many key people in our community showed courage, dedication and leadership that has formed the foundation of our organisation and that strength continues to support us today. The design is dedicated in gratitude to all the people who worked so hard to make the organisation what it is and serves to honour their courage and memory,’ the Chairperson said.

The SCMSAC started out in Nowra in 1982 and was modelled on the highly successful Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service, which assisted with setting up and applying for funding. The small team first worked out of a resource room at the Junction Street Cultural Centre. On 18 January 1983 the SCMSAC incorporated. Its very low ICN – 182 – shows it was one of the very early corporations registered with ORIC.

Government funding through the 1980s allowed the SCMSAC to employ a doctor, receptionist and health workers and provide general health services. After funding was withdrawn due to concerns about governance within ATSIC in the early 1990s, dedicated staff volunteered their time to keep the service running.

Funding was later restored, allowing the SCMSAC to pursue its mission of providing health, medical and other relevant services to the Aboriginal community and improve equity of access to mainstream health services.

The 2007-08 financial year saw SCMSAC become a large corporation under the CATSI Act, a status it has retained in the years since. Under the CATSI Act, a large corporation will have at least two of the following in a financial year:

• consolidated gross operating income of $5 million or more
• consolidated gross assets valued at $2.5 million or more
• more than 24 employees.

Today, the SCMSAC operates out of 8 sites in the Shoalhaven and South Eastern NSW, providing a myriad of health services that cover general practice; general/public health; dental; regional and local substance use; community, social and emotional wellbeing; permanency support (out of home care); children and family support; and HIV/sexual health services.

Still strong

'In transitioning from a health service to a broader community service provider, we’re now providing a wide range of health and community services beyond our traditional service boundary of the Shoalhaven. We’ve needed to consider how we provide high quality services to community across rural and regional southeast NSW,’ said CEO Craig Ardler.

Early intervention and a focus on the whole family is a key part of the SCMSAC’s approach and is in high demand. One of SCMSAC’s newest teams, the Family Connect and Support Team, worked with 327 families in its first 6 months! The team works with families experiencing a range of vulnerabilities such as parenting issues, mental health, domestic and family violence, financial stress and education/schooling issues. 

‘The team is very dedicated and passionate, linking families into supports in the community through timely referrals to appropriate services to meet the family’s needs,’ the CEO said.

The Family Preservation Team supports Aboriginal children, young people, and their families, with the goal of keeping families together. The SCMSAC works with families in their homes to identify issues and provides support for up to two years with the goal of assisting parents to provide a safe environment and raise happy, healthy kids.

When children aren’t able to live safely with their birth families, the SCMSAC supports Aboriginal foster care placements for children and young people aged 0-18 years. It’s the only non government, Aboriginal community controlled health organisation (ACCHO) providing permanency support services in the Shoalhaven and far south coast regions. While the goal is always restoration, the SMCSAC works to place children and young people in a safe, well-functioning, stable foster home that allows them to develop to the best of their potential.

‘Our aim is to ensure children and young people are receiving the best culturally appropriate supports available and have access to all the support services we provide across the organisation,’ the CEO said. 

That goal of helping young people thrive flows through into the Living Skills Program, which develops young people’s living skills and independence. The program includes cooking; daily living skills; developing respectful relationships; developing an understanding of the concept of health; teamwork activities; self-development activities in a group setting; positive engagement with others; and making new friends!

The SCMSAC’s community services aren’t just for families – they offer a range of services for all ages and situations, from workshops to support adults who have experienced grief and loss, to quit smoking and women’s and men’s groups.

The past 40 years have brought extraordinary change to the SCMSAC – the next 40 should be quite the adventure. Congratulations!