South Australian peak body for Aboriginal health
Education & Training | Return to Our Services
As a result of a restructure, the Centre for Aboriginal Health Education and Training (CAHET) joined the Workforce Branch as the Education and Training team.
AHCSA is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). The following qualifications are delivered by the Education and Training team:
Who is eligible to apply?
Any Aboriginal person in South Australia can apply to undertake the courses. Preference is given to people working in the health sector providing services to Aboriginal people and communities, and who are nominated by their employers.
Is there any recognition for past work or study?
Yes - recognition of prior learning and experience (RPL) in the health and allied industries is available. Lecturers will assist students to collect evidence to demonstrate current competencies or prior learning.
What are the Aboriginal Health Worker qualifications?
Certificate III is designed for Aboriginal Health Workers employed in a range of general and specialist areas of primary health care practices. The Certificate III is 700 hours and takes about 18 months to complete.
Certificate IV is designed particularly for Aboriginal Health Workers in line-management positions. The Certificate IV is about 1000 hours and takes about 2 years to complete.
What is AHCSA’s teaching approach?
Our teaching approach is designed to be more fun and supportive, to enhance learning. It provides:
Lecturers travel to the main centres of learning across the state and are available to teach and support students in week-long blocks.
Where are AHCSA’s Learning Centres?
AHCSA has negotiated the establishment of a number of learning centres throughout the state to deliver the Certificate courses. The current centres are located at:
The training of assessors is one of the priorities for 2008. In the new Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care training package there are many units which can be assessed by Aboriginal people only.
The new training package states: “Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit… or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.”
The new training package provides a wide range of options and career pathways for Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) with the most positive aspect being the potential to develop a pool of AHW assessors and trainers to work across the state. This will lift the availability and relevance of training statewide.
To view information about graduates, see Information and click on AHCSA News 04.08
For further information email Leanne Ritossa
ATSI Health RTO Network
The ATSI Health RTO National Network (ATSIHRTONN) was established in April 2007 with funding from the Department of Health and Ageing (DHA).
ATSIHRTONN aims to achieve a sustainable national network, based on Aboriginal community controlled health philosophy that builds the capacity of its member RTOs to drive education and training for the ATSI workforce.
For further information click here
Quality Use of Medicines
In June 2006, AHCSA began working in partnership with NACCHO and the NPS on the ‘Good Medicines Better Health’ Pilot Project to develop a ‘Train the Trainer’ program in the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).
The training program provides the skills and knowledge to allow Senior AHWs to train their colleagues to counsel and support clients with the management of Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension and general medications.
The objectives of the program are to:
Three ACCHSs were approached and agreed to participate in the project as pilot sites. The health services identified senior AHWs within their organisation to participate and become part of the Senior Trainers team.
The sites are:
To support the project, AHCSA developed a training package and produced training materials for the Senior Trainers. These include trainer workbooks in the general Quality Use of Medicines and workbooks applicable to medicines for specific disease states of Asthma, Hypertension and Diabetes.
The training package is aligned to a number of elements which are embedded within Certificate IV units of competency from the recently endorsed ‘National AHW Training Package HLT07’ and units from Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
AHCSA is now at the implementation stage of the project where the Master Training Team from AHCSA and a consultant pharmacist will facilitate training for the Senior Trainers. This will equip the trainers with the skills and knowledge to deliver the course to their community.
The QUM project has just won an award >> click here to find out more.