Speak Out April 2018

Health science students at the Health Fusion Team Challenge

Indigenous Allied Health Conference

In 2017 , SPA provided scholarships to two Aboriginal speech pathology students, Zoe King and Hannah Thompson, to allow them to attend the Indigenous Allied Health conference in Perth. I also attended, and valued the opportunity to focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues for the two days of the conference. Some presentations were challenging, all were informative. There was good representation of SPA members, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. Zoe and Hannah report their experiences below. From the Association's perspective, as we move to build cultural awareness within the membership, it is very gratifying to see the calibre and commitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student members. We look forward to hearing more from both Hannah and Zoe! Zoe King I am a proud Bundjalung woman from northern NSW, who now lives on Yuggera land. I am a speech pathology student from the University of Queensland, due to graduate in December 2018. In November of 2017, Speech Pathology Australia, along with Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) sponsored me to attend the annual IAHA Health Fusion Team Challenge (HFTC) and conference in Perth. My thanks to SPA for providing this unique opportunity. IAHA is the national not-for-profit, member-based, peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander allied health professionals and students. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health professionals play a vital role in closing the gap and addressing the health and well-being of Australia. In the HFTC 40 students were allocated to various teams, each showing diversity in discipline, university, year of degree and HFTC past experience. All teams were given the same complex case study and were required to develop and present their management plan, taking into account the holistic management of the client, clinical management and the cultural aspects that were present.

Two teams were selected to participate in the final, which was held as a plenary session within the conference. The 2017 IAHA conference began on the day after completion of the HFTC. During the conference students sat alongside both Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals from many allied health and medical backgrounds. We were blessed with development opportunities to critically reflect on our learning, our clinical practice and our connection to culture. We were given opportunities to mingle with and question professionals from many different organisations across Australia and the world, on their opinions, practice and journeys. By attending the IAHA HFTC and conference now for three consecutive years, I have made many friends from across Australia, discovered many different pathways and support systems for Indigenous students and met some of the most amazing professionals across the allied health sector. This experience is designed to develop networks between students and professionals and ease the transition into professional practice. I forward to all that I will take with me into my learning not only this year at university but going into my professional career as well. Hannah Thompson I am a proud Kara Kara women. I recently had the honour of attending the 2017 Indigenous Allied Health Australian (IAHA) conference and Health Fusion Team challenge in beautiful Perth, home of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. I would firstly like to thank my personal sponsors, Speech Pathology Australia and Central Queensland University for providing the financial assistance and scholarships in support of my participation in this event. Without their generous support I would not have been able to attend this conference. I was initially nervous to travel so far from my homeland by myself to attend this conference. I soon found that what they say about IAHA being a big "family" to be very true. I felt welcomed into the organisation straight away.

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April 2018 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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