Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience higher rates of cancer than other Australians. Sadly, cancer is now the leading cause of death amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
At Canteen, we are committed to providing inclusive and appropriate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, their kin and community.
That is why we are partnering with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to ensure First Nations young people and their families have access to the right support they need when cancer crashes into their world.
NACCHO represents 144 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) that operate more than 550 clinics across Australia.
A Canteen Community Engagement Officer has been appointed within NACCHO to provide support, education, information and advice to Canteen and ACCHOs. The collaboration will focus on listening to the needs of First Nations young people, families and communities to ensure that all support offered is culturally appropriate.
We want to ensure that ACCHOs know about the different services we provide, and have the opportunity to refer a young person or their family to Canteen. We will continue to listen and work towards building trust so that ACCHOs, First Nations families and communities feel safe to refer their young people to us for support.
This collaboration is another important step to strengthen our relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as we work towards improving cancer related health outcomes.
As part of this commitment, Canteen also recently announced the creations of its Young Adult Reconciliation Network (YARN). This unique initiative welcomes First Nations young people to the leadership table, giving them the opportunity to use their skills and knowledge to help implement Canteen’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Unveiling the first Canteen RAP – Reflect – was just the start of the journey, as we continue to deepen our understanding of and connections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, their kin and communities.
Learn more about our reconciliation journey here and our support for First Nations Peoples.
