Aboriginal Health Workers

What does an Aboriginal Health Worker do?

Aboriginal health workers are generally based in Aboriginal community-controlled health services and are usually the first healthcare worker an Indigenous patient would see.
Their common objective is to assist the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to take a strong role in controlling and managing their own health and lifestyles.

Services

Aboriginal health workers provide a wide range of primary healthcare services, including:

• Immunisations
• Screening
  
• Referrals
  
• Community health education
  
• Patient transport

Working closely with both the patient and the health care team, they may act as interpreters to ensure that the healthcare practitioner is clear about the patient’s symptoms, medical and personal history and that the patient has a good understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and health care advice.

They may work in specialty areas including drugs and alcohol services, mental health, diabetes and eye and ear health.

Medicare Eligibility

To be eligible to provide services under the Medicare CDM items, Aboriginal health workers need, as a minimum, Certificate Level III in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health from a registered training organisation. In the Northern Territory (NT), they must be registered with the Aboriginal Health Workers Board of the NT.