Speakers and presentations
Keona Wilson - Director, Workforce Engagement, Indigenous Allied Health Australia
Keona Wilson is a proud Bidjara woman who lives and works on Dharawal Country on the south coast of New South Wales. Keona is the Director of Workforce Engagement at Indigenous Allied Health Australia.
Keona is committed to building an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and challenging health professionals to adopt culturally inclusive practices, so all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive culturally responsive healthcare.
Keynote presentation: Community development - centring culture and Aboriginal people to build capacity, strength and assets
Community development: collaboration with local Aboriginal people to build capacity, strength, and assets that reflect Aboriginal people's (local community context) perspectives to achieve their identified goals.
This presentation will explore the social, political, historical and cultural determinants, the strengths of an Aboriginal workforce, and how services can engage in community development to collaborate with Aboriginal communities to develop and provide culturally safe and responsive Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Services (AMIHS).
Tamara Blanch - Registered Midwife, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
Tamara is a proud Yuin woman who was born and lived most of her life on Dharawal land. Tamara has worked with the Illawarra Binji and Boori team since 2006, starting as an Aboriginal Health Worker and now one of the Registered Midwives on the team after completing her Bachelor of Midwifery.
Tamara has completed a postgraduate study in Child and Family Health and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Tamara is passionate about providing individualised, culturally safe care for the families using the Binji and Boori service
Katrina Harris - Registered Midwife, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
Katrina grew up in Dubbo with strong family connections to the beautiful red earth of Ngiyampaa country in the far west of NSW. It was this connection that led Katrina to a love of rural and remote health and eventually studying a Masters in Rural and Remote Health and Masters of Nurse Practitioner and subsequent years working in remote areas including working in the NSW Aboriginal Vascular Health Program.
After moving to the ‘big smoke’ of Wollongong 19 years ago to raise her three daughters, Katrina completed a Masters of Midwifery and worked at Wollongong Hospital for the last 12 years. Whilst loving being a midwife and loving the experiences that came with working in a Level 5 Maternity Unit it was the connection with the people that she missed in a high turnover fast paced environment. When the opportunity came up to work with Binji and Boori Illawarra two years ago it was a perfect solution and Katrina hasn’t looked back. Katrina enjoys the connections with her colleagues and the women and their families that the model of care fosters.
Alison Bramstedt - Registered Midwife, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
Alison is a Registered Nurse and Midwife who works at the Illawarra Binji and Boori team and the Maternity Ward at The Wollongong Hospital.
Alison has a Masters of Science (Midwifery) and has been working in the Wollongong maternity services for the last 14 years. She is dedicated to providing high quality, evidence based care throughout the antenatal period for the local Aboriginal community, but her passion lies with all aspect of postnatal support for women in the hospital and within their homes.
Taneka Longbottom - Aboriginal Health Worker, AMIHS
Mikeyha Harrison - Aboriginal Health Worker, Building Strong Foundations for Aboriginal Children, Families and Communities (BSF)
Mikeyha Harrison works as an Aboriginal Health Worker for BSF in Moruya (Southern NSW). She is a proud Yorta-Yorta/Yuin woman and live on Yuin country in Batemans Bay on the south coast of New South Wales.
Before joining BSF, she worked in aged care as a support worker and an Aboriginal health worker in chronic disease. Mikeyha has been the Aboriginal health worker at BSF since October 2022, working with a child and family health nurse to assist with completing bluebook checks, immunisations and give support to families.
In her position she has been part of outreach groups, working closely with organisations in her region including a playgroup and a possum skin workshop. Mikayha also facilitate a Women's group which is what she will be speaking about today.
Kelly Lienesch - Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Western NSW Local Health District
Kelly Lienesch is an Aboriginal Health Practitioner with Western NSW Local Health District. Kelly is a proud Malyngappa woman from Wanaaring in north western NSW. She has worked with the Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS) in Bourke since 2010, providing antenatal support for Aboriginal women and their families.
Prior to joining AMIHS, Kelly has worked as an Enrolled Nurse for Western NSW Local Health District at Bourke and as a Medic with the Royal Australian Air Force.
Kelly has qualifications of a Cert IV in Enrolled Nurse – Endorsed and a Cert IV Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice.
Linda Bootle - Clinical Midwifery Consultant, Western NSW Local Health District
Linda Bootle is a Clinical Midwife Consultant in Western NSW Local Health District. Her current role includes providing care to women and their families with the Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS).
Linda works closely with the AHWs / AHPs and Registered Midwives’ across WNSWLHD to ensure high quality, consistent and culturally safe care is provided to all women in our rural and remote communities who access AMIHS services.
She had previously worked with Child and Family Health services in rural and metropolitan areas. In Orange the Aboriginal Health Worker and Linda co-developed and implemented the “Marang Model,” which is Building Strong Foundations today.
Linda has qualifications in Child and Family Health, Masters level Midwifery and Public Health degrees. She is a Certified Lactation Consultant.
Charli Thomas - Aboriginal Health Worker, Midwife, Child and Family Health Nursing - Hunter New England Local Health District
Charli Thomas is a proud Wiradjuri/ Wailwan woman from the Central West of NSW. She has been on Wanaruah country since 1987 and has worked in Hunter New England Health Service for the past 18 years. For the past decade, Charli has been dedicated to serving her local community as an Aboriginal Health Worker within Kuunarr - AMIHS which covers the Hunter Valley Sector.
Charli's educational journey has included various roles and disciplines. Starting as a Diversional Therapist, she transitioned into the role of an Aboriginal Health Worker/Endorsed Enrolled Nurse for AMIHS. She later pursued and completed a degree in Midwifery, and is currently working towards a postgraduate certificate in Child and Family Health.
Deeply passionate about supporting and empowering her local Aboriginal community to maintain their health and wellbeing throughout all stages of life, from birth to old age, Charli believes that by fostering a sense of empowerment and providing culturally sensitive care, we can make a significant impact on the health outcomes of our community.
Charli aspires to become a Child and Family Health Clinician for a Building Strong Foundation/New Direction service within her local community. She is committed to continuing her education and expanding her skills to better serve the needs of Aboriginal families and contribute to building healthier and stronger communities.
Jade Perry - Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Aboriginal Health Unit Singleton
Jade Perry is a proud Wonnarua women. She has worked with Hunter New England (HNE) Health for seven years in the Aboriginal Health Unit as an Aboriginal Health Worker for the Hunter Valley Sector.
Prior to HNE Health, Jade has worked with Birra Li as an Aboriginal Health Worker for Maternity, Child and Family Health.
Outside of work Jade love spending time with her partner and new baby, her two Fur Babies, with family and friends and being on country.
Aunty Di Ball - Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation
Aunty Di is the CEO Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation in 1994, proud Gathang woman. Aunty Di was the first Aboriginal woman to graduate Year 12 in Gumbangerri Armidale.
After moving to Port Stephens in the mid 1990'2, responding to meet the local needs co-founded the Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation in 1994.
Di is a proud mother to seven, grannie to two and aunty to 100's. She has been on many committees ensuring her committee needs are met. Di has served as the CEO of the Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council, Deputy Chair Awabakal Ltd which provides health care, aged care and family services in the wider Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens areas, and member of Port Stephens West Health committee.
Di's tireless community work was recognised when she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2020 and Port Stephens Australia Day Ambassador in 2021.
Aunty Zona Kelly - Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation
Aunty Zona Kelly is a highly respected Gumbaynggirr, Worimi and Dhungatti women who is currently working at Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation.
She is a courageous, resilient, and creative woman who has skills in leadership and planning and loves politics.
Aunty Zona volunteers her time upskilling mob to fulfil their greatest potential.
Leonie Garvey - Manager - Aboriginal Health Unit, Greater Newcastle Sector
Leonie is a Kamilaroi woman whose family originated from Moree in Western New South Wales.
Leonie was born in the Maitland, Leonie has developed many personal and professional ties to communities within the Hunter New England Local Health District and surrounds, and Leonie has connections with Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council, Worimi and Awabakal Local communities.
Ms Leonie Garvey Managers the Greater Newcastle Aboriginal Health Team Wallsend with the Aboriginal Health Unit, Leonie spends her spare time as a volunteer with the NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW Ambulance Community First Responder in her hometown Clarence Town NSW.
Leonie is an accomplished Projects, Case Management and Policy Officer with an extensive career in the development, delivery and evaluation of health care, disability, and employment initiatives to Indigenous Australians. Leonie is very connected to her community, as has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for over 20 years and has a proven ability to collaborate and consult to meet the needs of a diverse range of individuals and stakeholders with varying needs.
Leonie brings with her a wealth of experience, which included working for Relationships Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Menzies School of Health Research, NSW Government Family & Community Services Ageing, Disability & Home Care, and the Ministry of Health. Leonie has a number of qualifications that supports the work she does being a Bachelor Welfare majoring Aboriginal studies , Associate Diploma in Social Work and a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion including a number of Leadership and Management certificates.
Leonie has worked within many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia from QLD to her own back yard in the Hunter Valley.