Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

SEMPHN commissions services aimed at improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s access to high quality and culturally appropriate care.

This includes care coordination, mental health, alcohol and drugs, and suicide prevention services.

Other than the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs listed below, SEMPHN also commissions broader health services which feature accessible care and provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to guide and develop health service requirements.

Contact SEMPHN about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health:
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1300 331 981

Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program

The ITC program is part of a suite of programs encompassed in the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program that commenced in 2014.

This program combines the former Care Coordination and Supplementary Services (CCSS) and Improving Indigenous Access to Mainstream Primary Care (IIAMPC) programs.

The ITC program has two aims:

• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic disease, by providing access to specialist, general practice and allied health services, and offer support for self-management.
• Improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to culturally-appropriate, mainstream, primary health care services.

The ITC program encourages a flexible team approach to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the full pathway of care, from encouragement and assistance, to accessing health care, to the provision of care by a variety of health professionals.

See more information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health for General Practice and health professionals.

Why is the service needed?

Chronic diseases are major contributors to the mortality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians. The Australian Government has committed to closing the gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians across health, education and employment.

The Integrated Team Care Program (ITC) (and its predecessors the Care Coordination and Supplementary Services, and Improving Indigenous Access to Mainstream Primary Care programs) was established to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with complex chronic diseases, who experience challenges of effectively managing their conditions, through access to one-on-one assistance offered by Care Coordinators.

Who have we commissioned?

SEMPHN commissioned Star Health Group Ltd and the Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-operative Limited (DDACL) to develop, implement and administer the ITC program from 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018.

In May 2018, SEMPHN secured the ongoing funding for the ITC program. Star Health Group Ltd and the Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-operative Limited (DDACL) were commissioned to continue to deliver the program from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2021.

Commissioning approach

An open tender process was used to commission this service.

Associated tags

• aboriginal and torres strait islander health
• atsi
• commissioning