A proud Ngarrindjeri and Narungga woman from South Australia, Jessica is passionate about improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in remote and regional areas. Jessica is experienced in health, having managed services within a Local Health Network (LHN) and First Nations programs in a Medicare Local and PHN in South Australia, and worked with two ACCHOs in remote Northern Territory.
Can you tell us a little about your early career and entry into health?
After completion of high school, I hit the ground running, eager to get into the workforce to find my feet and commence full-time permanent work. I applied for an Aboriginal Traineeship across the government sector in numerous portfolios. The Department of Transport, Planning and Infrastructure — Building Management portfolio employed me as a trainee administration officer.
Once my traineeship was completed, I moved internally to numerous roles within the Building Management portfolio. I had the opportunity to be seconded to the Local Health Network to manage Ancillary Services.
My secondment within the LHN altered my career path and appealed more than my substantive role within government.
I was offered an opportunity in the NGO sector, working within the Aboriginal health space at a Medicare Local with one of my mentors, John Buckskin, to deliver Aboriginal Health program/s in the Country North SA region. I took the plunge and obtained a role as an Aboriginal Health Support Officer. I was able to support mob to access services and assist in improving health outcomes.
As the government parties shifted, Medicare Locals were abolished and Primary Health Networks were implemented. Our Aboriginal Health portfolio was shifted from a direct delivery body in a specific region to a commissioning body covering all of the Country SA region. I was fortunate to be promoted during my time within the PHN managing ancillary services across the Country SA region, providing guidance and recommendations pertaining to Aboriginal Health activities.
How did you get into the ACCHO sector?
Remote Australia has always been in my heart, my mob are from a mission and endured significant hardships, overcame trials and tribulations, and have made significant progress. I wanted to make an impact and drive Closing the Gap initiatives in primary health care holistically: mind, body and soul. Our Elders were being taken too soon.
The Northern Territory, in particular the very remote communities, were always on our radar to uproot (our life). The thought of leaving family to move interstate was daunting; I had this gut feeling that there was just more out there to experience personally and professionally, for my family to experience living and working in remote Australia and for myself professionally to work in remote Australia to contribute to direct service delivery, not be on the other side of commissioning funds.
I was successful in securing an executive position in an ACCHO in very remote Australia in the Barkly region, providing strategic high-level management of clinical services and primary health care programs, covering five remote communities and their outstations through a combination of outreach services and one primary health care centre in an approximate, 150,000 km2 radius. My husband came home from work, and I looked at him and said, “It’s time. We’re all packing up and heading to NT in eight weeks.” He stared in shock, then nodded, and the rest is history.
How was your time in the Northern Territory?
My time in Barkly region exposed my love for working in remote Australia, delivering culturally responsive primary health care services utilising the CARPA Standard Treatment Manual.
I wanted to further broaden my understanding of working in very remote Australia and put my gained experience both within Barkly and my prior roles into practice.
We decided to pack up and move to the Big Rivers region, closer to the Top End, where I secured an executive position in the ACCHO sector, providing strategic high-level management of clinical services and primary health care programs, covering 14 remote communities and their outstations through nine primary health care centres in an approximate, 64,000 km2 radius.
This role was both rewarding and challenging: working within the remote context with no hospitals on site, health centres undertaking a combination of primary health care and emergency acute care services, workforce retention and recruitment problems, weather conditions etc. However, the rewards far outweighed the challenges.
Our family absolutely fell in love with NT, they say it takes a piece of you and to be honest the NT will always have a special place in our hearts.
Why did you want to join the CRAICCHS team?
Cherbourg is a unique community, and I can relate with the town’s significant history which is close to my heart.
While I loved the Northern Territory and working in the remote sector, I wanted a new challenge in a regional context to utilise my unique skillset. My positions have provided me with the opportunity to acquire comprehensive knowledge of the primary health care sector and identify needs of the communities I’ve worked with.
Throughout my career, I have developed a strong foundation of transferable skills within the primary health care sector and can work independently yet be flexible to the demands of management and communities.
What is your vision/what are your priorities for CRAICCHS?
Since I started four months ago, we have focused on structure and the implementation of an executive management stream, along with reinvigorated primary health care and community health service portfolios.
A key focus area is workforce development; growing our own, upskilling community mob to undertake roles in primary care, in particular Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners who play instrumental roles in delivering culturally safe, holistic care.
What inspires you most about your job?
I am wholeheartedly committed to improving Aboriginal health outcomes — seeing our Elders getting sicker and taken too soon has been one of my many drivers.
There have been many people that inspired me and continue to do so; my dad has been instrumental; mob are first and foremost — they taught me the value of integrity, resilience, hard work and compassion.
John Buckskin, a senior Aboriginal leader, played a pivotal role in my career by guiding me into the sector. I will forever be grateful for the experience and knowledge Uncle John exposed me to.
Steven Sumner, CEO of Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services is a true inspiration of commitment and determination to our mob.
My motto is, “do it for community”: listen to the needs; community is at the forefront; Aboriginal community controlled by community, for community.
What is your leadership style?
My leadership style is a combination of transformational, coaching and pacesetting.
I lead by example, I am strategic and critical thinking, capturing the big picture, with the need to achieve strategic outcomes, whilst providing leadership to my organisation.
I aim to inspire change and empowerment to achieve shared visions and goals, building the capacity of people, recognising individual’s strengths, and providing empowerment to reach goals and visions. I ensure fast paced goals are implemented, as the fast-paced goals capture the small wins, which in turn give opportunity for reflection and empowerment of the goals achieved.
What have you learned about yourself from your time in the sector?
Keep pushing, anything is achievable. Have patience. Results take time, welcome the small wins.
What do you do when you’re not at CRAICCHS?
In my spare time my family travels across the state to visit skate parks, my son is an aggressive rollerblader. If I’m not at the skate park, I’ll be at the gym or listening to a good podcast in the sunshine.
