The project is designed to build on the success of the 2005 pilot project that was then funded by Commonwealth Government under the National Palliative Care Program) that culminated in the report "The Journey; “Coming Together, Caring Together.”

Vision

The vision is to create sustainable and culturally safe palliative care service systems where Aboriginal people from all over Victoria and can access palliative care services in the setting of their preferences (Choice).

Aims

The VACCHO Palliative Care Project aims for Aboriginal people to have access to palliative care services and for palliative care services to provide culturally safe services to aboriginal people. It also aims to develop and increase the awareness and access to palliative care services and to develop a long and lasting relationship between palliative care providers and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health organisations (ACCHO’s) across the state of Victoria.

VACCHO Palliative Care Program is to  work  in consultation with:

• Aboriginal Medical Services,
• Aboriginal Organisations
• Mainstream Health Services,
• And to assist in regional planning in partnership with Palliative Care Services Victoria to meet the needs of Aboriginal People, families and communities of palliative care for Aboriginal people, communities and Aboriginal Medical Services in Victoria.

This is to determine the most appropriate way to provide culturally specific services to Aboriginal people of our communities across Victoria, to undertake this work and ensure involvement of Aboriginal Communities and palliative Care Community are in Policy, Development and Planning in meeting the needs of Aboriginal People and families in palliative care.

Encouraging and supporting development and training for Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Medical Services or who are working in Health related programs in a course such as the PEPA Course (Program Experience Palliative Approach).

Partnerships

• Palliative Care Victoria
• Regional Palliative Care Services across Victoria
• Department of Human Services (State)
• Department of Health & Ageing (Commonwealth)

Palliative Care Approach is quality of life; and VACCHO in partnership with Palliative Care Victoria are working towards in assuring,  to assist Aboriginal people, families and communities in facing life threatening illness, through the prevention, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychological and spiritual problems

Funding

The project is currently funded by Department Human Services Victoria from 2007 to 2010.