Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Maternal Health and Preventing Infant Removals: The Potential of a Health Justice Partnership.

Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) works closely with its member organisations including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS). ATSICHS Brisbane operates Logan Jajumbora Birthing in Our Communities (BiOC).

The BiOC aims to strengthen the health and wellbeing of mothers birthing First Nations babies and their families, to reduce the over-representation of First Nations children in out-of-home care.

Recent research suggests that the BiOC has been highly effective in reducing infant removals and improving health outcomes (Kildea et al 2021).

In 2023, IUIH identified the need to integrate another protective service for BiOC Jajumbora’s pregnant women and their families at-risk or already involved with the Department of Child Safety: timely, First Nations-led legal support and advocacy.

IUIH approached the Pathways in Place team at Griffith University to partner in a Health Justice Partnership pilot, embedding legal and family support within the BiOC.

The teams subsequently collaborated to apply for Medical Research Future Fund Indigenous Health Research grant funding to support the pilot Health Justice Partnership and to conduct important research around its effectiveness.

Our research team comprises researchers and leaders from IUIH, ATSICHS Brisbane and Moreton, and Griffith University. A majority of the researchers are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The Chief Investigators (CIs) are:

Professor Andrew Harvey - Director, Pathways in Place, Griffith University (Lead CI)

Emerita Professor Cindy Shannon - Griffith University

Ms Keryn Ruska - Legal Services Manager, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health

Professor Shaun Ewen - Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education), Griffith University

Ms Kristie Watego - CEO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service - Moreton

Dr Kerry Hall - Lead, Learning and Teaching (Indigenous), Griffith University

Mr Alfred Davis - Child and Youth Services Advisor, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health

Mr Dylan Nelson - General Manager, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service - Brisbane

Dr Claire Brolan - Senior Policy Adviser Institute for Urban Indigenous Health

Ms Tanisha Springall - First Peoples Midwifery Lecturer, Griffith University

Dr Lucy Campion - Researcher - Legal Focus - Pathways in Place, Griffith University

Ms Rebecca Wren - Researcher - Child Protection Focus - Pathways in Place, Griffith University

This research is funded via a grant provided by MRFF (MRF2040818) for a period of 2 years.

Our research will investigate the effectiveness of the Health Justice Partnership project located within the Logan Jajumbora BiOC.

The Health Justice Partnership provides embedded legal and social support through a First Nations lawyer and family support worker.

By providing timely legal and social support the Health Justice Partnership aims to reduce the number of First Nations infants entering into out-of-home care and strengthen the health and wellbeing of mothers and families birthing First Nations infants. The aim of the research is to investigate the effectiveness and potential scalability of the First Nations-led Health Justice Partnership pilot program.