Mparntwe / Alice Springs

I am a proud Alawa/Marra woman from Katherine, NT, and have spent a significant part of my life living in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). With over 40 years in Central Australia. I have extensive experience in the Aboriginal community-controlled sector, particularly in health services. Currently I work as the Community Engagement Coordinator in the Research section at Congress. My roles within Congress have included health promotion, midwifery, and two-way Learning Culture Advisor for Alukura, in addition to case management in AOD services at CAAAPU.

I am responsible for:

  • Organising and running group workshops in Alice Springs and remote communities.
  • Conducting focus groups and interviews for qualitative projects
  • Coordinating pop-up events both in town and remotely.
  • Facilitating community engagement in Alice Springs and surrounding CAAC communities.
  • Contributing to research on community engagement and health issues.

As a researcher, I have played a significant role at the Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, leading the Community Engagement team on the HTLV-1 study. This study involved over 1200 clients across Alice Springs and 8 remote communities, working with major health services like CAAC, CAHS, and Ngaanyatjarra. My role involved facilitating the consenting process for participants and participating in meetings with consortium members and chief investigators.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Cert III in Community Services
  • Cert II in Community-based Health Research (Completing last units)

PROJECTS:

PRESENTATIONS 2022-2024:

  • IUSTI 2024 conference – HTLV-1 community engagement.
  • AIATSIS 2024 Summit – Poster presentation
  • NAACHO 2023 conference – HTLV-1 community engagement
  • CAAHSN 2022 – HTLV1 Longitudinal study
  • NT Diabetes Summit 2022 – LIved expereince speaker and panellist

MEDIA ARTICLES:

WORK HISTORY:

  • 1985-1988 – Department of Treasury
  • 1988-1990 – Tangentyere Council office supervisor / Land management department
  • 1991-1998 – SA schools aboriginal education worker
  • 1999-2002 – Katherine schools Aboriginal Education worker
  • 2005-2007 – CAAAPU Community worker
  • 2008-2011 – CAAC Alukura – 2 way learning cultural advisor/Midwifery ALO
  • 2012-2014 – Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Healthy Lifestyle Team, Health promotions
  • 2015-2018 – Tangentyere Council Safe House Residential Worker and Team Leader
    • Staff Rosters and filing
    • Day to day care of the clients
    • Assistance in showering, cooking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the clients
    • Planning activities for the clients
    • Computer entry
    • Writing reports and liaising with Department of Child and Family Services
    • Arranging and transporting the clients to specific appointments and school
    • Handling petty cash and clients pocket money
    • Completing house shopping for groceries, stationary and materials for activities
    • Assisting staff with supervision and completing timesheets
    • Liaising with parents/family including visiting remote communities
  • 2019 Feb – Dec 2023 – Baker IDI Team Leader Aboriginal Research officer
    • Recruiting Indigenous clients to participate in health longitudinal study
    • Delivery of health information and messages.
    • Planning trips & travelling out to remote communities
    • Facilitating group discussions around health research studies.
    • Assisting with writing reports, feedback & evaluation.
    • Help develop health literacy videos and flip books.
    • Sending, replying to emails along with other computer data entries.
    • Presentation on the study and community engagement at conferences & workshops.
    • Extensive community engagement and liaison with networks, elders, and stakeholders, including numerous remote communities in central Aust.
  • 2024 – Current CAAC– Aboriginal Community Engagement- Research
    • Organising and running group workshops in Alice Springs and remote communities.
    • Conducting focus groups and interviews for qualitative projects
    • Coordinating pop-up events both in town and remotely.
    • Facilitating community engagement in Alice Springs and surrounding CAAC communities.
    • Contributing to research on community engagement and health issues.

Fig. 1 The Northern Territory (NT) Diabetes Summit was a two-day event held in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, from 3-4 November 2022.

  • Hear from: Yasmin Watts, Lived experience speaker – 01:18:00 and panel discussion: Yasmin Watts, Peggy Tom, Amenia Brunker, John Boffa (Chief Public Health Officer at CAAC) and Sumaria Corpus (community member) – 01:34:31.

 

Fig. 2-5 Presentation at the HTLV-1 session at International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infection (IUSTI) Confernece in September 2024

Fig. 6 Caac History Project – Congress Arrulenye presented a poster: Health transformations over Congress’ 50-year journey’, led conversations about this significant piece of Aboriginal community-controlled history with Summit delegates, such as Associate Professor Lynette Riley from the University of Sydney at the 2024 AIATSIS Summit in Melbourne

Fig. 7 Working in community on HTLV-1 Study.