We were all taken by surprise in early 2020 when Covid-19 reached the shores of Australia. All service providers were required to make quick responsive changes to meet the unprecedented times we found ourselves experiencing, but also remain available for our clients.
How do you continue to deliver face to face services in discrete Indigenous communities as the rules are constantly changing and the bio-security act comes into action limiting the ability to move freely from one community to the next?
What do you do if clients don’t have capacity or a willingness to engage in telehealth for mental health?
How can your service continue?
How do you keep your staff safe and the community safe?
So many unknowns were presented, some may say a minefield to navigate.
With regular collaborative communication with local Indigenous leaders and local Indigenous led council, as well as a strong alliance with QLD health Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service (TCHHS) coupled with a flexible approach from the RFDS QLD Section Far North MHWB program, we were able to develop unique processes to ensure we could remain available in community "at a time when we needed you the most" (quote from a community member in Kowanyama during the early stages of restrictions) by facilitating extended stays.
It was a journey, as a leader to be immensely proud of, one where we saw the professional commitment of the team, and dedication to the community members wellbeing shining brightly. It wasn't an easy journey, extended stays came with several sacrifices for clinicians and multiple headaches for the leadership team. It is also a journey we can now reflect on honourably as we demonstrated the ability to go above and beyond in ways that had never been considered before.
But how did we do it?