Celebrating the Opening of the Yerrabi Yurwang Health Hub in ACT

The Official Opening of the Yerrabi Yurwang Health Hub in North Canberra was held on Friday, 6 December 2024 – a partnership between Yerrabi Yurwang, OzChild and Marymead CatholicCare.  

Yerrabi Yurwang is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation with a 100% Ngunnawal Board, and will soon commence the provision of culturally appropriate, holistic health services that are strength-based and trauma-informed to Aboriginal Families and Children in the ACT.  The new Health Hub will be dedicated to forging strong pathways for young people and providing vital support for women and children experiencing family, domestic, and sexual violence.  

OzChild Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa J. Griffiths highlighted the significance of this new beginning, saying “Today marks not only the beginning of Ngunnawal community-controlled services that empower current and future generations of First Nations people here in the ACT, but for OzChild, it also represents the strength found in unity and the beginning of a renewed connection – a reunion of sorts – between us.” 

Dr Griffiths also expressed her gratitude for the partnership with Professor Dea Delaney- Thiele, CEO of Yerrabi and an exceptional and fierce leader with a deep commitment to her people. “I’ve learned so much from Dea over the years, during her time with OzChild and more recently as we have been working together to see her vision for Yerrabi and a collaborative approach to delivering services come to life. Dea contributed enormously to OzChild’s journey to reconciliation – to culturally responsive and safe practices and to building authentic and meaningful partnerships – we are looking forward to building our relationship with Yerrabi as we work together to advance real and lasting change.” 

Dr Griffiths emphasised the need to work together to turn the tide on the number of First Nations children and young people being removed from their families and entering the youth justice system. She committed to continuing to work with the sector to ensure that ACCOs like Yerrabi Yurwang receive the funding, support, and recognition they need to deliver programs and services, alone or in partnership with like-minded organisations – building partnerships rooted in mutual respect, trust, and a shared vision for better outcomes for First Nations children and families. 

OzChild’s Functional Family Therapy – Youth Justice (FFT-YJ) team will work alongside the Yerrabi team from within the new Health Hub to deliver a whole family approach to youth justice aimed at reducing reoffending in young people. FFT-YJ will address the underlying reasons why a young person is offending and focus on reducing those behaviours by working with the whole family to create a safer and more inclusive community.

Photo with caption: The opening event was attended by a diverse group of leaders and community members, Elders, including Yerrabi CEO, Dea Delaney-Thiele and Deputy CEO, Lee-Anne Daley. Speakers included Aunty Victoria Bradley, who provided a passionate Welcome to Country (Board Member), Selina Walker (Chair and founding Board Member), Ms Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, (inaugural ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner) and OzChild CEO, Dr Lisa J. Griffiths.  Other Yerrabi Board Members in attendance were Aunty Violet Sheridan (Board Member) and Uncle Warren Daley (Board Member) who also helped with the Smoking Ceremony. The Yerrabi, Marymead CatholicCare and local OzChild FFT-YJ teams were also in attendance along with OzChild’s Executive Director of Services and Practice, Michelle Van Doorn, Director of Services NSW & ACT, Jared Gillard, and National Director of Aboriginal Practice and Partnerships, Chad Lofthouse.