HLT40221 - Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice

Course Summary

HLT40221 Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice reflects the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners.

It is specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people who work as part of a multidisciplinary health care team providing primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.  They provide culturally safe health and wellbeing promotion, preventative health care and clinical treatment services in a diversity of locations including urban, rural and remote settings.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners use initiative and judgement within the parameters of practice standards, treatment protocols and clinical supervision arrangements established by the employing organisation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are registered through Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) - only when registered, can practitioners use the protected title of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner.  However, registration is not automatically linked to an individual’s certification in this qualification.  Current requirements for practitioners to complete an accredited program of study, and how training organisations accredit their program, are managed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Accreditation Committee (ATSIHPAC).

NOTE: CQU holds AHPRA accreditation for HLT40221 Certificate IV in Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care.

Requirements - To Be Eligible

For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements.

Students must be willing and able to complete 500 hours of clinical placement as specified in the training package and required for AHPRA registration as an Aboriginal Health Practitioner. Placement may be undertaken through one of the following pathways:

• A student’s current workplace (paid or voluntary), where appropriate
• A combination of workplace and CQUniversity arranged placement
• Fully Work Integrated Learning (WIL) organised placement, coordinated by CQUniversity

All placements must occur within an appropriate health service or organisation and be supervised by a suitably qualified supervisor, who is responsible for verifying student performance through workplace documentation, including third party reports and/or practical assessment workplace observation. These reports assess the student’s ability to perform required tasks in a real workplace setting. Some units within the course include specific workplace-based assessment requirements.

Students undertaking WIL-organised placements will be required to complete all mandatory compliance checks (e.g. police check, Blue Card, immunisations and other site-specific requirements) prior to placement allocation.

Additional entry requirements include:

• Completion of a Basic Key Skills Builder (bksb) online literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy assessment prior to enrolment, unless the student has completed an equal or higher-level qualification
• Students must be 18 years of age upon completion of the course to be eligible for AHPRA registration

As this is an Indigenous-specific program, applicants must provide evidence of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity. The University accepts the following forms of verification:

(a) Certified copies of Confirmation of Identity documentation from a recognised Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community organisation
(b) Native Title documentation issued by a Prescribed Body Corporate naming the applicant or demonstrating familial or ancestral connection
(c) In the absence of (a) or (b), an original Statutory Declaration supported by two verification documents from recognised cultural referees
OR
(d) Evidence of employment in an identified Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander role.

Vocational Placement and Work Integrated Learning

Students must complete a Vocational Placement and/or Work Integrated Learning as part of this qualification.

Additional information

Students are required to complete 500 clinical placement hours to meet the requirements of the training package and AHPRA registration for Aboriginal Health Practitioners.

There is no requirement to be employed in a relevant health service prior to enrolment. Placement hours may be completed through one of the following pathways:

• A student’s current workplace (paid or voluntary), where appropriate
• A combination of workplace and CQUniversity-arranged placement
• Fully Work Integrated Learning (WIL) organised placement, coordinated by CQUniversity

All placement must be undertaken within an appropriate health service or organisation and under the supervision of a suitably qualified supervisor. Supervisors are required to verify student competency through workplace documentation, including third party reports or practical assessment workplace observations, which assess the student’s ability to perform required tasks in a real work environment. Some units include specific workplace-based tasks, as outlined in the assessment requirements.

Where a student is unable to access a suitable workplace, or where their workplace does not meet all learning requirements, CQUniversity’s WIL procedures will apply. The WIL team will source and coordinate placements in line with course requirements and student needs.

Students undertaking WIL-organised placements must complete all mandatory compliance checks (e.g. police checks, Blue Card, immunisation requirements, and any site-specific requirements) prior to placement allocation. While every effort is made to source placements within a student’s local community, there may be circumstances where travel or temporary relocation is required to complete placement requirements.

Placement may also be subject to:

• Successful completion of all mandatory checks
• Attendance at a pre-placement interview, if required by the host organisation
• Meeting any additional site-specific requirements set by the placement provider

Mandatory Check enquiries can be directed to WILCompliance@cqu.edu.au, and detailed information is available via the WIL documentation provided to students. Immunisations WIL Information. 

Course Details

Admission Codes

Student Outcomes, Career Opportunities and Occupations

This qualification provides a pathway to work in a range of health care settings including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community organisations, and the public or private health sector. Aboriginal Health Practitioners form part of a team providing clinical and primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients, families and community groups. They work with patients, clients and visitors to hospitals and health clinics and assist in arranging, coordinating and providing health care in community health clinics. Roles could include Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Health Worker (Generalist), Outreach Worker, Mental Health Worker, Family Health Worker, Sexual Health Worker, Education Officer, Hospital Liaison Officer, Drug and Alcohol Worker, Environmental Health Worker, Community Worker, Healthy Living Worker, Vascular Health Worker, Pharmacy Health Worker, Maternal and Perinatal Health Worker, Otitis Media Health Worker, Nutrition Health Worker, Eye Care Coordinator or Primary Health Care Practice Manager.