This project aims to: Ensure Indigenous Australian’s enjoy similar levels of physical, emotional and social wellbeing as those enjoyed by other Australians.

​​Over many years, Yarkuwa has operated in the community linkages space. This work  demonstrated that working in partnership with existing services is the best way to address community safety issues, and that a new approach was needed to address low employment and education levels, increase safety issues encompassing drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and connection with the justice system, and disparity in health statistics.
 
This project assists the delivery of services to be viewed through a cultural lens that provides support for participant driven processes aimed at sustainable and positive outcomes.
 
Funding of the Project:
Tityap Telkaya is funded by Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) under the community safety and wellbeing funding stream with current funding through to 30/6/19.

Project Objectives:
To improve the safety and wellbeing of our community by:

• Improved service delivery for our community
• Empowering the wider Deniliquin Aboriginal Community to take leadership roles within their community to develop and guide this process of collaboration with service providers
• Reduce family violence and improve the safety of women and children
• Reduce the physical and psychological abuse, neglect and trauma caused to children through exposure to and the experience of family violence
• Inhibit the intergenerational cycle of violent behaviours caused by family violence

 
Approach:

1. Steering Committee
   ​A steering Committee has been formed with representatives from Yarkuwa, NSW Police Vinnies Services Deniliquin, Murrumbidgee Local Health Network, Edward River Council, NSW Department of Education and Aboriginal community representatives
    
2. Project Working Group
   A project working group formed to support the Community of Practice.  Membership is responsive and drawn from operational partners in the project
   
   
3. Community and Professional Partnerships
   It is fundamental to the success of the project for the Deniliquin community, including community service practitioners, to work together.

The benefits for our community are:

• to improve the safety of Aboriginal families and communities
• to focus on and address domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and contact with the criminal justice system
• to develop cultural health, identity and sense of place within their local community
• for services to more appropriately engage in innovative partnerships with others to meet participants specific identified needs
• to build resilience 

Project lead
Karen Wilson

Project Consultant
Jennifer Townsend