Summary
Community Care Unit kicked off this week’s NAIDOC Week celebrations for Central Queensland Health, marking the opening of its new Yarning Circle.
Manager Katrina Angus was proud to throw open the CCU doors for a triple celebration on Monday, the unveiling of the Yarning Circle, NAIDOC Week, and the facility’s 10th birthday.
Darumbal Elder Uncle Bill Mann welcomed visitors to Country, did a smoking ceremony, and then presented the CCU with a genuine 40-year-old Yarning Stick for use in the new Yarning Circle.
“In the Yarning Circle, the main protocol is that only one person speaks at a time and everyone else has to listen,” he said. “Whoever holds the Yarning Stick speaks and then they hand it over to the next person. It’s all about respect.”
Katrina believes this new space provides cultural safety for residents, with an area they can identify with and call their own.
More than half of the unit’s residents have an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island background.
“They’ve been watching this space since day dot,” Katrina said. “And they’ve been providing a lot of positive feedback as it’s evolved.”
In the 10 years since it first opened, the Community Care Unit has supported many residents by providing support during their recovery to independent life in the community.
Katrina said the average length of stay was nine months, and most residents were grateful to receive plenty of support.
“It’s rewarding to work alongside people and watch their recovery journey and be able to help them return to the community and live well and become well established in the community, with full supports in place to help them flourish,” she said.
“It’s very rewarding when one comes back and says thank you for giving me my life back.”