Eye & Vision Care Toolkit
3. Education and System Supports
3.1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Coordinator Skill Set
3.1.1. Delivering the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Coordinator Skill Set (HLTSS00036)
(or Eye Health Competency Cluster for non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants)
Course Aim
The aim of the Eye Health Coordinator skill set is to provide
Regional Eye Health Coordinators (REHC) and current and
aspiring Aboriginal Eye Health Workers (AEHWs) with the skills
and knowledge to facilitate comprehensive eye care services for
their communities, and enable accessible eye and vision care for
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
Stakeholders
Ideally, the training should involve stakeholders from Aboriginal
Health, ACCHO, Government, and eye health policy sectors, to
discuss successful models and approaches for eye care
coordination and supervision.
Course Delivery
Course delivery can involve a combination of face-to- face
block release; distance learning; and work based assessments.
Teaching & assessment requirements
Units must be assessed by at least one assessor with
competence at or above the unit being assessed.
All units with the prefix HLTAHW include skills and knowledge
specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture.
Assessment must be by an assessor who has expertise in the
unit and/or qualification, and who is Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander him/herself or by a competent assessor who is
accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander person with experience in primary health care.
Pre-requisites
The requirement for entry is a Certificate IV in Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, or equivalent
established via Recognition of Prior Learning.
Units
The units aligned to the Skill Set are:
• HLTAHW030 Provide information and strategies in
eye health
• HLTAHW043 Facilitate access to tertiary health
services
• HLTAHW062 Supervise health care team
The Skill Set can be undertaken as a stand-alone course or can
contribute toward qualifications higher than a Certificate IV in
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care.
Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants
For Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants
working with Aboriginal clients and communities, the aligned
units are:
• HLTOPD401C Work effectively in the ophthalmic
industry
• CHCNET404B Facilitate links with other services
• HLTSUP401B - Supervise in a health setting
Target Group
Current and aspiring Aboriginal Eye Health Workers (AEHWs)
and Regional Eye Health Coordinators (REHC); followed by
Aboriginal health workers involved in the provision of eye care;
or eye care workers working in an Aboriginal context.
Training Outcomes
Completing the training will help learners to:
Perform eye health checks on patients within their communities
• Help manage some eye diseases
• Organise visiting Optometry or Ophthalmology
Clinics to their communities
• Coordinate client referrals to eye care practitioners
• Arrange for spectacles for patients within their
communities
• Follow up eye health care programs and patient
pathways
• Promote eye health to colleagues and communities
Training resources and contacts
Contact the AH&MRC - Aboriginal Health College to discuss
access and licensing for learning materials for the Eye Health
Coordinator skill set (Paul Benedek, Senior Project Officer,
pbenedek@ahc.edu.au or 9019 0733).
Contact the Brien Holden Vision Institute to discuss access to
related eLearning modules (Colina Waddell, Project
Development Officer Aboriginal Vision,
C.Waddell@brienholdenvision.org or 9385 6618)