The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Liaison Officer (ATSLO)
Cootharinga Society developed an innovative and unique role being that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Liaison Officer (ATSLO). The position commenced in 1995.
The objective of the ATSLO’s role is to communicate and address the broader community issues of clients from an indigenous background and ascertain their needs and aspirations for the future. To do this effectively, contact needed to be established and relationships developed and maintained with clients and their families.
The ATSLO holds informal cross cultural training sessions with staff so that their understanding of cultural issues is well developed and they have the foresight to see that traditional western methods of dealing with problems may not always work with culturally diverse clients.
The ATSLO delivers cross cultural training to other service providers and community based organisations in the Townsville region and is soon to provide cross cultural training at Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE. Above all else, this has resulted in the continuous improvement of services delivered internally to clients and externally to the community.