Christopher O'Brien
Appointed as a practitioner member from New South Wales
Christopher is a father of five and is a Yorta Yorta man from his country Cummeroogunja (aka Cummeragunja) Aboriginal Reserve located on the banks of the famous Murray River, inland southern NSW/northern VIC with an Irish and French heritage. He is a robust advocate for cultural and social determinants for First Nations Peoples holist health and is the National, NSW & ACT leader for the National QAAMS Program – Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services and has been affiliated with QAAMS for 14 strong years. He is the President for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Council with the Health Professional Councils Authority NSW holding appointment for 3-years, holds the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Portfolio for the clinical council for the SENSW PHN, is a Full Member of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, and is an Associate Member and registered mentor for Indigenous Allied Health Australia; and member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group with Ahpra and the National Scheme.
Christopher has been a registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner since 2015 advancing from Aboriginal Health Worker since 2005, progressing to Health Services Team Manager and Chair in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) sector. He has extensive experience in the ACCHS sector and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and social determinants of health bringing his expertise and knowledge skillset to numerous forums, further supporting his appointment as a member of the Executives Aboriginal Chronic Care Network with the Agency for Clinical Innovation NSW.
Christopher is a direct descendant of his third-great grandfather William Cooper – A Gentle Warrior and world-renowned Yorta Yorta man, Australian Aboriginal political activist and community leader; the first to lead a national movement recognised by the Australian Government. William advocated for human rights; petitioned King George V (1934-1937) for better living conditions and equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; protested against the persecution of the Jewish people under the Nazi regime in Germany and Austria (1937-1938); Founding Father of the ‘Day of Mourning’ & Protest (26th January 1938) and the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee – NAIDOC, And a founding member of the first Aboriginal Corporation The Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (1924) and The Aborigines Advancement League (1957), Melbourne VIC.
What experience do you bring to the Board?
I have operated and performed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic health with over 25-years’ experience and further worked in the health domains; leadership, management, governance,
cultural awareness and education, and training.
What is your vision for the ATSIHP profession?
I envisage that one day, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner profession will be acknowledged and respected equally amongst its other 15 health professions that make up the Australian healthcare system; providing opportunity for upscaling scope of practice and performance through mainstream general practice provision helping not only the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, but all communities of Australia!