Just shy of two years in her role as Mercy Hospital for Women (MHW) Aboriginal Postnatal Engagement Officer, Cathy Garlett loves being able to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies and connect them with the local community. “I love connecting people to community and working with families,” Cathy says.
Cathy’s mob is the Nyikina people from the Kimberleys in Western Australia and she has a background in social work and counselling at various Aboriginal organisations, including Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation and Ruah Community Services, both in WA. She is perfectly equipped to offer MHW mothers the cultural, social, emotional and practical support they need after having a baby.
Aboriginal Postnatal Engagement Officer Cathy Garlett.
Cathy also connects mothers with Aboriginal services in the local community when they leave the hospital. Cathy actively supports one of these services, the Djilak-Djirri Playgroup run by Banyule Community Health, which gives mothers the opportunity to develop friendships and participate in healing activities with other members of the local community. Cathy’s involvement in the playgroup means she can keep in touch with the mothers and see their babies develop. “Seeing the babies come to playgroup and watching them grow is really something special. It’s like I’m their Aunty,” she says.
I love connecting people to community and working with families.
As an Aboriginal woman, mother and grandmother, Cathy has a way of engaging women and their families so they feel culturally supported. “I love working with families over a long period of time, empowering them and providing them with the practical and cultural support they need,” she says.
This year, she is looking forward to fostering new relationships with families, community and services and strengthening the relationships Mercy Health Aboriginal Programs has already built.
For more information on Mercy Health’s Aboriginal Programs, visit: https://health-services.mercyhealth.com.au/patients-and-visitors/aboriginal-programs
Last reviewed April 24, 2020.