The Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Support Service (ANFPPSS) is funded to provide support to primary health care organisations that implement the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program. A critical role of the ANFPPSS is to support each of the implementing teams to maintain program fidelity and achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients. The ANFPPSS convenes meetings between the stakeholders involved in the implementation of the program to ensure that stakeholders can learn from each other and that risks to the program are raised early.

JTA International has been commissioned to auspice the Support Service, to provide support to the health services delivering the ANFPP. The ANFPPSS is a partnership between JTA International, Barbara Schmidt & Associates, Menzies School of Health Research and AusVoc Educational Publishing.

The scope of the support offered by the ANFPPSS is:

• Workforce development, including recruitment and retention of team members, training and professional development, additional support such as team building;
• Monitoring and reporting, including establishment of and regular review of the data forms, training in data collection, analysis of data and production of quarterly fidelity reports, and assistance with establishing the infrastructure required to monitor the program as required by the funder;
• Planning of the establishment and implementation of the program including development of plans, protocols and procedures and embedding of quality improvement processes;
• Provision of documentation to support the program, including adaptation of existing Nurse Family Partnership materials to the Australian context, and development of new materials that will support the implementation of the program.

Leadership Team

The ANFPP Leadership Team oversees the strategic direction of the ANFPP and enables collaborative and effective relationships with stakeholders and partners. There are five members of the Leadership Team.

Brendon Douglas: Program Director

Brendon has held various program and executive management positions both in Australia and internationally. His areas of expertise include: organisational and program leadership, strategic planning; institutional analysis and organisational design; capacity building and training; and corporate law.

Brendon’s most recent position saw him employed as the Team Leader of the Capacity Building Service Centre, based in Papua New Guinea, which remains Australia’s largest international development assistance program in the health sector. Prior to working in PNG, Brendon worked for the Menzies School of Health Research in an executive management role, was Executive Director for two community based organizations and has undertaken international development assignments in Guyana, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

Brendon is a registered lawyer in Australia and his professional experiences are underpinned by academic qualifications which include BA/LLB (Hons) at Melbourne University; Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a Graduate Certificate in Management. brendon.douglas@anfppss.com.au

Dr Claire Runciman: Team Leader

Claire’s initial training and career was as a sociologist. Claire has contributed to policy and to the development of strategic approaches to health care system reform and has worked to implement those policies and strategic approaches. Claire has become increasingly convinced that maternal and early childhood services provide the greatest opportunity for improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health outcomes. Claire is responsible for the delivery of all components of the program. claire.runciman@anfppss.com.au

Ms Pat Anderson

Pat has been dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over a long career. She is nationally and internationally recognised for her work in Indigenous health.

Her experience extends across all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, spanning the social and political divides of government and non-government health service delivery through her commitment to health promotion, advocacy, community development, policy reform and research.

Pat was formerly the Chief Executive of Danila Dilba Health Service, a community-controlled organisation providing primary health care services to Aboriginal communities in the Yilli Rreung region in the Northern Territory.

She has recently retired from her Executive Officer appointment with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance in Northern Territory (AMSANT), the peak body of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in the NT.

Pat has been recognised most recently as the co-author of the Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse 2007, titled Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle – “Little Children are Sacred” (PDF).

She has spoken before the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations; and in honour and celebration of her work was awarded the PHAA’s Sidney Sax Public Health Medal at the 2007 PHAA Annual Conference. pat.anderson@anfppss.com.au

Dr Mark Wenitong

Mark obtained a medical degree from University of Newcastle in 1995. He is a member of many boards and committees relating to Indigenous health and is a founder of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association.

Mark was Senior Medical Officer of the Wuchopperen Health Service from 1999 until 2008, is a medical Advisor to Apunipima Cape York Health Council and an Adjunct Lecturer at James Cook University, in the Faculty of Medicine.

Mark brings in-depth knowledge of operational service delivery and strong community connections, to his role in the leadership team. mark.wenitong@anfppss.com.au

Prof Victor Nossar

Professor Nossar is Program Leader – Child and Youth Health in the NT Dept of Health & Families.

Before he took up this position Dr Nossar was Professor of Child Health & Associate Dean establishing a new School of Medicine in Sydney at The University of Notre Dame Australia, as well as being on the boards of Cerebral Palsy Alliance (formerly The Spastic Centre), and the Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare in Australia.

Prof Nossar has more than 20 years experience in implementing community-based services to enhance the health and development of children and young people, both in Australia and overseas.

In South Australia, Prof Nossar headed Every Chance for Every Child, implementing Australia’s largest sustained nurse home visiting service. In NSW, he worked with The Cabinet Office of NSW and the NSW Commission for Children and Young People to develop and implement the Families First Initiative across NSW.

Prof Nossar has reviewed child health services in several of the states and territories in Australia, and undertaken consultancies for AusAID, UNFPA, WHO and The World Bank in the Pacific, in China, in Africa and several Indian Ocean countries. victor.nossar@anfppss.com.au

Project Team

Dr Claire Runciman: Team Leader

Claire is responsible for overall management of the Program, for achievement of program deliverables in accordance with the contract schedule and for efficient management and accounting of the program budget. claire.runciman@anfppss.com.au

Eleanor Jackson: Program Manager

Eleanor manages the support service operations, ensuring that the project plan is current, that reports are completed in a timely fashion and that the quality of the program is maintained. eleanor.jackson@anfppss.com.au

Marjo Stroud: Project Coordinator

Marjo assists Eleanor in all aspects of project coordination. Marjo is responsible for maintaining administrative systems, supporting smooth coordination of different aspects of the program and ensuring that program documentation is of a high quality.  marjorie.stroud@anfppss.com.au

Andrew Wilson: Monitoring and Information Technology Coordinator

Andrew is responsible for developing, maintaining and operating the information systems required to support program monitoring and provision of feedback on program fidelity to nurse supervisors and to the funding body (OATSIH). andrew.wilson@anfppss.com.au

Janice Finlayson: Nurse Educator

Janice provides support and strategic oversight for the nurse supervisors in each of the program teams. Janice ensures that a high standard of supervision is maintained in the program and that skills in reflective practice are built systematically throughout the program. janice.finlayson@anfppss.com.au

Anthony Weller: Senior Mental Health Nurse

Anthony is responsible for conducting regular reflective practice with selected Nurse Supervisors and for delivery of elements of professional development including team building. He provides expertise in mental health for nurses who require additional support in management of clients with complex needs. He is also responsible for supporting case conferencing and assisting teams to develop strong local partnerships with service providers who may be involved in management of complex cases. anthony.weller@anfppss.com.au

Roslyn Copas & Marybeth Sarran

Roslyn Copas & Marybeth Sarran at AusVoc Educational Publishing adapt the NFP materials for the Australian health system and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural context. This is done in consultation with the services implementing the program, OATSIH and the University of Colorado.

Barbara Schmidt

Barbara Schmidt, based at Barbara Schmidt & Associates, provides expertise in a range of activities including service planning, business planning, program development, program implementation and quality improvement.

Ross Andrews

Ross Andrews, based at the Menzies School of Health Research, is responsible for the long term monitoring of the program. This includes delivering data collection training to staff, data cleaning, data analysis and reporting on program implementation.