A Brisbane health service’s legacy of community-led care

At the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane, a person’s agency is central to its approach, recognising that health does not exist in isolation. 

Renee Blackman is a Kabi Kabi woman from the Sunshine Coast who went from being a client of ATSICHS Brisbane in her early years to serving as its Chief Executive Officer today. She’s looking forward to showcasing the evolution of the organisation as part of the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026 Field Trips Friday program. 

ATSICHS Brisbane was established in 1973 as a direct result of the black activist movement, bringing to light injustices and inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing services that every other Australian could access. 

“A lot of our founding members and a lot of the people who actually opened the doors for Brisbane did that with no pay – because there was no money, there was no funding. They did that because that’s what the community required at the time. We had Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses who actually left paying jobs to come and stand up those services inside community,” Renee explains. 

ATSICHS Brisbane is a community-controlled organisation, caring for community from birth through to aged care. It operates on the understanding that health is never experienced in isolation and takes a holistic approach to care. 

“You can’t worry for things about your health if you don’t have a home, if your children are not safe, if you’re not safe – if there are all those other contributing factors, health for you as an individual is going to be the last thing on your mind,” Renee says. 

“We’re more in that prevention, early intervention space. We want to get to people early.” 

ATSICHS Brisbane delivers health care and community services that are culturally safe and built around the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Brisbane and Logan regions.  

It offers wraparound services that support physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing across medical and dental clinics, a birthing unit, and child and family health services. 

ATSICHS Brisbane also offers youth services, youth justice services, social health programs, family and children support services, including child protection and housing, as well as a Children and Family Centre, family wellbeing services, kindergarten programs and aged care services. 

ATSICHS Field Trip  

ATSICHS has organised a Field Trip to its centres as part of the Philanthropy Australia Conference 2026 Field Trips Friday program. 

The full-day trip held in Brisbane on September 11 offers funders, sector leaders and changemakers a firsthand look at how integrated health, social, disability, family and aged care services support stronger outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

“I’m really excited for what this could potentially bring, if nothing else than just people understanding who ATSICHS Brisbane is and the network, because it has existed for the last 50 odd years across this country as a key part to the health system.” 

The ATSICHS Field Trip A Lifelong Journey: Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health and Wellbeing in Action is open to philanthropists, foundations and funders interested in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions. More information here:  Field Trips Friday program.