Real Men’s Health is showcasing excellence in men’s health programs through our Men’s Health Program Series.
In each article, we will ask 5 questions of a featured program organiser to gain insight into what they do and their thoughts on men’s health today.
In this article, we speak with Rod Carpio, from The Men’s Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation in Broome, Western Australia.
Q1: Could you please describe your role within the organisation?
My name is Rod Carpio I am a proud First Nations man with cultural ties and connection across the Kimberley and Pilbara Regions of WA.
My role at Mens Health Well Being is Team Leader, this role provides the day to day direction and support of the team to deliver a range of social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) programs both locally and regionally in addition to providing cultural advice that ensures the role works within a culturally safe and secure way with First Nations men accessing the range of SEWB services on site.
Q2: Could you please describe what your organisation does?
Mens Health and Wellbeing provide a range of SEWB support services to First Nations Men within Broome.
Our goal is to provide culturally secure and safe advocacy and support services to First Nations men through case management, inter-agency collaboration and service referral pathways that ensures greater participation and opportunities for men to access SEWB support services in a confident, culturally inclusive and collaborative way.
Q3: What are the biggest changes you have observed within the men’s health space over the past 5-years?
Steady and progressive improvements have been made around service delivery being available for First Nations men who are incarcerated.
Transitional Work Employment Programs are now provided through 2 major regional prison’s which work with clients prior to release around employment and training opportunities within their own communities. This has resulted in men being able to return to their own regional townships and communities to take up meaning full employment and training opportunities in turn providing for their families.
Another big change is the collaboration and goodwill of our local Community Policing Unit to work more closely with SEWB services to build rapport and positive working relationships by way of on-country activities for men specifically.
An example of this is the My Park Rocks project which sees monthly outreach to various local parks were men gather to provide education and awareness around making healthy lifestyle choices with solid referral pathways across to other SEWB programs specifically designed to tackle DV, sobriety, relationship’s and AOD.
Q4: If hypothetically, the Government offered you an unrestricted $1M grant tomorrow, what one project would you spend it all on?
To increase the capacity of services at the hub, look more closely at the co-design of the Centre that in essence enables an inter-agency one-stop-shop for our mob, and a sobering up centre specifically for First Nations Men in Broome in partnership with other key agencies on the ground.
Q5: Do you have a favourite sports team, when & why did you start supporting them?
Fremantle Dockers – my children told me that I should support them and that if I didn’t I was the odd one out – so I thought best to support this mob.
Thank you for sharing with Real Men’s Health