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My role, AQL and the Circle of Care

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As a Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) worker, Aboriginal Health Worker, or health professional working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, you play an important role in empowering mob to give up the smokes or vapes.

You are often the first point of contact to help the mob start their quit journey. You provide a welcoming and safe space for community to yarn about their smoking or vaping experiences.

The deadliest way to help mob along their quit journey is to follow the brief advice model and work with Aboriginal Quitline (AQL) in a Circle of Care.

The Circle of care

The Circle of Care approach ensures mob receive the best possible support throughout their quit journey. The Circle of Care is an AQL counsellor, doctor, local Aboriginal Health Worker and TIS worker working together as a team to empower mob to live a full, healthy, and strong life.

AQL Circle of Care Illustration

Your role:

Throughout your client's quit journey, you will be your client’s local point of contact and support. You will provide basic information and brief advice on how to start the quit journey. 

Then with the consent of your client, you can refer them to AQL (or your client can contact us directly if they prefer).

AQL counsellor’s role:

An AQL counsellors will follow up with your client and provide them with extra support and an opportunity to yarn about their quitting journey. AQL will:

  • provide one-on-one telephone counselling
  • help them make a tailored quit plan   
  • offer advice on how to tackle cravings and withdrawals   
  • build their motivation to quit and stay quit   
  • offering advice on how to support their loved ones to quit
  • work with you to ensure their needs are met and an effective, support care plan is achieved. 

AQL will provide you with a summary of outcomes when the person has finished using our service. This information is useful for you to continue providing support for them during any follow up appointments you may have with them. Ongoing encouragement to stay quit may be required so don’t be afraid to re-refer to us, no fuss.

It’s important to remember you’ll still have a key role in helping community after the referral to AQL, as you will always be the local contact.

With the Circle of Care approach, we can work together for a deadly outcome for mob and their loved ones!

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