The Allied Health Academy (TAHA): Building Interdisciplinary Collaboration through a Global Online Community of Practice
The Allied Health Academy
The Allied Health Academy (TAHA) is a global, online community of practice that was created to give a global voice to allied health professionals and offer a dynamic hub for sharing innovations and learning together. With members from over 30 professions across more than 15 countries, our goal is to empower all allied health workers to maximise their impact on the health of the communities they serve.
At TAHA, we provide an array of resources tailored to meet your needs as an allied health professional, leader, researcher or clinical educator —whether you’re looking to learn from our free webinars, participate in forums and chat rooms, or explore our mix of paid and free courses. We also have dedicated spaces for workforce leaders to come together to share innovation and discuss the unique challenges they face, free from professional, institutional and jurisdictional pressures and biases.
We’re just getting started on this journey, and we’d love your insights and involvement to shape our future. TAHA thrives on the strength and diversity of its members. So, why not join us? We’re excited to see how we can grow and make a difference together.
Vision and Mission of The Allied Health Academy
The Allied Health Academy was conceived with the vision of creating an inclusive, interdisciplinary platform where allied health professionals from around the world can collaborate. Our mission is to foster an environment of continuous professional development and collaboration across various allied health disciplines, ultimately to enhance patient care globally by ensuring that allied health services are optimally employed.
Building a Global Interdisciplinary Network
TAHA uses an online platform to unite professionals globally, across multiple professions. Our online community facilitates the exchange of knowledge and ideas, enabling members to learn from each other’s experiences and insights, regardless of geographical and professional barriers.
- Knowledge Sharing: TAHA platform features a rich repository of resources including webinars, case studies, and evidence-based research papers. This shared pool of knowledge helps build learning and capacity across regions and specialties.
- Professional Development: Through our structured courses and informal learning sessions, members gain access to ongoing education tailored to their specialties and interests. TAHA also offers CPD to help professionals stay current with the latest advancements in their fields.
- Mentorship Opportunities: We have the opportunity for more experienced practitioners within the community to provide mentorship to newer members, guiding them through complex clinical scenarios and career development paths. This mentorship will be crucial for fostering the next generation of allied health leaders.
Our online communities include
The Allied Health Academy Feed: You can subscribe to the overall TAHA feed to connect with your peers, share insights, or just see what events and courses are coming up.
Global Advanced Practice: A free, online community of practice for allied health professionals involved or interested in advancing practice in allied health. Monthly webinars are led by a range of professions from different countries with a view to sharing opportunities to learn and drive practice changes.
Allied Health Assistant Continuing Professional Development: Free for members of AHANA and $99 per year for non-members, the AHACPD learning community offers monthly CPD webinars, weekly case studies, and practical resources that cover key areas of professional development such as patient care, communication, healthcare technology, and regulatory compliance. Our real-world case studies and scenarios offer lessons you can apply directly to your work.
Lived Experience: We are in discussions with members of the mental health lived experience workforce about whether they would like a free community of practice to build capacity, influence and leadership amongst mental health lived experience workers globally, through networking, discussion, and shared learning.
Global Workforce Allied Health Leaders Forum: An invitation only forum for international allied health workforce leaders. The forum is hosted monthly by different countries and jurisdictions, allowing global workforce leaders to share innovation, challenges and best practice opportunities to drive change.
Who do we Include as ‘Allied Health’?
Every country and every jurisdiction has a different understanding and definition of allied health. Our goal is to be inclusive and to ensure that professions that are normally not heard and seen, but make an important contribution to healthcare in their region, can connect. As a result, we are agnostic in our definition of allied health. As long as you can make a contribution to, and learn from the TAHA environment, we are happy for you to participate in our platform. We do ask that you stick to evidence informed, scientifically backed models of healthcare. The TAHA site is moderated daily.
Overcoming Challenges Through Collaboration
One of the core strengths of The Allied Health Academy is our ability to help members navigate the challenges inherent in interdisciplinary and interjurisdictional collaboration. The TAHA platform encourages dialogue and problem-solving among professionals who might otherwise never connect, leading to innovative solutions and shared strategies for common challenges.
- Interdisciplinary Case Discussions: Regularly scheduled sessions allow members to present complex patient cases and receive feedback and advice from a diverse professional perspective. This collaborative problem-solving approach not only enhances individual practitioner’s skills but also improves patient outcomes.
- Cultural Competence: By engaging with professionals from different parts of the world, we hope that members will naturally develop a greater awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences in patient care. This global perspective is increasingly important as populations become more diverse.
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Interaction
TAHA uses cutting edge technology that combines powerful communities of practice with an online learning management system, integrated events and chat to create a dynamic and interactive learning environment. Features such as forums, live chat rooms, and virtual conferences facilitate real-time communication and collaboration among members. Additionally, the TAHA mobile app ensures that learning and sharing can occur seamlessly, anytime and anywhere.
Evaluating Impact and Ensuring Sustainability
We are constantly reviewing and refining our offerings. TAHA regularly evaluates both the qualitative and quantitative impacts of our programs. Feedback mechanisms and member surveys help guide the continuous improvement of the platform. At the Academy, we are committed to adapting our resources and tools to meet the evolving needs of our global membership base.
Join our Global Allied Health Community
The Allied Health Academy is a place where health professionals can transcend professional and jurisdictional boundaries to focus on what is truly important – optimising patient care. By sharing our skills and expertise, learning from one another, optimising models of care and approaches to service delivery, we hope that the Academy will move health service delivery to a new and more efficient and effective level.
Become part of a community that’s all about growing together and making a real impact on worldwide healthcare by optimising the contribution of allied health.
Follow this link to join (oh… and it’s free…).
