perth primary care network street doctor fremantle streetdoctor hills community support group inc ...
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Perth Primary Care Network Street Doctor Fremantle StreetDoctor Hills Community Support Group Inc Adolescent Mothers Support Service
(AMSS) RUAH Young Women’s Program
IHSHY jointly funded by Australian Government and State and Territory Governments
Western Australian State Government provides 70% of IHSHY funding
Evaluation commissioned Document service models and measure
accessibility and acceptability/usability
Evaluation still in progress Informed by extensive literature review Research focus on youth perspectives Service users and service providers
interviewed Recommendations will assist the State
Government and/or services to bid for further Australian Government funding
About 13,390 homeless people in Western Australia
32% are 12-18 year olds 8% 19-24 year olds More females in younger group, more males
in older group Aboriginal young people account for a
significant portion of homeless or at risk youth
N=39Perth Street Doctor x 2 sites
Fremantle Street Doctor x 4 sites
Hills CSS AMSS RUAH
Age Range 17-25 20-23 15-21 16-18 19-25
Total Interview Numbers
17 4 4 9 6
Female 9 3 4 9 6
Male 8 1 n/a n/a n/a
Key qualities of Street Doctor services are: Location is good – convenient Social gathering – atmosphere around the
van Doesn’t feel like you are waiting Don’t have to wait as long compared with
visiting a GP surgery Free service and don’t have to remember
Medicare card
When asked why other young people might not use the services, the most commonly cited reason is that they probably don’t need it, or,
“if they don’t come, it’s probably because they don’t want to be helped”.
Key qualities of service providers: Friendliness (most cited quality) Trust Respect Won’t judge Confidentiality “Treat you like a person”
Many of the young people talked about being treated as a person, and providers
“taking the time to talk to me rather than at me”
Other services needed Places for young people to go – drop in
centre 24hr – weekends Somewhere safe to go Emergency accommodation Counselling and mental health
Perth Street Doctor
Fremantle StreetDoctor
Hills CSS AMSS RUAH
Program Coordinator
Program Coordinator
n/a n/a Program Manager
Nurse Nurse Social Workers x 2
Midwives x 2 Social Workers x 2
GP GP x 3
Outreach Worker
Mental Health Nurse
Aboriginal Health Worker
Social Support Worker
N=19
A place where people feel safe Untimed/unbooked appointments Flexibility Clear boundaries Follow up where feasible
Qualities required of providers Non-judgemental Staff philanthropically inclined Passionate Respectful Easy going Empathy with client group Sense of humour
An outreach worker comments
“all staff are philantropically inclined or they wouldn’t be working in that hot van…I mean the doctors could get a much more comfortable office you know, but they do it because they care…we all care”
A GP comments that:
“Karen who practice manages…has such enthusiasm and passion and commitment for it, and she really understands what our clinical needs are”
A nurse comments that
“I feel for us because we’re fairly regular now, we’ve earned trust. And once you’ve earned trust, then [the clients] start opening up a lot more…they’re more comfortable”
Another GP says
“Trust is an absolute condition. If they feel one bit that they are being judged, I mean, and they’re sensitive in that area and at that age, extremely…it just turns them off. They won’t want to come again”
Improvements to service Could be on site more Going to more places Psychologist on board More time with each client Shoes and socks New van with electronic filing and printing
facilities Promotion of service
Improvements to services “Nothing really” Blankets/jumpers Coffee Psychologist Better bus Onsite pharmacy, free scripts
The young people who willingly participated in interviews and shared their views and ideas
The service providers who gave up personal time for interviews
The program coordinators for facilitating introductions to providers
Michael Robinson, IHSHY Manager, Department of Health