Menu
Menu
14
Aug
2019
Pictured: David Boutkan, Executive Director The Family Centre; Julie Sturgess, Chief Executive NCPHN; and Noni Hopkins, Manager – Mental Health Integration from North Coast Primary Health Network.
North Coast PHN (NCPHN) has announced over $725,000 of federal funding for new mental health services designed for young people within the Byron and Ballina local government areas (LGAs).
NCPHN is best known for working with local communities to address identified health service gaps through the design and funding of new local health services. Earlier this year, NCPHN held discussions with Northern NSW Local Health District, Byron Shire Council, staff from community-based and non-government organisations, as well as over 40 young people through the Byron Bay Youth Activity Centre. Young people were able to share their concerns about accessing locally based youth-specific mental health services, identifying issues with distance from existing services and reporting key insights for what they wanted from a future model of care.
After completing an open tender process and a review of proposed evidence-based solutions, NCPHN is pleased to announce a new partnership with The Family Centre. The Family Centre will provide services to young people aged 10-21 in the Ballina and Byron LGAs with the triple aim of:
NCPHN CEO Julie Sturgess said this was an excellent example of young people being given a voice about their own health needs. Local health service providers then have the opportunity to design their services accordingly to achieve the best health outcomes.
“Young people have the highest rates of mental ill-health across the lifespan and bear a disproportionate share of the burden of disease associated with mental disorder. Yet young peoples’ access to mental health services is the poorest of all age groups.
“The Family Centre has experience and demonstrates particular strengths in being flexible with service accessibility, which is critical to engaging young people and their families in care. This new service will focus on family-inclusive practices, cultural safety and applying existing strategies relating to engaging parents and carers,” said Ms Sturgess.
The Family Centre Executive Director David Boutkan said the organisation is delighted to be partnering with NCPHN to deliver this exciting new program.
“Our service model emphasises the need to work flexibly and in partnership with young people, their families and carers, schools and health services to provide a coordinated continuum of care.
“Our program is designed to assist young people to identify and address their mental health challenges as early as possible to maximises positive health and wellbeing outcomes,” said Mr Boutkan.
Young people accessing the new service will be able to receive non-clinical support as well as clinical treatments where appropriate. The services will be located in places where young people living in the Byron Ballina LGAs are able to easily get to, will be youth-friendly and will incorporate cultural safety, identity and awareness for Aboriginal young people.
The Family Centre will also seek to provide connections for young people to existing social services, particularly in areas such as education, employment and other known social determinants of health.
“This is a great new service for young people in our community,” Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said.
“Federal Government funded programs like this, which are tailored to meet the needs of the local community, have better outcomes.”
The new service is planned to commence late September 2019. People interested in learning more can contact The Family Centre on (07) 55248711 or visit: www.thefamilycentre.org.au/contact-us
New GP Psychiatry Support Line Will Help Improve Mental Health Care on the North Coast
NCPHN Announces Funding of $800,000 for Innovative Aboriginal Youth Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program
Contact for media enquiries
Samara Finlayson, NCPHN Media Team
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 6618 5439
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands across our region, and pay our respect to Elders past, present and on their journey. We recognise these lands were never ceded and acknowledge the continuation of culture and connection to the land, sky and sea. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Land’s first peoples and honour the rich diversity of the oldest living cultures.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
North Coast is identified as the region most likely to be impacted by climate change in Australia and also forecasted greatest growth in those 65+.
Healthy North Coast takes a lead role in ensuring the older population and the sector that supports them are prepared for, can respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.
We have led eight regional disaster management capacity building workshops, bringing together SES, community organisations and the aged care sector.
We have also developed disaster preparedness tip sheets for both residential and community aged care providers.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
In May 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022. Effective from Tuesday, 28 November 2023, eligible people have the choice to access voluntary assisted dying.
Healthy North Coast has developed a webpage for both health professionals and consumers, with links to available information and resources.
Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind
Healthy North Coast has worked with people living with dementia, their families and local service providers to develop an information booklet that will help them connect with local and national supports along their journey.
The booklet includes commonly asked questions for people to ask their GP and/or specialist.
The resource is available in digital and printed copies, with more than 5,000 distributed across the region. An e-version is available to clinicians via the Dementia and Cognitive Impairment HealthPathway.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
The Deteriorating Resident Response Tool (DRRT) has been developed to guide RN’s in Residential Aged Care homes (RACHs) to better understand, anticipate and make clinical decisions responding to the deteriorating health of residents.
The objective of the DRRT is to give RACH staff clear information to triage and provide appropriate care for a range of residents’ health conditions, and, in turn, prevent unnecessary presentations to ED.
The tool has been designed together with a specialist geriatrician, consulting with stakeholders such as Residential Aged Care Managers, NSW Ambulance, GPs, and experts from Mid and North Coast LHDs.
The pilot commences in March with four participating RACHs. Evaluation measures will include effectiveness in building RN confidence and reported reduction in unnecessary hospitalisations. Findings will inform a future planned, region-wide implementation.
Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind
The Care Finders program is a free region-wide service to support vulnerable older people who have no-one else to help them, to learn about, apply for and set up support services.
Care finders can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community, both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.
On the North Coast, Healthy North Coast has commissioned four organisations to provide this important service: EACH, Carexcell, Lifetime Connect and Footprints.
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Healthy North Coast commissions two service providers to deliver psychological therapies and supports for older people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness and who are living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).
The aim of the program is to both provide direct support to residents and their families and carers, as well as upskill the RACH workforce to respond to the needs of residents presenting with mental health concerns.
Strategic Priority Area: Securing a Healthier Future
Delivered by Feros Care, the Healthy Me, Healthy Community program aims to build individual and community connections to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing in Port Macquarie.
The program helps people to connect with community, activities, supports and services that address their broader social determinants of health, as an alternative or supplement to a clinical approach.
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Timely access to primary health care professionals, whether through face-to-face consultation or telehealth, is recognised as an issue for many Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs), that in some cases can lead to potentially preventable hospitalisations. RACHs require adequate telehealth facilities to support access to virtual consultations for their residents.
Project goals
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Aims to provide people who have life limiting conditions the opportunity to exercise choice and receive high quality care at home, harnessing improved and better coordinated supports and services that meet their individual needs.
Program objectives:
These objectives will contribute to achieving the following intended overarching outcomes of:
Funding is open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.
Workforce Locum support and R&R funding criteria
Wellbeing Flexible Funding Criteria & Eligibility
| *Team Size (Total staff and contractors) | Funding Available |
| Small (1-5) | $500-$1500 |
| Medium (6-20) | $1500-$4000 |
| Large (>20) | $4000-$5000 |
