Children and young people in out of home care (OOHC) often have high and unmet health needs, and are more disadvantaged and vulnerable than other children.
NSW Health provides coordinated health assessments and intervention for children and young people entering statutory OOHC who are expected to remain in care for longer than 90 days. The program also targets young people aged 15-17 years who are expected to leave care within the next year.
The program supports earlier identification of health and wellbeing issues for children and young people in OOHC, providing timely intervention when required. The aim is to improve the short and long-term health, development and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people in OOHC, as well as support carers and placement stability.
GPs on the Mid North Coast and in Northern NSW provide an integral contribution to the program by providing an initial primary health assessment and initiating a referral to a paediatrician for a comprehensive assessment.
From those assessments, and in partnership with the child/young person, their carer, and their case worker, each child or young person has a health management plan developed. The plan identifies their state of health and recommended interventions. It is shared with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and health services.
The OOHC Health Pathway program promotes collaboration between NSW Health, DCJ and OOHC service providers, including health professionals, other government agencies, non-government agencies and foster carers.
The Mid North Coast and the Northern NSW OOHC Health Pathway programs support children and young people to link to health services, always ensuring that the child or young person is at the core of the model.
Each local health district has an OOHC Health Pathway coordinator who is responsible for managing and coordinating referrals across all facilities in their district.
Please don’t hesitate to contact them with any questions or seeking guidance:
- Ruth Reynolds, Mid-North Coast OOHC Coordinator: 6589 2578
- Nicole Ashby, Northern NSW OOHC Coordinator: 6603 0922
Visit HealthPathways for more information.
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