Journal articles on the topic 'Community health services Victoria'
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1
McCann, Warren. "Redeveloping Primary Health and Community Support Services in Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 6, no. 4 (2000): 36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py00032.
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Why Primary Care Reforms?: It gives me very great pleasure to have been asked to speak at this major international Conference about redeveloping primary health and community support services in Victoria. While opening the Conference, the Victorian Minister for Health, the Honourable John Thwaites, launched the Primary Care Partnership Strategy which is one of the most ambitious and far reaching primary health and community support reform agendas in Australia.
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MacDonald, Catherine, Bill Genat, Sharon Thorpe, and Jennifer Browne. "Establishing health-promoting workplaces in Aboriginal community organisations: healthy eating policies." Australian Journal of Primary Health 22, no. 3 (2016): 239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py14144.
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Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs) and cooperatives function at the centre of community life for local Aboriginal people across Victoria. Local Aboriginal people govern them, work within them as managers and service providers, access health and community services from them and form the constituents who determine their directions. Victorian ACCHOs reflect the unique characteristics of the local Aboriginal community. Thus, potentially, Victorian ACCHOs are key strategic sites for health promotion activities that seek to establish and nurture healthy community, family and peer norms. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) partnered five metropolitan, regional and rural ACCHOs in a pilot project towards the establishment of healthy food policies and practices in their organisations. Project activities combined both ‘top-down’ policy-oriented and ‘bottom-up’ practice-oriented strategies. This paper, drawing upon both baseline and follow-up quantitative and qualitative data, describes initiatives leading to increases in healthy catering choices and related challenges for Aboriginal workplace health promotion practice.
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Ansari, Z., MJ Ackland, NJ Carson, and BCK Choi. "Small Area Analysis of Diabetes Complications: Opportunities for Targeting Public Health and Health Services Interventions." Australian Journal of Primary Health 11, no. 3 (2005): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py05045.
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The objective of this paper is to present small area analyses of diabetes complications in Victoria, Australia, and to illustrate their importance for targeting public health and health services interventions. Local government areas in Victoria were aggregated into 32 Primary Care Partnerships (PCP), which are voluntary alliances of primary care providers. The 32 PCP areas were used as the basic geographic units for small area analyses. Admission rates for diabetes complications were age and sex standardised using the direct method and the 1996 Victorian population as the reference. Admission rate ratios were calculated using the Victorian admission rates as the reference. The 95 per cent confidence intervals for the standardised admission rate ratios were based on the Poisson distribution. There was a wide variation (almost fivefold) in admission rates for diabetes complications across the PCP catchments, with the lowest standardised rate ratio of 0.37 and the highest of 1.75. There were 11 PCPs (seven metropolitan, four rural) with admission rate ratios significantly higher than the Victorian average. The seven metropolitan PCPs contributed more than 43% of all admissions and bed days for diabetes complications in Victoria. Small area analyses of diabetes complications are an exciting new development aimed at stimulating an evidence-based dialogue between local area health service providers, planners and policy-makers. The purpose is to provide opportunities to target public health and health services interventions at the local level to improve the management of diabetes complications in the community.
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M. Brown, Rhonda. "Community Health Within the Context of Health Reform." Australian Journal of Primary Health 6, no. 1 (2000): 85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py00009.
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Recent health reforms in Victoria based on a market model characterised by competition and market control of health services, have radically changed the funding and management of community health organisations and the way health services are provided. Community health has sustained ongoing funding cuts, restructures, amalgamations, and corporatisation over the past decade. Within the context of reform community health has been forced to become competitive through improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of services. At the same time organisations must collaborate to ensure a co-ordinated approach to health care and continue to provide services which are responsive to community needs. With diminishing government funding community health organisations must seek alternative funding sources through the tendering process. A 1998 study of one of the largest metropolitan community health organisations in Victoria gives some insights into the impact of these reforms. The findings of this study show that health reforms based on market principles are not compatible with the delivery of health care, and in particular with primary health care, the underlying philosophy of community health. Organisations are becoming more bureaucratic and hierarchical with decision making being driven by management rather than by consultation with community and staff. Resources are being diverted from health promotion and community development activities to direct services, that are individual and problem focused rather than community and prevention focused.
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McCoppin, Brigid. "Guest Editorial: Community Participation in Community Health: A PHACS Information Resource." Australian Journal of Primary Health 5, no. 2 (1999): 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py99014.
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In his foreword to the recent Department of Human Services (DHS) publication Community participation in community health: A PHACS information resource 3 (1999), the Parliamentary Secretary to the Victorian Minister for Health says that the 'heart' of the current primary health and community support (PHACS) reforms is to ensure that the 'locally based alliances' which are to emerge from them will be responsive to client needs, and notes also that the proposed PHACS demonstration projects will have to include plans for community participation. The aim of this Information Resource in the series Towards a stronger primary health and community support system from the Department of Human Services Victoria, is to guide workers in community health agencies, and in the other PHACS services, in developing ways of encouraging community participation. As such, the document provides both a rationale and practical suggestions, and should be a useful resource for board members and staff of community agencies, as well as for those either teaching or studying in such fields as health promotion and health education, where engaging the interest of members of the public is a central purpose.
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Griffiths, Daniel, Luke Sheehan, Dennis Petrie, Caryn van Vreden, Peter Whiteford, and Alex Collie. "The health impacts of a 4-month long community-wide COVID-19 lockdown: Findings from a prospective longitudinal study in the state of Victoria, Australia." PLOS ONE 17, no. 4 (April 7, 2022): e0266650. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266650.
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Objectives To determine health impacts during, and following, an extended community lockdown and COVID-19 outbreak in the Australian state of Victoria, compared with the rest of Australia. Methods A national cohort of 898 working-age Australians enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study, completing surveys before, during, and after a 112-day community lockdown in Victoria (8 July– 27 October 2020). Outcomes included psychological distress, mental and physical health, work, social interactions and finances. Regression models examined health changes during and following lockdown. Results The Victorian lockdown led to increased psychological distress. Health impacts coincided with greater social isolation and work loss. Following the extended lockdown, mental health, work and social interactions recovered to an extent whereby no significant long-lasting effects were identified in Victoria compared to the rest of Australia. Conclusion The Victorian community lockdown had adverse health consequences, which reversed upon release from lockdown. Governments should weigh all potential health impacts of lockdown. Services and programs to reduce the negative impacts of lockdown may include increases in mental health care, encouraging safe social interactions and supports to maintain employment relationships.
7
Fabb, Linda. "Community Health and the Environment." Australian Journal of Primary Health 2, no. 3 (1996): 85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py96045.
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Case Study One: The Lead Project: Public Health On The Ground: Doutta Galla Community Health Service (DGCHS) is located in Victoria, in Melbourne's inner West. It aims to provide health care services, and health education and promotion to a culturally diverse and changing community. It currently services two local council areas and a population of 146,000 people, with a further 249,000 coming into the area daily for work, study or shopping. It covers four of Melbourne's largest public housing estates and large groups of people from Non-English Speaking Background including South America, the Horn of Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and China.
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Heilbrunn-Lang, Adina Y., Lauren M. Carpenter, Seona M. Powell, Susan L. Kearney, Deborah Cole, and Andrea M. de Silva. "Reviewing public policy for promoting population oral health in Victoria, Australia (2007–12)." Australian Health Review 40, no. 1 (2016): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah15013.
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Objective Government policy and planning set the direction for community decisions related to resource allocation, infrastructure, services, programs, workforce and social environments. The aim of the present study was to examine the policy and planning context for oral health promotion in Victoria, Australia, over the period 2007–12. Methods Key Victorian policies and plans related to oral health promotion in place during the 2007–12 planning cycle were identified through online searching, and content analysis was performed. Inclusion of oral health (and oral health-related) promotion initiatives was assessed within the goals, objectives and strategies sections of each plan. Results Six of the 223 public health plans analysed (3%) included oral health ‘goals’ (including one plan representing nine agencies). Oral health was an ‘objective’ in 10 documents. Fifty-six plan objectives, and 70 plan strategies related to oral health or healthy eating for young children. Oral health was included in municipal plans (44%) more frequently than the other plans examined. Conclusion There is a policy opportunity to address oral health at a community level, and to implement population approaches aligned with the Ottawa Charter that address the social determinants of health. What is known about the topic? Poor oral health is a significant global health concern and places a major burden on individuals and the healthcare system, affecting approximately 50% of all children and 75%–95% of adults in Australia. The Ottawa Charter acknowledges the key role of policy in improving the health of a population; however, little is known about the policy emphasis placed on oral health by local government, primary care partnerships and community health agencies in Victoria, Australia. What does this paper add? This is a review of oral health content within local government (municipal) and community health plans in Victoria, Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings identify several opportunities for public health and community health practitioners and policy makers to place greater emphasis on prevention and improvement of the oral health of Victorians through policy development.
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Renzaho, Andre. "Re-visioning cultural competence in community health services in Victoria." Australian Health Review 32, no. 2 (2008): 223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah080223.
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There are few studies exploring the need to develop and manage culturally competent health services for refugees and migrants from diverse backgrounds. Using data from 50 interviews with service providers from 26 agencies, and focus group discussion with nine different ethnic groups, this paper examines how the Victorian state government funding and service agreements negatively impact on the quest to achieve cultural competence. The study found that service providers have adopted ?one approach fits all? models of service delivery. The pressure and competition for resources to address culturally and linguistically diverse communities? needs allows little opportunity for partnership and collaboration between providers, leading to insufficient sharing of information and duplication of services, poor referrals, incomplete assessment of needs, poor compliance with medical treatment, underutilisation of available services and poor continuity of care. This paper outlines a model for cultural consultation and developing needs-led rather than serviceled programs.
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Mann, Leona. "Widening The Net: New Directions For Community Health." Australian Journal of Primary Health 3, no. 1 (1997): 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py97008.
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The Central Wellington Health Service, in Central Gippsland, Victoria, has been likened to an 'Area Health Board' or a 'Multi-Purpose Centre', because it has been structured into one organisation with an integrated range of services from acute to community.
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McLennan, Fiona, Kate Vickers, Kylie Mason, Karen Bloomberg, Victoria Leadbetter, and Meg Engel. "Capacity Building and Complex Communication Needs: A New Approach to Specialist Speech Pathology Services in Rural Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 12, no. 2 (2006): 66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py06024.
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The aim of this article is to provide a description of the establishment of an innovative approach to improving speech pathology services and community inclusion of people with complex communication needs in rural Victoria. The East Hume Regional Communication Service was established by Ovens and King Community Health Service in partnership with Wodonga Regional Health Service in 2004 as part of a "hub and spoke" network of services across Victoria for people with complex communication needs. Unlike traditional speech pathology services that historically have focused on clinical one-to-one intervention, the Regional Communication Service has a strong focus on community capacity building, enhancing inclusion of people with complex communication needs through improved knowledge, skills and attitudes. This paper will review the relevant literature and outline the Victorian Government policy context within which the service was established. Service highlights and successful initiatives will be described and key factors contributing to the success of the East Hume Regional Communication Service will be explored. Areas for process improvement during the initial two years of operation will also be discussed. This article will provide an insight into establishment of a service delivery model addressing both individual needs and community inclusion that has the potential to be extended across multiple disciplines and areas of practice within rural Australia.
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Sharwood, Penny, and Bernadette O'Connell. "Assessing the relationship between inpatient and outpatient activity:a clinical specialty analysis." Australian Health Review 23, no. 3 (2000): 137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah000137a.
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General and specialist services in public acute hospital outpatient departments play a key role in the health care systemand represent a vital interface between inpatient and community care. Typically outpatient services involve millionsof patient visits within a very short time frame and in Victoria alone between 8-10 million outpatient occasions ofservice are provided each year. Drawing on the first full year of data from the Victorian Ambulatory ClassificationSystem (VACS) this paper examines the patterns underlying the distribution of inpatient separations and outpatientencounters at 16 major Victorian public hospitals and assesses the relationship between inpatient and outpatientactivity at the clinical specialty level.
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Wilson, Gai, Paul Butler, Tricia Szirom, and Jenny Cameron. "Indirect Services Funded by the National Women's Health Program in Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 4, no. 2 (1998): 77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py98023.
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Victoria's Women's Health Services and Centres Against Sexual Assault have implemented a range of indirect activities utilising various strategies and methods with a particular focus on information and resource provision, education and training, community development and promotional activity. They have increased women's access to existing services by working to make those services more appropriate and relevant. To achieve this they have involved women in the community in program management, design and implementation. Collaboration with other agencies in health and related services has also been a key strategy in achieving changes to mainstream services and fulfilling the aims of the dual strategy.
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Guzys, Diana, Guinever Threlkeld, Virginia Dickson-Swift, and Amanda Kenny. "Rural and regional community health service boards: perceptions of community health – a Delphi study." Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, no. 6 (2017): 543. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py16123.
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Much has been written about the composition of health service boards and the importance of recruiting people with skills appropriate for effective and accountable governance of health services. Governance training aims to educate directors on their governance responsibilities; however, the way in which these responsibilities are discharged is informed by board members’ understanding of health within their communities. The aim of this study was to identify how those engaged in determining the strategic direction of local regional or rural community health services in Victoria, Australia, perceived the health and health improvement needs of their community. The Delphi technique was employed to facilitate communication between participants from difference geographic locations. The findings of the study highlight the different ways that participants view the health of their community. Participants prioritised indicators of community health that do not align with standard measures used by government to plan for, fund or report on health. Devolved governance of healthcare services aims to improve local healthcare responsiveness. Yet, if not accompanied with the redistribution of resources and power, policy claimed to promote localised decision-making is simply tokenistic.
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Alford, Katrina. "Reforming Victoria's primary health and community service sector:rural implications." Australian Health Review 23, no. 3 (2000): 58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah000058.
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In 1999 the Victorian primary care and community support system began a process of substantial reform, involvingpurchasing reforms and a contested selection process between providers in large catchment areas across the State.The Liberal Government's electoral defeat in September 1999 led to a review of these reforms. This paper questionsthe reforms from a rural perspective. They were based on a generic template that did not consider rural-urbandifferences in health needs or other differences including socio-economic status, and may have reinforced if notaggravated rural-urban differences in the quality of and access to primary health care in Victoria.
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Leggat, Sandra G., Timothy Bartram, and Pauline Stanton. "People Management in Victorian Community Health Services: An Exploratory Study." Australian Journal of Primary Health 12, no. 3 (2006): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py06046.
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Recent studies have identified the importance of a suitable workforce in achieving health care goals. This paper reports on a study investigating human resource management (HRM) in the public health sector in Victoria. Using survey methodology we found limited use of strategic human resource management, although the community health service respondents reported greater sophistication in HRM than the hospital respondents, particularly in relation to performance management. We explore possible reasons for these differences, such as the values of the community health sector, governance and experience with system reform.
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Silburn, Kate, and Virginia Lewis. "Commissioning for health and community sector reform: perspectives on change from Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 26, no. 4 (2020): 332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py20011.
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Commissioning health and community services is a complex task involving planning, purchasing and monitoring services for a population. It is particularly difficult when attempting system-level reform, and many barriers to effective commissioning have been documented. In Victoria, the state government has operated as a commissioner of many services, including mental health community support and alcohol and other drug treatment services. This study investigated the perceived consequences of a reform process in these two sectors after recommissioning was used as a mechanism to achieve sector-wide redesign. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 senior staff from community health, mental health and drug and alcohol services 6 months after implementation. The process was affected by restructuring in the commissioning department resulting in truncation of preparatory planning and technical work required for system design. Consequently, reform implementation was reportedly chaotic, costly to agencies and staff, and resulted in disillusionment of enthusiastic reform supporters. Negative service system impacts were produced, such as disruption of collaborative and/or comprehensive models of care and strategies for reaching marginalised groups. Without careful planning and development commissioning processes can become over-reliant on competitive tendering to produce results, create significant costs to service providers and engender system-level issues with the potential to disrupt innovative models focused on meeting client needs.
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Dedman, Paul. "Community Treatment Orders in Victoria, Australia." Psychiatric Bulletin 14, no. 8 (August 1990): 462–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/pb.14.8.462.
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It is one of the failures of contemporary psychiatry that many patients who respond well to neuroleptic medication given to them when they are in-patients relapse after discharge due to not taking any further medication. Those working closely with the acute psychiatric patient in the community are often forced to stand by powerlessly as a patient deteriorates, causing damage to himself and his social milieu until such a point is reached when he is again ill enough to warrant compulsory admission and treatment. This process is, of course, devastating for a patient's family and also disheartening for professionals involved, and is perhaps partly responsible for the high turnover of staff involved in front line services. Even if assertive outreach methods are employed such as those involved in a number of comprehensive community-based programmes (Stein & Test, 1980; Borland et al, 1989) so that contact with the patient is not lost, it is not possible without the necessary legislation to enforce treatment in the community.
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Kong, F., C. Kyle-Link, J. Hocking, and M. Hellard. "11. SEX AND SPORT: A COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT OF CHLAMYDIA TESTING AND TREATMENT IN RURAL AND REGIONAL VICTORIA." Sexual Health 4, no. 4 (2007): 288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/shv4n4ab11.
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Chlamydia is the most common notifiable infectious disease in Australia with the number of notifications increasing 92% over the past 5 years. The "Sex and Sport" Project is piloting a community based chlamydia testing and treatment program reaching young people in a specific community setting, sporting clubs. This multifaceted approach utilises health education, population screening and collection of data on risk taking behaviour as the first steps in enhancing health and shaping future service provisions. The project's primary aim is to assess the feasibility of an outreach testing and treatment program. Secondary aims are to measure the prevalence of chlamydia and assess sexual risk behaviour in this population. Strong community collaborations and integration into local health services through the Primary Care Partnerships is important in the project's sustainability; in particular key community members respected by sporting clubs needed to be identified, capacity developed to deliver effective health promotion messages and improve young people's access to sexual health services. Additionally, local knowledge has guided overall program implementation and provides opportunities for capacity building to regionally based services. For example, poor access to sexual health services is being addressed by the participants being able to access services via telephone consultation with Melbourne Sexual Health Centre. Approximately 1000 Victorians aged 16-25 years from the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria will be tested between June and September 2007. This paper will report on the feasibility, challenges and possible solutions in establishing a community based outreach testing and treatment program.
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Tobin, Margaret J. "Rural Psychiatric Services." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 30, no. 1 (February 1996): 114–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048679609076079.
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Objective: The objective was to describe and evaluate a community mental health service developed during 1991–1992 in an attempt to meet the mental illness needs of an isolated rural community. The setting was the Grampians health region in Western Victoria: this region has an area of 45,000 square kilo-metres and a population of 182,000. Method: The method involved firstly describing the evolution of the service delivery model. This comprised a team of travelling psychiatrists and community psychiatric nurses which succeeded in providing a combined inpatient and outpatient service which was integrated with general practitioners. Secondly, diagnostic and case load descriptions of patients receiving service were compared for both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Results: The results were that reduced reliance on inpatient beds and increased consumer satisfaction were achieved. Conclusion: It was concluded that on initial evaluation of the service it was seen to be meeting its objective of treating the seriously mentally ill in an isolated rural community based setting.
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Castle, David J. "Letter from Australia: mental healthcare in Victoria." Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 17, no. 1 (January 2011): 2–4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/apt.bp.110.008375.
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SummaryMental health services in the state of Victoria, Australia, have undergone enormous change over the past 15 years, with the closure of all stand-alone psychiatric hospitals and a shift of resources and services into the community. Although successful overall, various areas cause concern, including pressure on acute beds, a paucity of alternative residential options, and suboptimal integration of government and non-government agencies concerned with the care of people with mental illnesses. Certain groups, notably those with complex symptom sets such as substance use and mental illness, intellectual disability and forensic problems, remain poorly catered for by the system. Finally, community stigma and lack of work inclusion for mentally ill individuals are ongoing challenges.
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Llewellyn-Jones, Lorraine, and David Harvey. "The development of a Health Promotion Community Participation Framework." Australian Journal of Primary Health 11, no. 2 (2005): 136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py05032.
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This paper reports on research conducted through Monash University located in the state of Victoria, Australia. The outcome of the research was the development of a Health Promotion Community Participation Framework, providing guidelines for health professionals in community health centres and services to assist them with facilitating community participation in health promotion. A literature review was conducted and information collected from health professionals working in metropolitan and rural community health centres and services across the state of Victoria, Australia. The Framework does not emphasise levels of community participation as a hierarchy, but instead proposes using the levels or types of participation across a continuum. This has been done to encourage the use of appropriate transparent strategies that will enable both individual community members and different sections of communities to participate in health promotion activities. This is particularly important where government policies dictate the direction of health promotion, as this "top down" approach can lead to the community being excluded for health promotion processes. The use of a continuum promotes the concept that participation can be effective at different levels, even when the issue to be addressed has already been identified. The Framework also proposes that in order for community participation strategies to take place, there needs to be capacity building at both the organisational level and the community level.
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J. Black, Kirsten, and Patricia L. Buckley. "Developing a Consistent Approach to Determining Priority for HACC Services." Australian Journal of Primary Health 9, no. 1 (2003): 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py03010.
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This paper reports on the development of a Priority of Access tool for Home and Community Care services provided by local governments in the Western Metropolitan Region of Victoria. Managing the demand for these services requires an equitable approach to service allocation decisions. The Priority of Access tool was developed with input from Western Metropolitan Region local government HACC representatives and the Department of Human Services. A literature review identified indicators of need that predicted use of community services; however, no substantial contributions were identified relating to prioritising access to health services in the home. The tool developed relies on cross-referencing responses from the Service Coordination tools developed through the Victorian Primary Care Partnership initiative. A pilot was conducted with assessment staff and their feedback led to modification of the tool. Staff found the tool a useful method of increasing objectivity in assessments and providing a framework to consistently determine priority. The importance of training in the use of the tool was reinforced during piloting of the tool. The Priority of Access tool provides a simple and consistent, yet comprehensive, approach for Western Metropolitan Region local government HACC services to equitably determine priority of access for clients.
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Smith, Janine. "Community nursing and health care in the twenty-first century." Australian Health Review 23, no. 1 (2000): 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah000114.
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This article reports on research into the changing role of generalist community nurses inVictoria during the 1990s. It provides an analysis of the implications of current policy trendsand presents an overview of current practice and trends in contemporary health care deliveryin the community. It discusses a vision for community nursing inspired by interviews withgeneralist community nurses throughout Victoria, and offers creative recommendations andstrategies that will facilitate planning for the personal and professional changes necessary totake community services into the twenty-first century.
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Adams, Karen, Chris Halacas, Marion Cincotta, and Corina Pesich. "Mental health and Victorian Aboriginal people: what can data mining tell us?" Australian Journal of Primary Health 20, no. 4 (2014): 350. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py14036.
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Nationally, Aboriginal people experience high levels of psychological distress, primarily due to trauma from colonisation. In Victoria, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) provide many services to support mental health. The aim of the present study was to improve understanding about Victorian Aboriginal people and mental health service patterns. We located four mental health administrative datasets to analyse descriptively, including Practice Health Atlas, Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Service (AODTS), Kids Helpline and Close The Gap Pharmaceutical Scheme data. A large proportion of the local Aboriginal population (70%) were regular ACCHO clients; of these, 21% had a mental health diagnosis and, of these, 23% had a Medicare Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). There were higher rates of Medicare MHCP completion rates where general practitioners (GPs) had mental health training and the local Area Mental Health Service had a Koori Mental Health Liaison Officer. There was an over-representation of AODTS episodes, and referrals for these episodes were more likely to come through community, corrections and justice services than for non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal episodes were less likely to have been referred by a GP or police and less likely to have been referrals to community-based or home-based treatment. There was an over-representation of Victorian Aboriginal calls to Kids Helpline, and these were frequently for suicide and self-harm reasons. We recommend primary care mental health programs include quality audits, GP training, non-pharmaceutical options and partnerships. Access to appropriate AODTS is needed, particularly given links to high incarcerations rates. To ensure access to mental health services, improved understanding of mental health service participation and outcomes, including suicide prevention services for young people, is needed.
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Klein, Harald. "Reforming Primary Care in Victoria: Will Primary Care Partnerships Do the Job?" Australian Journal of Primary Health 8, no. 1 (2002): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py02004.
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Spiralling medical costs and escalating demand for health services are putting primary care reform firmly on the agenda for governments around the world. A more coordinated and prevention-oriented approach must be adopted now to avoid a looming crisis in health care. In Victoria, the Primary Care Partnership (PCP) Strategy aims to improve health outcomes and better manage the demand for services by functionally integrating health and community support services. This paper provides an overview of the key factors that have shaped primary care reform in the State of Victoria; the logic of the PCP Strategy; a summary of the results of the strategy after 18 months; and a critical assessment of the key challenges for the strategy in the future. The paper concludes that the strategy has already led to much stronger collaboration between agencies, more integrated service planning and emerging models for service coordination. For these achievements to translate to improved health outcomes, the systems changes being initiated by PCPs need to be translated into the way services are provided in the community. This cannot be achieved by collaboration between service providers alone. It is now time for all relevant parts of government to support PCP objectives and initiatives in the way they plan and fund services.
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Firebrace, Shirley, Melinda Hammond, Barbara Bell, Peggy Mathison, Anne Watson, and Bruce Hurley. "Improving Koori Access to Darebin Community Health Service." Australian Journal of Primary Health 7, no. 1 (2001): 120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py01021.
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While Koori Liaison positions have existed in tertiary health settings in Victoria for some time, the employment of a Koori worker in a broad-based primary health care service is a relatively new initiative. The advantages of locating a Koori access worker in a community health service are numerous: the worker is well positioned to work very closely with the local Koori community at a grass-roots level, with multi-disciplinary health professionals within the organisation, and also with external agencies, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. The role of the access worker is to advocate for improved Koori access to Darebin Community Health services, local health and welfare agencies and local general practitioners. An early emphasis of the position was to establish a strong relationship with the local Koori community and to build effective working relationships with and referral pathways to health care providers.
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Mullen, P., and J. Ogloff. "Providing mental health services to adult offenders in Victoria, Australia: Overcoming barriers." European Psychiatry 24, no. 6 (September 2009): 395–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2009.07.003.
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AbstractPurposeTo illustrate the development of the interface between general and forensic mental health services in Victoria, Australia.MethodDeveloping effective cooperation between the general and forensic mental health services requires overcoming a number of barriers. The attitude of general services that antisocial behaviour was none of their business was tackled through ongoing workshops and education days over several years. The resistance to providing care to those disabled by severe personality disorders or substance abuse was reduced by presenting and promoting models of care developed in forensic community and inpatient services which prioritised these areas. The reluctance of general services to accept offenders was reduced by involving general services in court liaison clinics and in prisoner release plans. Cooperation was enhanced by the provision of risk assessments, the sharing of responsibility for troublesome patients, and a problem behaviours clinic to support general services in coping with stalkers, sex offenders and threateners.ConclusionsActive engagement with general services was promoted at the level of providing education, specialised assessments and a referral source for difficult patients. This generated a positive interface between forensic and general mental health services, which improved the quality of care delivered to mentally abnormal offenders.
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Swerissen, Hal. "How Should We Organise Community Health Services?" Australian Journal of Primary Health 3, no. 1 (1997): 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py97002.
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This paper reviews the organisation of Victorian community health services in the context of the general direction of reform for the Australian and Victorian health systems. It notes that the emphasis has shifted to a greater focus on improving the efficiency of the relationship between needs, resources, services and outcomes. Within this context, in addition to public health measures, national reforms have advocated the creation of funding and organisational arrangements around three service functions: general care, acute care and co-ordinated care. It is argued that the organisation of community services should be driven by these functional relations, not vice versa. The efficiency of vertical and horizontal integration and the creation of community health networks is considered in relation to transaction costs, organisational scale, transition costs and distributional equity. It is concluded that community health networks offer the most efficient model for the delivery of community based public health and general, acute and co-ordinated care services.
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Liang, Zhanming, Peter F. Howard, Lee C. Koh, and Sandra Leggat. "Competency requirements for middle and senior managers in community health services." Australian Journal of Primary Health 19, no. 3 (2013): 256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py12041.
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The Australian health system has been subjected to rapid changes in the last 20 years to meet increasingly unmet health needs. Improvement of the efficiency and comprehensiveness of community-based services is one of the solutions to reducing the increasing demand for hospital care. Competent managers are one of the key contributors to effective and efficient health service delivery. However, the understanding of what makes a competent manager, especially in the community health services (CHS), is limited. Using an exploratory and mixed-methods approach, including focus group discussions and an online survey, this study identified five key competencies required by senior and mid-level CHS managers in metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Victoria: Interpersonal, communication qualities and relationship management; Operations, administration and resource management; Knowledge of the health care environment; Leading and managing change; and Evidence-informed decision-making. This study confirms that core competencies do exist across different management levels and improves our understanding of managerial competency requirements for middle to senior CHS managers, with implications for current and future health service management workforce development.
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Bagot, Kathleen L., Christopher F. Bladin, Michelle Vu, Joosup Kim, Peter J. Hand, Bruce Campbell, Alison Walker, Geoffrey A. Donnan, Helen M. Dewey, and Dominique A. Cadilhac. "Exploring the benefits of a stroke telemedicine programme: An organisational and societal perspective." Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 22, no. 8 (October 30, 2016): 489–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1357633x16673695.
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We undertook a qualitative analysis to identify the broader benefits of a state-wide acute stroke telemedicine service beyond the patient-clinician consultation. Since 2010, the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) programme has provided a clinical service for regional hospitals in Victoria, Australia. The benefits of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine programme were identified through document analysis of governance activities, including communications logs and reports from hospital co-ordinators of the programme. Discussions with the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine management were undertaken and field notes were also reviewed. Several benefits of telemedicine were identified within and across participating hospitals, as well as for the state government and community. For hospitals, standardisation of clinical processes was reported, including improved stroke care co-ordination. Capacity building occurred through professional development and educational workshops. Enhanced networking, and resource sharing across hospitals was achieved between hospitals and organisations. Governments leveraged the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine programme infrastructure to provide immediate access to new treatments for acute stroke care in regional areas. Standardised data collection allowed routine quality of care monitoring. Community awareness of stroke symptoms occurred with media reports on the novel technology and improved patient outcomes. The value of telemedicine services extends beyond those involved in the clinical consultation to healthcare funders and the community.
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Walker, Rae, Beverley Lewis, and Sally Mitchell. "Community Health Service Agreements 1992 to 1995: Changes in Practice and Purpose." Australian Journal of Primary Health 2, no. 4 (1996): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py96054.
Full textAbstract:
In Victoria, community health centres are undergoing major changes. In this paper, a study of service and funding agreements, their changed purposes, and how the practices surrounding them have also changed, is reported. The study provides some insights into the dynamics of the contractual model of health system management. The information was obtained from the service and funding agreements of community health centres, interviews with staff of the Department of Human Services, and interviews with community health centre managers. At the end of 1995, community health centres were still in a transitional phase. They were changing from being locally focused, multi-disciplinary organisations that approached health as a social and technical issue to ones that were centrally focused, still multi-disciplinary but increasingly attending to the technical provision of services. There were, however, many ambiguities in the system that allowed services to resist the changes that were considered least desirable. To a degree they de-coupled internal operations from the external presentation of them.
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Aitken, Campbell, and Cheryl Delalande. "A Public Health Initiative for Steroid Users in Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 8, no. 2 (2002): 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py02022.
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Anabolic steroid injectors are at risk of infection with blood-borne viruses (BBVs), but have received little attention from researchers, practitioners or agencies working in public health. In recognition of this gap, in early 1996 the Steroid Peer Education Project (SPEP) began providing part-time mobile needle and syringe distribution and health information and referral services to steroid injectors in north-eastern Melbourne. Demand repeatedly caused the project to expand, and its sole peer worker now operates Victoria-wide, five days per week. Basic information on injecting practices collected from SPEP clients showed that many were at risk of BBV infection. This led to the initiation of a collaborative research project, in which SPEP clients were tested for BBV antibodies and provided detailed information about their risk behaviours. Of 29 steroid injectors tested between May and August 1999, three (10%) had antibodies to the hepatitis C virus, and they described behaviour which could spread the virus to other steroid users. These results show that blood-borne viruses are present in the Victorian steroid injecting community, and reinforce the SPEP's commitment to reducing harm in this group.
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Ong, Kevin, Andrew Carroll, Shannon Reid, and Adam Deacon. "Community Outcomes of Mentally Disordered Homicide Offenders in Victoria." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 43, no. 8 (January 1, 2009): 775–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048670903001976.
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Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe characteristics and post-release outcomes of Victorian homicide offenders under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 (and/or its forerunner legislation) released from forensic inpatient psychiatric care since the development of specialist forensic services. Method: A legal database identified subjects meeting inclusion criteria: hospitalized in forensic psychiatric care due to finding of mental impairment or unfitness to stand trial for homicide in Victoria; released into the community; and released between 1 January 1991 and 30 April 2002. Using clinical records, demographics, index offence, progress in hospital, diagnosis, psychosocial and criminological data were obtained. Outcomes (offending or readmission into secure care) were obtained from the clinical records. Results: Of the 25 subjects, 19 (76%) were male. Primary diagnoses on admission to forensic hospital care were schizophrenia, n = 16 (64%); other psychotic disorder, n = 5 (20%); depression, n = 3 (12%); and personality disorder, n = 1 (4%). Mean time in custodial supervision was 11 years and 2 months, less for those whose offence occurred after the development of forensic rehabilitation services. In the first 3 years after release, there was a single episode of criminal recidivism, representing a recidivism rate of 1 in 25 (4%) over 3 years. Twelve subjects (48%) were readmitted at some point in the 3 year follow up. Conclusion: There was a very low rate of recidivism after discharge, but readmissions to hospital were common. Lengths of custodial care were reduced after the introduction of forensic rehabilitation facilities. Recidivism is low when there are well-designed and implemented forensic community treatment programmes, consistent with other data suggesting a reciprocal relationship between safe community care and a low threshold for readmission to hospital, lessening re-offending at times of crisis. Further research should be directed at timing of release decisions, based on reducing identified risk factors to acceptable levels.
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Truong, Mandy, Lisa Gibbs, Yin Paradies, Naomi Priest, and Maryanne Tadic. "Cultural competence in the community health context: ‘we don’t have to reinvent the wheel’." Australian Journal of Primary Health 23, no. 4 (2017): 342. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py16073.
Full textAbstract:
Health and social service agencies need to be responsive to the healthcare requirements of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups in the community. This is a challenging proposition, particularly due to shifting demographics in developed Western countries such as Australia. Organisations that strive for cultural competence can potentially reduce the barriers associated with inequitable access to services by CALD groups. Community health services play a vital role in the provision of culturally competent health services to people from CALD groups. Additional research related to cultural competence in the community health context is needed. Thus, the aim of this paper is to explore the positioning of cultural competence within community health from multiple perspectives using a qualitative case study of a community health service located in Victoria, Australia. The findings suggest that if the essential needs of clients are met, regardless of cultural background (e.g. able to communicate with staff, trust and a respectful and caring environment), then issues related to cultural background may be of less significance for some clients.
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Farmer, Jane, Hilary Davis, Irene Blackberry, and Tracy de Cotta. "Assessing the value of rural community health services." Australian Journal of Primary Health 24, no. 3 (2018): 221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py17125.
Full textAbstract:
Rural health services are challenging to manage, a situation perhaps exacerbated by necessity to comply with one-size-fits-all performance frameworks designed for larger services. This raises the questions: do we know what rural health services are doing that is valuable and how should that be evaluated? Twenty-eight qualitative interviews with CEOs and staff of seven Victorian rural health services were conducted, exploring what they value about their ‘best practice’. Themes emergent from analysis were compared with 19 government-produced health planning and performance documents. It was found that most dimensions of rural services value aligned with current performance frameworks, but a significant theme about ‘community’ was missing. Highlighting the relevance of this theme, achieving community-oriented goals accounted for one-third of best practice case studies identified by health services personnel. It is concluded that generating community outcomes is a significant area of value aimed for by rural health services that is missing from current performance measurement frameworks applied to Victorian health services. In this study, a new Evaluative Framework is outlined and further steps needed are suggested.
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Andrews, Fiona. "From Policy to Practice: The Development of an Integrated Health Promotion Plan for Children's Services at Plenty Valley Community Health Inc." Australian Journal of Primary Health 9, no. 1 (2003): 71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py03009.
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Current changes in the funding of health promotion in community health in Victoria require community health agencies to integrate health promotion with service delivery. This provides both opportunities and challenges for community health staff. Members of the Children's Service Team at Plenty Valley Community Health Inc. addressed these changes by developing an integrated health promotion plan. The approach used involved identifying client pathways and then integrating opportunities for health promotion interventions into these pathways. Staff perceptions of the process involved in developing the plan were examined. The use of client pathways to integrate health promotion into everyday practice proved a successful approach for members of the Children's Services Team, and provides a useful model for health promotion planning in community health that helps staff to see the relevance of health promotion to their practice, and engages staff in the planning process. Members of the Children's Services Team reported that the process involved in developing their integrated health promotion plan was a very worthwhile experience that allowed them a strong sense of ownership of the plan.
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McDonald, Paul. "Through the wall: An address to practitioners at a forum on the Working Together Strategy." Children Australia 25, no. 1 (2000): 27–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1035077200009585.
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This address was given at a forum in November J999 for practitioners in the juvenile justice, alcohol and drug, mental health and child protection services in Victoria as part of the Department of Human Services’ Working Together Strategy’ (WTS). The WTS is a quality improvement initiative of the DHS in partnership with adolescent mental health and drug treatment service providers.WTS provides an organisational framework for the Community Care Division, the Aged, Community and Mental Health Division and the Public Health Division (specifically in reference to the mental health, child protection and care, juvenile justice and drug treatment services programs) to achieve better outcomes for shared clients. WTS is a response to perceived deficits in cross-program collaboration and communication in cases involving high need adolescent clients.
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Ronnau, Peggy, Arthur Papakotsias, and Glen Tobias. ""Not for" sector in community mental health care defines itself and strives for quality." Australian Journal of Primary Health 14, no. 2 (2008): 68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py08025.
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This paper briefly describes the history and service context of the Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support sector (PDRSS) in Victoria, and, to a lesser extent, in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. In describing the sector we will call upon the experience of a particular PDRSS - Neami - in operating and developing services, and the challenges it faced in establishing a culture of quality that directly improves consumer outcomes. Elements of this experience may serve as a guide in the development of mental health service policy at state and federal level.
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Hoodless, Mary, and Frank Evans. "The Multipurpose Service Program: The Best Health Service Option for Rural Australia." Australian Journal of Primary Health 7, no. 1 (2001): 90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py01015.
Full textAbstract:
Small relatively isolated rural communities in Australia have been provided with the opportunity to address the difficulties surrounding the provision of health services. The Multi Purpose Services (MPS) program was initiated in 1991 when it was identified that small rural communities have been disadvantaged by separated Commonwealth and state funding arrangements and the criteria for these arrangements where services were often unable to be sustained separately. The MPS program provided the opportunity for sustainability through flexibility and pooling of resources. The application of a primary health care framework would enable more community consultation and participation in reorientating rural health services. Upper Murray Health and Community Services (UMH&CS), a small rural health service in North East Victoria, embraced the concept and undertook a rigorous Evidence Based Needs Assessment to reorientate its health service. The needs assessment combined a sociodemographic, epidemiological and community consultative approach. Evidence of best practice was identified and the recommendations were used for ongoing service development. UMH&CS represents a highly integrated health service and as such a number of strategies are used to enable the continuum of care. These include point of contact advocacy, continuum and coordination of care and the use of a standardised multidisciplinary assessment and outcome based care plan. This paper expands on these processes and the opportunities the MPS has provided to address the health needs of small rural communities.
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Teresa Dawson, Maria, Paul Grech, Brendan Hyland, Fiona Judd, John Lloyd, Anne M. Mijch, Jennifer Hoy, and Alan C Street. "A Qualitative Approach to the Mental Health Care Needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Victoria." Australian Journal of Primary Health 8, no. 3 (2002): 30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py02041.
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This article reports on the findings of the qualitative stage of a larger project on the mental care needs of people with HIV/AIDS and mental illness (Tender T1176 Department of Human Services, Mental Health Branch, Victoria - Research on the Mental Health Care Needs of People with HIV/AIDS and Mental Illness). The purpose of the larger research was to evaluate the needs and treatment requirements of persons with HIV/AIDS, who also suffer from mental health problems, with a view to developing proposals for improving existing service delivery in Victoria, Australia. The qualitative stage was designed to complement and elucidate data obtained through the quantitative stages of the project. Thirty in-depth open-ended interviews were carried out with service providers including HIV physicians, general practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical and managerial staff of Area Mental Health Services, Contact Tracers and forensic mental health services staff, as well as representatives of community groups such as People Living with HIV/AIDS and Positive Women and carers. The interviews explored the perspective of both service providers and users of such services with respect to needs for psychiatric care and service delivery, ease of access or barriers to mental health services, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses in current service provision. This paper presents the main findings and recommendations submitted to the funding body.
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Walker, Rae, Sally Mitchell, and Maria Wright. "Inter-Organisational Relationships of Community Health Centres." Australian Journal of Primary Health 3, no. 4 (1997): 18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py97036.
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It is often argued that community based health organisations ought to have substantial links with other organisations in their local environment in order to provide integrated, accountable clinical and preventive services. This paper reports results from a study of the links forged by staff working in four community health centres in Victoria, Australia. The pattern of links between organisations is described and their functions explored. The perceptions of community health workers and their network partners in the other organisations are compared and the strategies used by the workers to establish and build their links identified. It can be argued that links with external organisations are important in community health practice and are valued by the organisations with which the centres establish links. They have, however, received very little attention within or without the field of community health. They are taken for granted, rarely discussed, and as often inhibited as facilitated by the structures within which community health centres operate. Consequently, a great deal of valuable community health work remains unacknowledged, potentially underdeveloped and undervalued. It has not been made clear how education can best support community health staff in this aspect of their work.
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Anderson, Philip. "Developing Preventive Services." Children Australia 13, no. 2 (1988): 16–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0312897000001880.
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Before discussing the types of services that are required I would like to look, just briefly, at some of the recent history in the provision of services.Edith Bennett was the Director of the Family Welfare Division in what is now Community Services Victoria. Those of you who have been around for more than ten years will remember her. She once said that what we need is a range of flexible services. Being rather young and believing I knew it all I thought at the time that this was a load of simplistic rubbish. How could something so simple be true. The field likes to make these things complex. However, looking back I feel she had made a key point that is perfectly obvious now.
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Loi, Samantha, and Anne Hassett. "Evolution of aged persons mental health services in Victoria: The history behind their development." Australasian Journal on Ageing 30, no. 4 (July 3, 2011): 226–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6612.2011.00529.x.
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Parkinson, Debra, Alyssa Duncan, Jaspreet Kaur, Frank Archer, and Caroline Spencer. "Gendered aspects of long-term disaster resilience in Victoria, Australia." January 2022 10.47389/37, no. 37.1 (January 2022): 59–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.47389/37.1.59.
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Research conducted in 2018 documented the disaster experiences of 56 women and men in Australia aged between 18 and 93 years. This paper draws out the gendered factors that affected their resilience, and in so doing, begins to address the dearth of research related to gendered aspects of long-term disaster resilience. It is unique in capturing the voices of survivors who spoke of events 9 years after the 2009 Black Saturday fires and of earlier fires and floods in Victoria more than 50 years ago, including the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires. Over decades, gendered expectations of men and women significantly hindered resilience. Men spoke of the long-term cost to them of demands to ‘be strong’ in the worst of disasters and reasons they were reluctant to seek help afterwards. Women spoke of their contributions holding a lesser value and of discrimination. Discussions of violence against women and children after disaster, and suicide ideation in anticipation of future disasters offered critical insights. Protective factors identified by informants were not wholly intrinsic to their character but were also physical, such as essential resources provided in the immediate aftermath, and psychological and community support offered in the long-term. Factors that helped resilience departed from the ‘masculine’ model of coping post-disaster by moving away from a refusal to admit trauma and suffering, to community-wide resilience bolstered by widespread emotional, social and psychological support. Genuine community planning for disasters before they strike builds trust and offers insights for emergency management planners.
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Anderson, John F., Basia Pakula, Victoria Smye, Virginia Peters (Siyamex), and Leslie Schroeder. "Strengthening Aboriginal Health through a Place-Based Learning Community." International Journal of Indigenous Health 7, no. 1 (June 7, 2013): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.18357/ijih71201112352.
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The Sts’ailes Primary Health Care Project is a partnership in Sts’ailes, British Columbia, between Sts’ailes, Fraser Health Authority (FHA), and academic researchers at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia. The creation of knowledge by and for Aboriginal Peoples and a commitment to strength-based research are key aspects of the project. These key elements guide the partners as they work together to explore and identify ways to enhance health services for the Sts’ailes people and other FHA clients in the region. This paper describes how the principles of place-based learning communities (PbLCs) are being implemented within the collaboration in order to facilitate the co-production of culturally appropriate strengthbased knowledge that supports the health and wellness of the Sts’ailes community. PbLCs are a welcome innovative mechanism for generating a cross-cultural understanding of local health and wellness issues. This paper makes a contribution to the documentation of successful participatory community-academic research partnerships.
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Roussy, Véronique, and Charles Livingstone. "Service planning in the Victorian community health sector." Australian Journal of Primary Health 21, no. 3 (2015): 268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py14076.
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Until now, comprehensive service planning has been uncommon in the Victorian community health sector. Where it has occurred, it has primarily been undertaken by community health services embedded within larger, hospital-based health services. Reflections on the utility and efficacy of community health service planning are largely absent from the Australian peer-reviewed literature. Using a case study focussed on a specific centre in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, this paper explores how community health service planning is shaped by the current policy context, the legal status of registered community health services, and the data and methodologies available to inform planning. It argues that regular and systematic service planning could support registered community health centres to better understand their unique position within the primary health-care landscape, having regard to their inherent opportunities and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, consistent and effective service planning is proposed to benefit agencies in establishing themselves as critical players in promoting local population health initiatives and driving improved health outcomes.
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Swerissen, Hal, Jenny Macmillan, Catuscia Biuso, and Linda Tilgner. "Community Health and General Practice: The Impact of Different Cultures on the Integration of Primary Care." Australian Journal of Primary Health 7, no. 1 (2001): 65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py01010.
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This study examined the existing relationship between community health centres and General Practice Divisions in the State of Victoria, including the nature of joint working arrangements and the identification of barriers to greater collaboration. Improved integration of primary health care services has been advocated to improve consumer and population health outcomes and to reduce inappropriate use of acute and extended care services. General practitioners (GPs) and community health centres are two key providers of primary health care with potential for greater integration. The current study conducted telephone interviews with 20 community health centre CEOs and 18 Executive Officers of divisions, which were matched according to catchment boundaries. Results suggest, while some joint planning is occurring, especially on committees, working parties and projects, there is an overall low level of satisfaction with the relationship between community health centres and GPs and GP divisions. Major barriers to greater integration are the financial or business interests of GPs and misunderstanding and differences in perceived roles and ideology between GPs and community health centres. Improved communication, greater contact and referral and follow-up procedures are identified as a means of improving the relationship between GPs, GP divisions and community health centres. Community health centres and general practitioners (GPs) are key providers of primary care (Australian Community Health Association, 1990).
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Wilson, Elena, Amanda Kenny, and Virginia Dickson-Swift. "Rural health services and the task of community participation at the local community level: a case study." Australian Health Review 42, no. 1 (2018): 111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah16169.
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Community participation in health service decision making is entrenched in health policy, with a strong directive to develop sustainable, effective, locally responsive services. However, it is recognised that community participation is challenging to achieve. The aim of the present study was to explore how a rural health service in Victoria enacts community participation at the local level. Using case study methodology, the findings indicate that enactment of community participation is desired by the health service, but a lack of understanding of the concept and how to enact associated policy are barriers that are exacerbated by a lack of resources and community capacity. The findings reveal a disconnect between community participation policy and practice. What is known about the topic? The need to involve communities in health service planning, implementation and evaluation is a feature of health policy across major Western countries. However, researchers have identified a dearth of research on how community participation is enacted at the local service level. What does this paper add? The study that is presented herein addresses a gap in knowledge of community participation policy enactment within a rural health service. Insights are provided into the challenges faced by rural health services, with a disconnect between policy ideal and the reality of implementation. What are the implications for practitioners? Health service staff need clear direction from chief executive officers about the purpose of community participation policy and the expectations for individual roles. Community advisory committees need clarity about the community member role and the processes for making decisions. Services and their boards would benefit from targeted government funding to resource community participation activity.
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Kennedy, Michelle, Tess Bright, Simon Graham, Christina Heris, Shannon K. Bennetts, Renee Fiolet, Elise Davis, et al. "“You Can’t Replace That Feeling of Connection to Culture and Country”: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parents’ Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 24 (December 13, 2022): 16724. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416724.
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This Aboriginal-led study explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents’ experiences of COVID-19. 110 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents were interviewed between October 2020 and March 2022. Participants were recruited through community networks and partner health services in South Australia, Victoria, and Northern Territory, Australia. Participants were predominantly female (89%) and based in Victoria (47%) or South Australia (45%). Inductive thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) Changes to daily living; (2) Impact on social and emotional wellbeing; and (3) Disconnection from family, community, and culture. COVID-19 impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Disruption to cultural practice, and disconnection from country, family, and community was detrimental to wellbeing. These impacts aggravated pre-existing inequalities and may continue to have greater impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and communities due to intergenerational trauma, stemming from colonisation, violence and dispossession and ongoing systemic racism. We advocate for the development of a framework that ensures an equitable approach to future public health responses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.