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Youth Health

  • Project goal

  • Introduction

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      • Project goal
      The project aims to work in partnership with GPs, the divisions network, young people and other stakeholders, to support general practice in improving access and health outcomes for young people.{
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      Introduction
      The project has been designed to focus on key issues that address youth health. GPs and their staff are being upskilled in the management and identification of needs and issues encountered by at risk and disadvantaged youth. Selected staff and GPs with an interest in youth health provide support to other GPs in their area, collaborate with other youth oriented services and participate in youth education and support groups.

      The Youth Health project started with a series of focus groups with young people and youth workers. The consensus of findings was consistent with those of studies from around the world - that young people generally felt uncomfortable about going to a GP, and that significant barriers exist to accessing services. To many young people, particularly those with a transient lifestyle, going to a GP was seen as a last resort. In the words of one young person: "you don't go to a doctor unless you're going to die." Yet these same young people acknowledged the presence of a range of physical and psychosocial complaints that, more often than not, went untreated.

      In keeping with the findings from these groups, the project has adopted four major strategies:
      1. Educating GPs about adolescent health, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to more effectively deal with adolescent health problems
      2. Assisting GPs to make their services more accessible and clinic environments more youth-friendly
      3. Educating young people about the GP's role, their rights and how to access GP services
      4. Promoting greater collaboration between GPs and community-based youth and health services
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      Project activities
      Education and training of GPs
      A core group of GPs have undergone training in a variety of adolescent health topics including: adolescent development; skills in engaging and communicating with young people; health risk screening (HEADSS); medico-legal issues in the treatment of adolescents; dealing with suicidal young people. These same GPs have applied these new skills not only to their own practices, but also as a resource to other GPs in the region.

      Schools project
      In collaboration with the Department of Education, GPs from the project core group have been conducting health access workshops in local high schools and youth services. The GPs provide health education on a variety of topics as well as raising young peoples' awareness of the GP's role, and providing information about Medicare and ways to access GP services.

      Collaboration with adolescent services
      The project has focused on developing links and more effective collaboration between GPs, Area Health Service staff, and other local youth services. This is leading to improved continuity of care and a more integrated approach to the management of young peoples' health problems.

      Consultation with young people
      The project has provided opportunities for GPs to interact with young people outside the formal 'doctor-patient' role, through activities such as martial arts, drama groups, abseiling and camps. This has resulted in greater understanding on the part of both GPs and young people, and enabled the project to stay in touch with and responsive to young peoples' needs.
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      Articles

      Expressions of interest sought for... GPs in Schools initiative
      19/12/06   This exciting potential add-on to the youth health project would give GPs with an interest in youth health the opportuni more...
      Youth Health Project Brief
      29/10/06  Anita Mansfield PO Anita Mansfield Youth Health Start The youth health project has been working on a new direction after the collabora more...
      Equipping young Byron girls with lifeskills
      29/10/06  Dr Rob Trigger Recently one of the female naturopaths at my practice asked me to accompany her to assist with a talk to a group of youn more...
      Collaborating for young people’s mental health
      29/08/06   Headspace is a new initiative to address mental health and drug and alcohol issues experienced by young people. Head more...
      Lets talk about SEX, baby ....... (remember that Salt ‘N’ Pepa song ?)
      29/08/06  Anita Mansfield Connie Condom is one of the division's strategies to help promote a safe sex message to young people in the region. more...
      Improving young people’s access to health care through LINK it
      29/08/06  Anita Mansfield This last financial year the youth health project implemented a new initiative – LINK it: Improving young people’s acces more...
      Connie Condom sez “get it on!”
      20/04/06   NRDGP youth health project officer Anita Mansfield, Connie Condom, and Kea Costello, pictured during Community Connectio more...
      Self-help health info for school kids
      24/03/05   Byron High school counsellor Susan Skyvington with Dr Rob Trigger at the new HIT in the library. more...
      Locally produced youth resource kit for GPs gets national launch
      27/08/04   A resource kit to help GPs in their dealings with young people co-produced by the Northern Rivers Division of General Pr more...
      Need help to deal with your adolescent patients?
      20/08/04   “‘Adolescent Health: A Resource Kit for General Practitioners’ provides a comprehensive guide encompassing all aspects o more...
      Young people the stars in videos for GPs
      25/05/04   Byron Bay GP, Dr Rob Trigger, and division of general practice youth health project officer, Anita Mansfield, take a bre more...
      Improving young people’s access to GPs
      20/02/04  Anita Mansfield Youth health project - GP voucher scheme update “Incredibly valuable experience. It was great to be able to give the more...
      Voucher improves young people’s access to GPs
      09/02/04   Young people in the pilot areas of Byron Bay, Lismore and Ballina aged between 14-25 years can see a GP for free (bulk b more...
      Parents to be able to access their teens’ health info
      18/12/03   The division’s adolescent health GP project advisor, Rob Trigger, has expressed concern about the Federal Government’s p more...
      Parents to be able to access their teens’ health info
      02/12/03   The Northern Rivers Division of General Practice’s adolescent health GP project advisor, Rob Trigger, has expressed conc more...
      Local youth’s winning design on youth voucher
      20/06/03   Northern Star photographer Gabrielle Thompson getting the perfect shot of budding Byron artist Brendan Keevers with his more...
      GP youth voucher scheme to be launched
      27/05/03   The winning entry in the division's logo design competition. Brendan Keevers (19) from Byron Bay. more...
      Local youth design competition & entry form
      28/02/03   Hey! ... As part of our youth health project we are looking for a logo that is funky, groovy and cool... So we are runni more...
      Design competition for local youth
      28/02/03   Young people are being asked to come up with a logo design in a competition being run by the Northern Rivers Division of more...
      Incentive vouchers for GPs and young people
      17/12/02   We know many young people don’t have a lot of spare cash to see a GP. We also know young people are not always the most more...
      GPs in schools project goes west!
      17/12/02  Louise Du Chesne Students from the Cape Byron Rudolph Steiner School perform their play “Safe Partying” for the Kyogle students. more...
      Ships Ahoy me hearties!
      17/07/02   Local GPs and the men from Uncle have been collaborating to provide a fun afternoon (health messag more...
      GPs provide fun and adventure to local youth
      20/09/01   Boating and abseiling are two of the fun activities two GPs are using to introduce local youth to health issues in a rel more...
      Youth participation makes seminar a success
      20/09/01   Young people were the focal point of a successful and highly entertaining seminar, “Skills for Treating the Adolescent P more...
      Safe sex messages for adolescents - do they work?
      20/05/01   The following review article provides some optimism in the ever gloomy news we get about our future generation. It may g more...
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