Perth Primary Care Network Street Doctor Fremantle StreetDoctor Hills Community Support Group Inc Adolescent Mothers Support Service

(AMSS) RUAH Young Women’s Program

IHSHY jointly funded by Australian Government and State and Territory Governments

Western Australian State Government provides 70% of IHSHY funding

Evaluation commissioned Document service models and measure

accessibility and acceptability/usability

Evaluation still in progress Informed by extensive literature review Research focus on youth perspectives Service users and service providers

interviewed Recommendations will assist the State

Government and/or services to bid for further Australian Government funding

About 13,390 homeless people in Western Australia

32% are 12-18 year olds 8% 19-24 year olds More females in younger group, more males

in older group Aboriginal young people account for a

significant portion of homeless or at risk youth

N=39Perth Street Doctor x 2 sites

Fremantle Street Doctor x 4 sites

Hills CSS AMSS RUAH

Age Range 17-25 20-23 15-21 16-18 19-25

Total Interview Numbers

17 4 4 9 6

Female 9 3 4 9 6

Male 8 1 n/a n/a n/a

Key qualities of Street Doctor services are: Location is good – convenient Social gathering – atmosphere around the

van Doesn’t feel like you are waiting Don’t have to wait as long compared with

visiting a GP surgery Free service and don’t have to remember

Medicare card

When asked why other young people might not use the services, the most commonly cited reason is that they probably don’t need it, or,

“if they don’t come, it’s probably because they don’t want to be helped”.

Key qualities of service providers: Friendliness (most cited quality) Trust Respect Won’t judge Confidentiality “Treat you like a person”

Many of the young people talked about being treated as a person, and providers

“taking the time to talk to me rather than at me”

Other services needed Places for young people to go – drop in

centre 24hr – weekends Somewhere safe to go Emergency accommodation Counselling and mental health

Perth Street Doctor

Fremantle StreetDoctor

Hills CSS AMSS RUAH

Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator

n/a n/a Program Manager

Nurse Nurse Social Workers x 2

Midwives x 2 Social Workers x 2

GP GP x 3

Outreach Worker

Mental Health Nurse

Aboriginal Health Worker

Social Support Worker

N=19

A place where people feel safe Untimed/unbooked appointments Flexibility Clear boundaries Follow up where feasible

Qualities required of providers Non-judgemental Staff philanthropically inclined Passionate Respectful Easy going Empathy with client group Sense of humour

An outreach worker comments

“all staff are philantropically inclined or they wouldn’t be working in that hot van…I mean the doctors could get a much more comfortable office you know, but they do it because they care…we all care”

A GP comments that:

“Karen who practice manages…has such enthusiasm and passion and commitment for it, and she really understands what our clinical needs are”

A nurse comments that

“I feel for us because we’re fairly regular now, we’ve earned trust. And once you’ve earned trust, then [the clients] start opening up a lot more…they’re more comfortable”

Another GP says

“Trust is an absolute condition. If they feel one bit that they are being judged, I mean, and they’re sensitive in that area and at that age, extremely…it just turns them off. They won’t want to come again”

Improvements to service Could be on site more Going to more places Psychologist on board More time with each client Shoes and socks New van with electronic filing and printing

facilities Promotion of service

Improvements to services “Nothing really” Blankets/jumpers Coffee Psychologist Better bus Onsite pharmacy, free scripts

The young people who willingly participated in interviews and shared their views and ideas

The service providers who gave up personal time for interviews

The program coordinators for facilitating introductions to providers

Michael Robinson, IHSHY Manager, Department of Health