CURRENT PROJECTS

Alfred Psychiatry
Between June 2013 and June 1014 Health Issues Centre in collaboration with Alfred Psychiatry and the Consumer Consultant will design and develop a Mentoring Program for the Consumer Consultant position at Alfred Psychiatry; undertake a twelve month trial of the Mentoring Program; and develop a final Mentoring Program based on the trial.

Tasmanian Council of Social Services (TasCOSS)
Health Issues Centre has completed the second year of collaboration with TasCOSS on a project to develop capacity and provide nationally accredited training to managers and staff of Home and Community Care (HACC) service across Tasmania. Fifteen HACC agencies were provided with face to face support and capacity development initiatives including visits from Health Issues Centre and TasCOSS staff to their services, managers attended a one day training sessions and 25 staff members attended two days of face to face training to complete Unit 1 of the Vocational Graduate Certificate in Consumer Engagement (22092VIC); 10 of these participants have completed assessment for the course.

Doutta Galla Community Health Service
In May 2013 Health Issues Centre undertook a consultation process to collect feedback from consumers about the Model of Care 2011 Booklet designed for consumers. The Booklet was distributed to Doutta Galla Community Health Service clients in 2011. Focus groups were held with users of mental health and physiotherapy services, senior citizens attending a day activity centre and Mandarin speaking senior citizens that belong to a diabetes support group.

Gippsland Integrated Cancer Services (GRICS)
Between February and May 2013 Health Issues Centre undertook a review of consumer engagement at GRICS. To undertake the review Health Issues Centre developed an assessment and checklist table to rate GRICS’s performance against national and Victorian consumer participation benchmarks and best practice. The review consisted of content analysis of relevant GRICS documents and reports, and consultations with managers, staff and consumers engaged in the GRICS Consumer Reference Group.

Inner North West Melbourne Medicare Local
In July 2013 Health Issues Centre will undertake consultations of behalf of the Inner North West Melbourne Medicare Local with English speaking consumers and carers affected by Diabetes Type 2 who use local health services, including Melbourne Health, Doutta Galla and Moonee Valley Community Health Service. The purpose of the consultation is to gather information about consumers’ and carers’ experiences of accessing and using Diabetes Type 2 health care provided by these health services.

Tailored training
In the first part of 2013, Health Issues Centre has delivered a series of tailored training sessions to health services’ managers and staff including Goulburn Valley Health, Upper Murray Community Health Service and Cobram District Health and to consumers from the Western Region Health Centre and Upper Murray Community Health Service.

Accredited Training
Health Issues Centre continues delivering the two nationally accredited courses: Vocational Graduate Certificate in Consumer Engagement (22092VIC) and the Course in Consumer Leadership (20095VIC) and in July/August 2013 will be delivering both curses in collaboration with Health Consumers New South Wales in Sydney.
In June 2013 Health Issues Centre will launch the Health Issues Centre’ Alumni LinkedIn Group to strengthen the activities and communication among the courses alumni. Alumni should register with Health Issues Centre to gain access to the group.

Victorian Department of Health - Eastern Metropolitan Region
Tere Dawson
2013
Health Issues Centre will deliver two sessions of training on consumer and carer participation to HACC Program Managers, Coordinators and quality personnel working with the Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR) Home and Community Care (HACC) Services.

Consumer Nominee Program
Nicky Barry
Through the Consumer Nominee Program, Health Issues Centre is working to ensure the views of consumers, carers, community members, patients and carers are heard in the design and delivery of health services and in the development of health policy in Victorian and Australia.

Consumers and community members have recently been nominated by Health Issues Centre to participate in Department of Human Service Committees for Outpatient Reforms, HealthConnect, Care in Your Community, Review of Cardiac Services and Conference Planning. Other consumers have participated in a National Oral Health Advocacy Day in Canberra, conferences in Victoria and professional development workshops for health professionals.

Additional information for consumers, carers and community members and governments and health services is available from our Consumer Nominee page.

Support to the Victorian Community Advisory Committees
Health Issues Centre supports the on-going development of 19 Victorian Community Advisory Committees (CACs) in Metropolitan and Regional Health Services.
The key role of CACs is to promote and advocate for participation across all levels of their health service. Health Issues Centre is available to support individual CACs with their own specific priorities and the whole of CAC network as common themes and issues unfold. One significant contribution Health Issues Centre makes is to the orientation of new Resource Officers as they begin their journey of supporting CACs.