Placed based – Community Led Interventions

A Partnership

Introduction

Health Consumers Tasmania was asked to undertake a health needs assessment of those living on the Tasman Peninsula. We said yes but for it to work, we asked for three things to occur:

• We wanted the community to do it
• We wanted the community to be empowered to take ownership of the process and outcome
• We wanted to support the community long term, not be another drive in – drive out consultancy.

The result was Health Consumers Tasmania trained 7 people to host a kitchen table, and after 13 tables, 81 people participated including youth, at risk women under 35, walking and book groups and kitchen table conversations occurring in the smaller towns like Koonya and Eaglehawk Neck.

As a result, the community decided to form its own group called ‘Tasman Voice for Health’ and is now providing their views into all three levels of Government.

Together with the partners in this project, Tasmanian Health Services and Primary Health Tasmania, a service providers group was also formed and we are collectively influencing GP services, sourced additional mental health services for young people, a podiatrist and psychiatrist, and providing a focus on women’s health and the roll out of information support services – called Tasman Connect.

The Process

Areas of Focus

Information

• Community Working Group – Tasman Voice for Health
• Women’s Health Expo
• Youth Health Expo
• Koonya Garlic Festival Health Literacy

Allied health

• Mental health services for young people
• Podiatrist
• Psychiatrist

Primary care

• Increase gp hours
• I-Stat machine through population health planning
• Multipurpose centre engaging Tasman Voice for Health on resource planning

After-hours Access

• Mapping existing services
• Broader community research projects on after hours access

Innovative ways of delivering care

Tasman Connect, supporting clinical and non-clinical care through information and directory-social prescribing

Community Directory and Calendar

• Tasman Voice for Health response to the health information gap
• Accurate and current information and training
• Health promotion approach
• Encourages community engagement
• Incorporates social and clinical services and supports

https://tasmanconnect.org.au

Achievements in one year

• Effective and inclusive community voice
• Engaged key stakeholders
• Improved access to information
• Reduced barriers and improved access to mental health services
• Developing training and support for Mental Health First Aid
• Creating safe community conversations around health and wellbeing
• Obtained further funding (limited) to continue Tasman Voice for Health – what is missing is funding for a community office / meeting space for the Tasman Voice for Health

Next Steps

• Conduct further kitchen tables in key areas of identified need
  • Older Adults
  • Youth
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
• Develop a clear model to guide visiting health service providers to better access rural communities
• Provide training / mentoring for informal health communicators – health navigators
• Develop and embed and mental health peer support model of care
• Together with the clinical services action group – look at options for improving after-hours access
• Develop and share a wellness model
• Encourage and support community wide discussion of Peninsula transport needs
• Continue to engage stakeholders in collaborative work
• Tailor the Directory and Calendar
• Secure funding for office and meeting space