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Initiatives targeting Recommendation 17QueenslandPost School Survival Tips Publication This publication is specifically focused on youth and addresses their vulnerability as consumers with limited experience. Teachers’ notes for use in classrooms, speakers for classroom presentations and discussions are also available. Target group: Year 12 students and young people accessing youth support networks Coverage: State wide Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Department of Tourism, Racing and Fair Trading Contact: Executive Manager Website: http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au School Based Youth Health Nurse Program The School Based Youth Health Nurse Program is a Queensland Government initiative that commenced in 1998. This primary health care program deploys registered nurses to deliver prevention services in state schools with secondary students, and works within the social model of health. The nurses provide information, advice and support for students, their families and school communities in relation to issues that impact on the health and wellbeing of young people including early identification and brief interventions, and as relevant, facilitate smooth referral pathways to other services and agencies. These nurses also act as advocates for young people in the broader community by raising awareness of their needs. The nurses provide individual confidential consultations as well as support for whole of schools activities to promote health. This could include: curriculum development; teaching and learning activities (including teacher in-service and parent sessions); organisation of environments supportive of health and wellbeing; and the development of partnerships and networks internal and external to the schools to support positive health outcomes for young people. Target group: School students aged 12-18+ years and parents, teachers and other school support staff Coverage: State wide Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: Program Coordinator Website: www.health.qld.gov.au Youth Drug Summit and the Marginalised Young
People's Project The Youth Drug Consultation Project established twenty-six projects in twenty-four sites across the State targeting at risk young people. It operated in partnership with peak youth and indigenous bodies. Each project focused on young people’s alcohol and drug issues and provided a process for young people to express their ideas, concerns and issues about the prevention of harm relating to alcohol and drug use. Through working together as a team the project also aimed to build protective factors such as connectedness, problem solving, self efficacy and resiliency through improved access to support services for the young people participating in the projects. This project culminated in the Youth Drug Summit in October 2001. The Marginalised Young People’s Program has been developed as a follow up to the Youth Drug Summit. At the Summit, at risk and marginalised young people and their support workers were invited to present and discuss their ideas and make recommendations to the Queensland Government about improving youth drug prevention programs and services. The recommendations from the Summit will be included in Queensland Health’s Illicit Drug Action Plan consultations. A possible next stage is the establishment of local youth drug prevention networks to look at the management and implementation of the Summit recommendations at the local community level. Target group: Youth Coverage: State wide Timeframe: 2001 – next steps still under consideration Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: Senior Prevention Adviser Website: www.health.qld.gov.au/atods Taking Big Steps - Transition Information
Package The Taking Big Steps project is designed to assist both service providers and young people alike to manage the transition issues associated with moving from rural and remote areas to urban places for employment and educational purposes. The package provides an overview of the discrete stages of transition with some suggested approaches for helping young people cope with the changes they are experiencing. Target group: Youth, community members, schools, youth service providers Coverage: Cape York Area and the Torres Strait Islands with concerted efforts to focus on Hopevale and Wujal Wujal communities Timeframe: 2001/02 Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: A/State Coordinator Website: www.health.qld.gov.au "Poison" School Tobacco
Resource Package This project aims to bring together resources into a package that will assist school communities in comprehensively addressing tobacco smoking in accordance with the Health Promoting Schools framework. The package will be introduced to Queensland schools with middle year students in accordance with marketing and implementation plans (including professional development) that will be informed by principles of good practice. This package will form a major component of the comprehensive 100% IN CONTROL, "Poison" tobacco prevention campaign. "Poison" comprises a cinema commercial, television commercial, community service announcement, supporting resources and pages on the 100% IN CONTROL website (www.100incontrol.com) in addition to the tobacco resource package. Target group: Members of school communities, including teachers, middle school students, parents, staff and school-based youth health nurses. Coverage: All Queensland schools with middle school students Timeframe: Development and implementation during 2002 Responsible agency: Queensland Health in collaboration with Education Queensland, Association of Independent Schools of Queensland, Queensland Catholic Education Commission, University of Queensland, Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Association and Queensland Cancer Fund. Contact: Senior Project Officer Website: www.100incontrol.com Health Promoting
Schools Initiatives Public Health Services and Health Promotion Units across the state have supported the development of a range of Health Promoting Schools initiatives. These support the implementation of new health and physical education syllabuses in the school curriculum, the creation of safe and healthy social and physical environments in schools and the development of partnerships with community services. The Western Gateway Health Promoting Schools Grant Scheme and the Gold Coast Lighthouse Schools Program are good examples of how Queensland Health is supporting schools to work with a range of government and community agencies to address school community identified health and well being issues such as youth risk taking behaviours, mental health and school and community ‘connectedness’. Target group: School aged children and school communities – both primary and secondary schools Coverage: State wide Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: Central Public Health Unit (Brisbane North) MindMatters MindMatters is a national program that Queensland is leading to support secondary schools in promoting and protecting the mental health of members of school communities. It aims to enhance the development of school environments where young people feel safe, valued, engaged and purposeful. MindMatters helps schools and their communities including teachers, parents and students to take positive action to create a climate of mental as well as physical health within secondary schools. It includes a resource for schools, a professional development training strategy, a dedicated website and an evaluation process. This initiative will ground the learning from the professional development training strategy that has taken place over the past twelve months. Two project officers are in the process of being appointed and they will be responsible for:
Target group: Members of the secondary school community, including teachers, students, parents, Young People at Risk (YPAR) workers and Community Network Support Workers (CNSWs). Coverage: All Queensland secondary schools Timeframe: Until approximately June 2003 Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: Education Queensland Website: cms.curriculum.edu.au/mindmatters Good Practice Guidelines for Working with
Young People at Risk of Suicide or Self Harm who Present at Queensland
Health Facilities: A Resource for developing district and service policy and
procedures The aim of the project is to develop good practice guidelines for the management of young people at risk of suicide and self-harm who present at Queensland Health facilities. The project is a state wide undertaking and has involved broad consultation with key stakeholders to explore what already exists in terms of policies/protocols regarding the management of young people at risk of suicide and self-harm in Queensland Health facilities. The project aims to draw from what currently exists as well as learning from national and international research to develop principles for the management of young people at risk. The final document will guide service providers in the key issues for consideration as services and policies are developed or updated. Target group: Young people Coverage: State wide Timeframe: 2001/02 – ongoing application Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: A/State Coordinator Website: www.health.qld.gov.au Me, Mates and Moderation Me, Mates and Moderation is a school-based alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention and education program. Based on the Health Promoting Schools framework and contemporary drug education best practice, the program aims to support responsible use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by young people. Components of the program include a Teacher In Service Program, a Drug Education Manual for Secondary Schools, a Peer Education Program, "Peers Lead Students Focus Days" and the "Danger Game". Target group: Schools with secondary students Coverage: State wide Timeframe: Roll-out during 2002 Responsible agency: Queensland Health and Education Queensland Contact: ATODS Project Co-ordinator Website: www.health.qld.gov.au Youth Support Coordinators The Youth Support Coordinator initiative is an early intervention and prevention strategy aimed at preventing student homelessness and early school leaving. Youth Support Coordinators (YSCs) are employed by community-based organisations funded by the Department of Families. The program aims to establish collaborative relationships between schools and community services to enable better responses to the needs of young people experiencing personal or family difficulties. Youth Support Coordinators work directly with individual young people and their families as well as working developmentally both within the school and the community. They provide a mix of the following components:
Target group: At risk youth Coverage: 36 participating schools across the State Timeframe: Commenced in 1997 and currently funded on a triennial basis until 2003 Responsible agency: Department of Families Website: www.families.qld.gov.au Regional Youth Crime Prevention Projects Funding for community organisations in targeted regional communities to provide programs, which address the factors that contribute to youth offending or re-offending. Target group: Youth aged 10-17 years at risk of offending or re-offending Coverage: Cairns and Far North Queensland, Townsville, Thuringowa, Charters Towers, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Wide Bay Timeframe: 2000/2003 Responsible agency: Department of Families Contact: Executive Director Website: www.families.qld.gov.au Youth Crime Prevention Services Funding is provided to community organisations to contribute to the reduction in youth crime through the provision of programs that address the factors that contribute to youth offending or re-offending. Young people have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential and participate in family and community life, through the delivery of programs and services that address the underlying causes of offending. Target group: Young people aged 10-17 years at risk of offending or re-offending Coverage: 25 services in areas of high youth crime across the State Timeframe: Commenced in 1992 and is ongoing Responsible agency: Department of Families Contact: Director Website: www.families.qld.gov.au School Mediation The Alternative Dispute Resolution Branch of the Queensland Department of Justice & Attorney-General provides a free, accessible mediation service to communities across Queensland. Trained mediators assist parties to discuss their concerns and to negotiate mutually acceptable agreements. Attendance at mediation is voluntary. Dispute Resolution Centres are based in Brisbane, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. Mediations can be conducted between members of school communities including student / student, student / staff or parent / staff disputes. Target group: School aged children / school communities Coverage: Mediators are located in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Roma, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Mt Isa, Cairns and surrounding regions (service provision to more remote regional areas may be negotiated). Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Queensland Department of Justice & Attorney-General Contact: Executive Manager Website: http://www.justice.qld.gov.au Family Support
Program The Family Support Program aims to support families where the child with the disability is at risk of entering the care of the state or the family is at risk of breakdown. Families receive assistance from a facilitator for information, planning, linking with formal and informal supports, advocacy and personal supports; and access to discretionary funding for the purchase of a range of supports and services, according to the families needs. Target Group:
Coverage: State wide Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible Agency: Disability Services Queensland Contact: Senior Program Development Officer Website: www.disability.qld.gov.au/register.cfm
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