Synopsis
The Young People’s Health Service (YPHS) is one of the few primary health care services that specifically works with young people aged 12-24 years who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness. A program of the Department of Adolescent Medicine at RCH, YPHS is co-located with Melbourne City Missions’ Frontyard Youth Services in Melbourne’s CBD. Frontyard works from an integrated model and provides housing, employment, social and legal supports. The health clinic is led by advanced practice nurses and provides clinical experience to Adolescent Medicine Fellows in working with vulnerable young people. This Grand Round will give an insight into the model of care implemented by YPHS and some of their challenges and successes to date.
Speakers
Dot Henning is a Youth Health Nurse Practitioner and has worked at the YPHS for the past 15 years, developing and refining her practice to best meet the complex health issues of the young people presenting to the service. She has specialised in adolescent health within community health settings. She employs the HEADSS psychosocial youth health assessment tool as an integral part of good health care. Dot is a Registered Nurse, a Midwife, has a Master of Nursing, and completed her PhD in 2014.
Christine Parrott is a Clinical Nurse Consultant at YPHS. She is completing a Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing and has completed an MPH in International Health. Christine’s previous employment includes working as a nurse on the Adolescent ward at The Royal Children’s Hospital and with the RDNS Homeless Persons Program. Christine is passionate about health equality and the rights of young people to access good health care. She is interested in the crossover between direct care and public health.
Stuart Cook is a Clinical Nurse Consultant with YPHS and has a Graduate certificate in Public Health and is in his final year of a Master’s of Public Health (Sexual Health). He started his nursing career as an oncology/haematology nurse but has been working in the community health sector for the previous 7 years. He has a keen interest in sexual health and has previously worked as a Sexual Health Nurse in metropolitan Melbourne and remote Western Australia.