Youth Health Services within Alternative Education

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Youth Health Services within Alternative
Education

• Jodi Smith
• Youth Health Nurse, Centre for Youth Health
• Moana Taane
• Co-ordinator, AIMHI Alternative Education

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The Centre for Youth Health AE Team

• Contracted to provide health care in four
  Alternative Education (AE) centres
• A Nurse-led model of care
• Each AE has 1.5 days allocated nursing time, with
  social work and doctor availability

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Why Provide a Health Service in AE?
Denny, Clark Watson, 2004
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Why Provide a Health Service in AE?
Denny, Clark Watson, 2004
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Why Provide a Health Service in AE?
Denny, Clark Watson, 2004
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AIMHI

• Alternative Education
• AE Clientele
• Health care is a basic human right

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What we do

• HEeADSss physical assessment
• Plan made with the young person
• Case review
• Identify health, social youth development needs
• Liaise with tutors
• Referrals
• Youth development needs

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Engagement

• Critical to working with YP
• Create the right environment
• Confidentiality
• Consent
• Genuine interest in YP

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• Young people are resources to be developed not
  problems to be solved
• Karen Pitman

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(No Transcript)
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Challenges

• Physical environment
• Confidentiality issues information sharing
  between agencies
• Care Protection issues
• Young people who leave AE fall through the
  gaps

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Youth Development

• Barriers
• Youth health vs youth development
• Focus on health
• Limited resources to assist YP to engage in youth
  development
• Solutions
• Employ a youth worker with flexible hours

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Service Development

• Youth Participation
• Focus Groups
• Family Engagement
• Follow-up letters
• Phone calls
• Social work input
• Transition to appropriate health care

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Take Home Message

• This is a high risk group of young people who are
  currently disengaged with health.
• Health, education social services must to work
  together
• Youth Health services make a difference in
  meeting unmet needs of young people in AE