A nurse-led outreach service, developed by the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (PHN), is looking out for the physical and mental health of domestic and family violence (DFV) victims and their children.
The pilot program has been running for 12 months on the Central Coast and run over the past 12 months, helping 50 women and 30 children to access the health care they need, with the PHN now seeking funding to continue and expand the service.
The pilot program identified many barriers to accessing health care for DFV victims including increasing costs and waiting times to see GPs and specialists.
General Practitioner, Dr Colette Hourigan, leads the outreach program.
“Working in this project has felt like third world medicine in a first world country,” she said.
“Due to their circumstances, even the most basic needs of the women and children are unmet.
“Women in these situations do not have money, time, or security to address the health needs of themselves or their children.
“We’ve seen a wide range of issues in women including substance abuse, depression, and PTSD.
“Children are presenting with hearing loss and delays in their development, particularly in speech and language.
“We’re also seeing first nations women overrepresented in this cohort.”
The pilot model is based on evidence, offering best practice health support to victims where they are residing, whether this be within a DFV refuge, crisis accommodation or other alternative accommodation.
The Primary Care Outreach team (comprising a specialist nurse working in tandem with a trauma informed general practitioner) provides immediate essential health and assessment services and links victims with the health and specialist supports they need to prevent lifelong impacts resulting from their physical and mental trauma.
The program has been operating across three women’s refuge sites on the Coast.
PHN Chief Executive Officer, Richard Nankervis, said a key focus of the model is to spearhead early interventions and supports for babies and children to amend the profound effects of DFV.
“By investing in early targeted interventions and supports, the program aims to alter a child’s life trajectory, so they avoid entering the acute care phase as a result of the impacts of DFV on their development, hopefully bringing an end to intergenerational trauma,” he said.
The PHN is seeking funding to continue and expand on the program on the Coast and develop a network of DFV Primary Care Outreach teams across the region.
As evidence is collected to support the proposed outcomes and impacts the aim will be to scale the program across other geographical areas.
“Our long term vision for this program is to ensure every refuge victim and their children have access to the basic health care that they need and deserve,” Nankervis said.
DFV is well recognised in Australia as a social issue, but what is less recognised is its significant health impacts.
It is the leading contributor to the burden of disease for women aged 18-44; higher than smoking, obesity, and alcohol misuse.
Source:
Media release, November 14
Central Coast Primary Health Network