Yay! The Inner West Sydney Youth Health and Wellbeing Plan 2018-2023 was launched this month. With the with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of young people across Sydney’s Inner West. The plan is a collaboration between Sydney Local Health District, NSW Department of Family and Community Services, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN and NSW Department of Education.
The plan has identified at risk youth categories such as Aboriginal , kids living with domestic violence and homeless kids as priority categories requiring early intervention. Support for these categories is delivered through community- based District services, such as: Youthblock Youth Health Service; Mental Health; Drug Health; Sexual Health and Sexual Assault Services in SLHD hospitals and through outreach to settings where young people gather. These include: local high schools; youth refuges; Juvenile Justice; Marrickville and Belmore Youth Resource Centres; a range of non-government organisations; and at local events. Primary youth focussed health services include: Youthblock Youth Health Service; the RPA Hospital Youth Team; the Healthy Families Healthy Children Sustained Home Visiting Program; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS); Drug Health Services; Oral Health Services; and health promotion programs such as Go4Fun and Mental Health First Aid.
The plan also encourages all young people to keep their mental health in check by speaking with their GP if any issues arise.