Anglicare is excited to unveil their innovative new mobile health clinic at the event, which will also celebrate 25 years of The Junction Youth Health Services. The newly out-fitted health van will provide clinical health services to young people in the Canberra region who experience barriers to accessing traditional supports. The service will be the first of its kind, designed specifically to support hard-to-reach young people, aged between 12 and 25, in the Canberra region.
“With this new mobile clinic, we are ensuring young Canberrans who are experiencing or facing homelessness, vulnerabilities and isolation from the general community are able to access crucial healthcare services, said ACT Minister for Health, Rachael Stephen-Smith. “[The] Junction Youth Health Services will use its strong community relationships to ensure young people feel safe and supported to access healthcare and improve their overall health and wellbeing.
“The Junction Youth Health Outreach van will visit locations across the ACT and allow easy access for young people, and will include clinicians and youth workers who will provide access to safe medical treatment,” said Sarah Murdoch, Anglicare’s Manager of Youth, Family and Health Services in the ACT. “We want to make health access as easy as possible”, she explained, “especially for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who have experienced trauma”.
Common barriers to accessing traditional services include “age, financial difficulties, transportation challenges, domestic violence, anxiety, disability and/or other health concerns,” said Murdoch.
Plans have been made for the van to regularly visit Uniting Care Kippax in Holt on Tuesday afternoons and the PCYC in Erindale on Wednesday afternoons—both from 12:30 – 4:30 pm. Additional locations and times will be determined by community need, and arranged in partnership with other community services including refuges, schools and social welfare providers.
Funding for the purchase, outfitting and stocking of the van was provided through a grant from the ACT Health Directorate. “Anglicare would like to thank ACT Health for the ongoing commitment and support to vulnerable young people in receiving vital health care.” said Murdoch. “There are currently over 1000 young people registered with The Junction, and with the current high cost of living, the need is only increasing.”
Services offered at The Junction, which will extend to the new mobile health clinic, include vaccinations, STI checks, cervical screenings, pre and post-natal checks and prescriptions as well as case management for young people with complex needs. Referrals to other services such as legal support and housing support are also offered.
For more information about Anglicare’s mobile health clinic or The Junction Youth Health Service phone 02 6245 7100.
Pictured below: photos from the Junction Youth Health Outreach Van launch event.
