In May, Anglicare unveiled a new health van to provide clinical health services for young people who experience barriers to accessing traditional supports. The service is the first of its kind, designed specifically to support hard-to-reach young people, aged between 12 and 25, in the Canberra region.
Funding for the purchase, outfitting and stocking of the van was provided through a grant from the ACT Health Directorate and Anglicare is thankful for their ongoing support.
“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, who spoke at the launch event.
As an extension of the services delivered by the Junction Youth Health Service, the new outreach van will employ clinicians and youth workers who will provide access to safe medical treatment. “We want to make health access as easy as possible”, said Sarah Murdoch, Anglicare’s Manager of Youth, Family and Health Services in the ACT, “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. There are currently over 1000 young people registered with The Junction, and with the current high cost of living, the need is only increasing.
