Overview
The Young People's Health Service (YPHS) provides primary health care and opportunistic and strategic health interventions to adolescents and young adults (12-24 years) who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness or marginalisation. The YPHS clinic is located at Frontyard Youth Services (Melbourne City Mission) on King Street in the Melbourne CBD. Co-located with other services designed to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of young people in this situation, YPHS nurses strive to improve their access to primary healthcare.
YPHS was established in 1991 following recommendations in the "Our Homeless Children" Report of the National Inquiry into Homeless Children by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1989). The social model of health acts as the foundation of YPHS practice and acknowledges social inequality as a key determinant of ill health.
Access
Clinic hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday
- No appointment.
- No GP referral
- No charge
- No Medicare card
Drop in to Frontyard and ask for the health service.
Because it is a drop-in service, there may be a wait to be seen.
Location and contact
Telephone: 9453 8590 (you might have to leave a message)
Email: young.people@rch.org.au
Address: Frontyard Youth Services, 19 King Street, Melbourne
The service
YPHS is a nurse-led clinic that aims to advance the health of young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness or who are otherwise marginalised. Some of our focus areas are:
- Preventative Health Advice
- Skin conditions and infections (rashes, scabies, lice)
- Soft tissue injury and wound care
- Support with drug and alcohol issues (AOD) including Single Session therapy
- Immunisations
- Basic Immigrant health screens
- Blood borne virus screening (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV)
- Nutritional Blood screening
- Linking to Hepatitis C treatment
- Screening and treatment of sexually transmissible infections (STI's)
- Contraception advice
- Implanon insertion and removal
- Contraception Injections
- Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)
- Pregnancy testing
- Referral for unplanned pregnancy/referral to ante natal care
- Sexuality concerns or questions
- Emotional and mental health support
The first visit includes an assessment using the HEADSS psychosocial health tool that provides an overview and identifies points for intervention and discussion. The nurses provide youth focused health assessments, screening, treatment, information and referral. A visit to YPHS can be up to 60 minutes to allow adequate time for the engagement and assessment.
Clinical outreach
YPHS provides Clinical Refuge Outreach to several youth refuges. Barriers such as lack of finance, transport, a support person, knowledge of services and negative past experiences with health professionals can contribute to a person not accessing health services. The goal of clinical
outreach is to improve access to health care for young people who may not access Frontyard Youth Services, i.e. Providing Primary Health Care and immunisations.
Current YPHS Projects
Diverse Communities, Mental Health & Wellbeing Program
YPHS has commenced a project focusing on mental health and wellbeing of young people from diverse communities (including young people born overseas and LGBTQIA+ young people) living in youth refuges. This project is connected to YPHS’s outreach activities and includes developing resources and knowledge among young people and refuge staff members.
The Team
YPHS is run by a team of skilled and specialised nurses. Recognising Adolescent Health as a specialty area, the nurses are experienced and educated in this field.
- Dot Henning: Nurse Practitioner
- Charlie Bowes: Clinical Nurse Consultant
- Belinda Tominc: Clinical Nurse Consultant
- Tillie Stephens: Project Nurse - Diverse Communities, Mental Health & Wellbeing
- Di Zoch: Administration Officer
- Lucinda White: Administration Officer
In addition to the nurse team, Advanced Paediatric Medical Trainees undergoing specialist Adolescent training at The RCH attends for twice a week to provide consultancy and medical support including diagnosis, prescription and specialist referrals (These doctors are not General
Practitioners so not able to write Mental Health Care Plans. We also benefit from weekly observational visits from Junior Medical Officers rotating through the Department of Adolescent Medicine.
Program Logic
Primary health care is designed to be the first level of contact that individuals have with the health care system in Australia. It incorporates health promotion, illness prevention and community development.
A Young People’s Health Service program logic model was developed to articulate the various components of the service and the intended outcomes.
Ceased YPHS Projects
Immunisation Program
Funding was provided by the Department of Health for the very successful Immunisation program at YPHS. This program has unfortunately been discontinued.
Program Outcomes
Between 19th February 2019 and 7th June 2023, the Vulnerable Young People Immunisation Program increased vaccination coverage, where young people are fully up-to-date with immunisations for age, from 12.1% to 48.2%. As detailed in the Total row of Table 2, of the 1,132 young people who were not up-to-date for age on notification, 991 (87.5%) attended an immunisation appointment, and 472 (47.6%) have been fully vaccinated.
Publications
2023
2021
- Henning D, Parrott C, Read T, Bradshaw CS.International Journal of STD and AIDS - Homelessness, sex and a tale of two sexually transmitted infections
2020
- Parrott, C. (2020) Young People's Health at the Frontline. Parity, 33(02), 25-26
- Tominc, B. (2020) Immunisations and Preventative Healthcare: Let's Improve Access for Our Community. Parity, 33(02), 25-26
2015
- Parrott C, Henning D & Eade D. (2015) A Check Up. In: Under the Pump! Melb: John Cain Foundation
- Henning D. (2014) Homeless Youth. In: Sexual Health – A Multidisciplinary Approach. Melb: IP Communications
2014
- Henning D, Eade D, Langstone A, Bean-Hodges A, Marceglia A, Azzopardi P. Asymptomatic Mycoplasma genitalium infection amongst marginalised young people accessing a youth health service in Melbourne. International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2014;25(4):299-302. doi:10.1177/0956462413502317
2013
2012
- Lim, M. S., Goller, J. L., Guy, R., Gold, J., Stoove, M., Hocking, J. S., Fairley, C. K., Henning, D., McNamee, K., Owen, L., Sheehan, P., & Hellard, M. E. (2012). Correlates of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a primary care sentinel surveillance network. Sexual Health, 9(3), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.470770261043433
2009
2008
2007
2006
Awards & Scholarships
Australian Association for Adolescent Health - Outstanding Contribution to Youth Health 2019 - Stuart Cook
RCH Mary Patten Award 2019 - Dot Henning
RCH Elizabeth Fearon Scholarship 2021 - Belinda Tominc