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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-29 Daily Xml
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SECOND STORY YOUTH HEALTH SERVICE

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:46): My question is also to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the primary health care of vulnerable young people being improved through changes to the Second Story Youth Health Service?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (14:46): I thank the member for his question. As he would know, the extension of primary healthcare services in our system is a high priority for this government, and I am very pleased to announce that additional vulnerable young South Australians will be able to access primary healthcare services through changes to the Second Story. Members would remember that the Second Story was introduced as a drop-in service when John Cornwall was minister during the 1980s.

The Second Story is the youth section of the Women's and Children's Health Network primary care services and operates a number of youth health centres in metropolitan Adelaide. Over the past two years the Second Story has been planning a more intensive service model to start from 1 July this year, with all major changes in place by the end of this year. This includes a new staffing structure with more highly qualified and skilled personnel to better meet the primary healthcare needs of vulnerable young people in the 12 to 25 age group which can include Aboriginal young people, those who are under the guardianship of the minister, and young people who are either homeless, newly arrived in Australia or same-sex attracted.

Positions within the new staffing structure include general practitioners (paid as consultants so at a more senior level), nurses, social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, Aboriginal health workers, and culturally and linguistically diverse workers. This will enable the service to cater for more complex cases, more complex clients.

The Second Story will provide walk-in, easily accessible and appropriate services in its city location, Noarlunga and Elizabeth. With an expected 25 per cent increase in clients I am advised that the service currently assists about 1,200 young people in these sites each year so we will be able to increase that by about 300. There has been broad consultation since service planning was undertaken in 2010 and this has included feedback from young people, the youth sector and Second Story staff.

I am pleased to advise that the programs called Inside-Out and Evolve, which are for same-sex attracted and gender-questioning young people, will continue to be provided and developed and will be brought into line with national best practice. Same-sex attracted young people can phone in and walk in to the Second Story and receive an assessment of their needs and be offered services including medical, nursing and counselling.

The Second Story services can be accessed through the youth helpline on 1300 131 719 or at sites at Adelaide, Elizabeth and Christies Beach. I commend the officers who have been involved in the very long process of consultation to establish a more contemporary and more focused service in the Second Story.

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