Project Officer: Rowan Lunney

Aims of the Project

• Improve communication between doctors and young people
• Raise Awareness of youth health issues
• Provide information to doctors abouth youth health issues

Project Areas

High Schools

This part of the project has a strong educational component and is a collaborative partnership between doctors, high schools & other organisations for young people such as TAFE, JPET and PCYC. Local doctors give talks on a wide range of adolescent health topics to small and large student groups with the twin aims of breaking down barriers between doctors and young people and of ensuring that school students have up-to-date information about health issues which are important to them. Topics are chosen by the school/ group leader and are wide-ranging. They often include sexual health, mental wellbeing, body art, sports medicine, nutrition and drugs and alcohol.

Annually, local doctors give over talks to more than 2000 high school and TAFE students.

Resources

PowerPoints

The Division has a resource library of PowerPoint presentations for GPs (thank you, Dr Bruce Watts & Dr Kristy Lane): Asthma, Alcohol, Healthy Eating, Body Art, Sexual Health, Smoking, Street Drugs and Sports Injury.

Pamphlets

“What’s Up Doc” is a pamphlet produced by this Division. Please contact the Youth Health worker at the Division for these pamphlets. These pamphlets are free to those within the Division’s area.

Information for GPs

An excellent resource for GPs is Adolescent Health – a resource kit for GPs. This kit covers issues such as medico-legal issues, risk assessment, substance use and mental health.

This may also be downloaded as a PDF file: http://www.caah.chw.edu.au/resources/gpkit/Complete_GP_Resource_Kit.pdf

To order a copy of the GP Resource Kit, 2nd edition please phone, fax, or email Kids Health at the Children's Hospital at Westmead:
Phone: (02) 9845 3585
Fax: fax the order form to (02) 9845 3562
Email: Kids Health
Price: $35.00 for one copy
         $30 for two or more copies (incl. GST, excl. postage and packaging)

Local Youth Services: please see your local service directory:

Bellingen Shire: online from the Bellingen Council website
http://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/communityorgs/2012/OrgDocId/2007_Community_Directory_BNC.pdf           

or contact the Mid North Coast Division of General Practice’s Youth Health worker on 66515774

Free condoms available to GPs for educational purposes. Order some for your practice.

Pamphlets / brochures: A wide variety is available for GPs from the Youth Project Officer at the Division. They include brochures on body art, sexual health, mental health and nutrition.

MAYBE BABY

The Maybe Baby project is part of the Youth Health project at the Mid North Coast Division of General Practice. 12 electronic dolls - virtual babies - are loaned through schools, colleges and other youth organisations to students who take the “babies” home for a “parenting” experience, usually of two to three days.

Objectives/Aims

• To increase high school students’ understanding of what it feels like to be a teenage parent
• To increase high school students’ knowledge of sexual health and contraception
• To encourage responsible relationships for high school students
• To reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy
• To promote use of local health services to high school students
• To increase senior high school students’ knowledge of positive parenting

History of the Maybe Baby Project

In early 2003 the Mid North Coast Division of General Practice purchased 12 virtual babies from Virtual Parenting www.virtualparenting.com.au  mainly through sponsorship. The “babies” look and sound like real babies, and are programmed to real infant schedules. `

In May 2003 the Maybe Baby project was launched at Orara High School, Coffs Harbour. Since then, the babies have been in the homes of over 2,500 students from 17 schools, colleges and youth organisations.

These “babies” are offered to all the local high schools in the Division’s area. A doctor presents on sexual health to students, and comprehensive information is given to students about caring for their “baby”. Each baby stays in the care of a student for approximately three nights.

In 2008, the Mid North Coast Division of General Practice purchased 12 new “babies”. These babies are easier for teachers to program and more attractive for students.

For more information on the Maybe Baby project please contact Rowan Lunney, Youth Health Project Officer on 66515774 or rlunney@mncdgp.org.au

Sponsors
Many thanks to the following 2002 sponsors who helped make this project a reality:

• Baringa Private Hospital
• Lubans Projects  P/L
• Simmons  Menswear, Coffs Harbour
• AG & PA Bishop
• Bellbowrie Motors
• NSW Premiers Department
• Mid North Coast Area Health Service
• Enterprise And Training Company of Coffs Harbour
• Coffs Harbour City Council
• Nambucca Shire Council
• Mid North Coast Division of General Practice

Documents for Teachers
Please see attachments below