Capital Health Network

A number of people in the community are impacted by alcohol and other drug issues, including the homeless. Many of these people are simultaneously dealing with mental health and other chronic health conditions. The provision of quality primary health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) and outreach support services is of key importance.

CHN, ACT’s PHN commissioned programs provide accessible, affordable primary health care services to vulnerable and/or hard to reach people who are generally disconnected from mainstream primary health care due to financial, physical or psychological barriers. CHN commissioned Directions Health Services’ integrated AOD primary care and counselling/case management outreach and in-reach. The outreach services utilise a drop-in arrangement, optimising practitioners’ time and the clinics’ accessibility to clients. Over the last year the activities were held at:

• Civic Needle and Syringe Program: weekly nurse-led clinics
• Oaks Estate: weekly nurse and GP and fortnightly AOD Practitioner
• Ainslie Village: weekly nurse, GP and weekly AOD Practitioner
• Interchange General Practice (IGP) trial: fortnightly AOD Practitioner
• Canberra Alliance for Harm Reduction and Advocacy (CAHMA): weekly nurse and medical practitioner.

Over the last year across these locations, 195 clinics were held with around 1,500 presentations by individuals across these sites. The continued delivery of integrated primary health care and AOD support to vulnerable ACT communities has been greatly appreciated by residents and clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Clients reported overall improvements in their health, mental health, substance use severity and the related harms.

Last year Directions’ mobile health clinic, PAT (Pathways to Assistance and Treatment), was formally launched. PAT is a custom-built mobile clinic that has enabled Directions to offer the full range of minor procedures and services common in a standard GP clinic, enhancing client access to health care in housing estates such as Ainslie Village and Oaks Estate. PAT has been warmly welcomed by residents and increased its days of operation from two to five days a week across Canberra locations where vulnerable populations reside.

The PAT van provides primary health care to vulnerable people living in housing estates. Image source: The Canberra Times.