Shire Wide aims to make it easy for young people to access and to understand the heaps of health information that’s available out there. We do this in a number of ways:
- health resources (including safe sex packs) and publications are available at all projects
- staff receive on-going training and support, and attend appropriate seminars and conferences
- peer facilitated education on safe sex, alcohol and other drug issues
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Peer education means that young people are teaching other young people. We have a number of peer ed projects each year. Peer eds are trained by health professionals and are able to provide up-to-date information on safe sex, safe alcohol and other drug use and other related health issues in a fun and non-threatening way. This training is complemented by regular supervision meetings scheduled throughout the program which provide peer eds with an ongoing opportunity to increase their working knowledge and practical skills.
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Summer Survival
This program runs from November to February each year it works towards enhancing young people’s ability to take responsibility for making healthier life choices, resisting negative pressures and avoiding risk-taking behaviours. In particular to:
- Increase safer sexual behaviour amongst those who are already sexually active
- Increase access to the use of health services by those who need them
- Increase safer alcohol and other drug use by those using drugs and alcohol
The huge success of the program, which has been running throughout the Sutherland Shire and St George since 1994, demonstrates that using young people to get information across to young people is by far the most effective way of getting a message across.
Winter Survival - Be a smarty when you party!
This program runs from June - August each year. The project aims to educate young people in the local area on alcohol use at sporting events and harm minimisation strategies.
Talking Heads
This project is based on implementing health promotion in the area of mental health and AOD use with young people who would not otherwise know or access services of benefit to them.
Reasons for creating more awareness around mental health include:
- Only one out of every four young persons with mental health problems receive professional help
- Young people not knowing about the availability of health services
- Services are often too expensive
- People are unaware that such services exist
- The need for new ways of providing education
You can find more info on these issues at www.likeitis.org.au
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