Our Services - Adolescent Health
The Adolescent Health Service of Justice Health provides healthcare to approximately 330 young people in Juvenile Justice Centres and the Juvenile Correctional Centre . There are eight juvenile justice centres throughout NSW: three in metropolitan areas and five in rural areas. The Kariong Juvenile Correctional Centre is managed by the Department of Corrective Services and is the maximum secure facility for young people in custody. The centres cater mostly for young males but one centre (Yasmar) is the state wide young women's facility. Yasmar will soon be closing and will be replaced by Juniperina, a new facility for young women at Lidcombe.
Whilst the nurses work autonomously in the clinics, they are members of a multidisciplinary team, including Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Education and Training staff, providing services to young people in custody.
The clinic staff are supported by: the Director of Adolescent Health, Nurse Manager Adolescent Health, Adolescent Drug & Alcohol and Adolescent Mental Health Clinical Nurse Consultants, Adolescent and Drug & Alcohol Staff Specialist, visiting psychiatrists, visiting general practitioners, Manager Clinical Operations and Administration Assistant.
NSW Young People on Community Orders Health Survey 2003 – 2006 (Key Findings Report)
Following on from the Young People in Custody Health Survey 2003, The University of Sydney, Department of Juvenile Justice and Justice Health formed a partnership and received funding to conduct the first comprehensive survey of the physical and mental health of young people serving community orders.
The key findings of this survey were launched on 22 August 2006, titled NSW Young People on Community Orders Health Survey 2003 - 2006 (Key Findings Report). The report provides significant evidence that young people on community orders have extensive health and welfare needs. The benefit of working collaboratively provides strong evidence based research for future policy and service developments to benefit these young people.
Young People in Custody Health Survey 2003
The Young People in Custody Health Survey 2003 was a joint research project between the Department of Juvenile Justice, Justice Health and Sydney University. The survey consisted of comprehensive physical and mental health questions looking at all aspects of young people in custodial settings. Click HERE for the key findings.
Clinic Services
There is a clinic in each juvenile justice centre and juvenile correctional centre that provides health services seven days a week. The registered nurses provide a comprehensive health assessment to all young people brought into custody. Clinicians provide ongoing primary health care which includes sexual health, immunisation, mental health and drug and alcohol. The clinic staff provide health education on a variety of topics via individual counselling sessions, group work and structured health education modules.
Youth Drug & Alcohol Court
Adolescent Health also provide health assessment and management to young people on the Youth Drug & Alcohol Court program. The Youth Drug & Alcohol Court program expanded in July to cover a larger area of Sydney.
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