Support for Youth One Stop Shops

New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) on behalf of the Network of Youth One Stop Shops (NYOSS) is encouraging the Ministry of Health and youth health funders to see youth one stop shops as an effective model for supporting youth health and development.

The Ministry of Health is due to release an evaluation of the model, which both NZAAHD and the NYOSS anticipate will highlight the success of the holistic approach the one stop shop model takes.

Youth one stop shops are community-based centres, which provide services such as recreational activities, health care and social care to young people. They have on site doctors and nurses that young people can access confidentially when they are hanging out at the centres.

‘By ensuring a safe, fun and confidential environment the one stop shop model is seeing a greater uptake in health services by young people’ said Dr Sue Bagshaw.

‘This is the frontline when working with young people,’ said Dr Bagshaw ‘and we want to encourage the Ministry and the youth health funders to continue to value our work.’

The evaluation, due any day, looks to be a comprehensive overview of the model, which the youth one stop shops welcomed and all participated in. Initial indications point to the outcomes being largely positive with some challenges highlighted.

NZAAHD and the NYOSS would like to welcome the opportunity to progress the development of youth one stop shops in the following key areas:

Support for NZAAHD as our national network to further facilitate the NYOSS connection, collaboration and development.

* The development and implementation of an evaluation framework to successfully measure health outcomes for young people.

* Resourcing youth worker roles within youth one stop shops.

* Increased service delivery in primary mental health, counselling, alcohol and drug support.

* Resourcing of quality improvement programmes.

* Addressing the fragile and strained financial environment that we exist within and its impact on service and business sustainability and development.

* National service specifications and reporting frameworks.

NZAAHD, as a national network of organisations and individuals who work with young people around the country, is in a unique position to support the NYOSS to continue to develop the model to best support the young people accessing their services.

‘NZAAHD’s role in the sector is to encourage and promote collaboration and evidence-informed practice for the best outcomes for young people.’ said NZAAHD President Trissel Mayor.

‘We see the one stop shop model as highly effective and are encouraged by the NYOSS’s collaborative approach to developing the one stop shop model to best work for young people.’

‘With the report due to be released and the youth health funders meeting this week we would like to encourage the Ministry of Health and DHBs to continue to value the work of the one stop shops around the country’ said Ms Mayor.

ENDS

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