Got It! is a school-based early intervention mental health program for children who display disruptive behaviours. The program aims to reduce the frequency and severity of conduct problems in young children between the ages of 5-8 years old and to improve schools and parents capacity to respond to children with conduct related problems.
Got It! is a short term, multi level program delivered in selected schools over two consecutive terms for children in Kindergarten to Year 2 and their parents/carers. Screening and assessment is completed in the first term and evidence informed clinical group interventions for children and parents/carers are provided in the second term by specialist multidisciplinary Got It! teams.
Led by NSW Health, in partnership with the NSW Department of Education and Communities, the program also includes related professional development for school staff.
Providing a service to children under ten who present with problematic or harmful sexualised behaviour (and their caregivers), is considered core business across the NSW Health children’s counselling services within existing frameworks. The Education Centre Against Violence provides training and a practice forum to Local Health Services in working with this target group.
A specialised program, the Sexualised Behaviour (under tens) Program or the ‘Sparks Clinic’ based in the Hunter New England Local Health District provides clinical intervention in the Greater Newcastle area to children under ten who present with problematic or harmful sexualised behaviour (and their caregivers). The Sparks Clinic received funding from NSW Health under the Keep Them Safe reforms to enhance their service. This program aims to strategically transfer knowledge and capacity to broader health workforces.
Whole Family Teams (Drug and Alcohol and Mental Health) have been established in Gosford, Newcastle, Nowra and Lismore. These teams provide specialist tertiary health services for families where there are drug and alcohol and/or mental health problems and child protection concerns. Referrals are primarily from Community Services Centres, for families where there has been a substantiated Risk of Significant Harm Report (ROSH). Forty specialist clinical staff are currently employed under Whole Family Teams funding and provide services to over 250 highly complex and vulnerable families per year, who require intensive coordinated care. Three additional teams are being established in 2016/17 under Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014–24.
NSW Health provides health assessments, reviews and interventions for approximately 1870 children and young people who enter statutory out of home care (OOHC) each year. This is a critical health intervention for children in Out of Home Care who have significant health care needs including poor mental and physical health compared with the general population. Health assessment services are provided through local health districts / specialty networks upon referral from Community Services.
