GP down south and the Waroona and Pinjarra Football clubs came together last weekend in a show of support to raise awareness of mental health in the local community.
 
The Peel Mobile Health Service and GP down south staff attended the Waroona vs Pinjarra match on Sunday 4th August to increase awareness of services that were available to help those struggling with mental illness.
 
Paul Reilly and Luke Beeson from GP down souths Assertive Outreach Team attending training on Tuesday night with the Waroona players. Paul and Luke spoke with the players and gave them an insight in to the program and the type of support they can provide.

Using prominent sporting clubs in the community was highlighted as a successful way to break down some barriers for people who are suffering from mental health issues but might not know what support is on offer.
 
GP down south thanks both Waroona and Pinjarra football clubs for the opportunity to promote mental health awareness and to decrease the stigma associated with mental health illnesses.

This report outlines the Health and Community Access and Mapping project for Augusta Margaret River (AMR). This project was a partnership between WA Primary Health Care Alliance (WAPHA), GP down south (GPds) and the Shire of Augusta Margaret River (AMR Shire). A Community Partnership Officer (CPO) was funded by WAPHA and employed by GPds, to be positioned within the Community Planning and Development team at the AMR Shire. A Project Steering Group (PSG) consisting of representatives from WA Country Health Service (WACHS), AMR Shire, WAPHA, GPds, Department of Communities and the Red Cross provided governance and oversight for the project which commenced on 20 August 2018 and ended on 30 June 2019.
Project Aims
The Health and Community Mapping and Access project aimed to;
• Gain a better understanding of what is available in the community in terms of services and support, and explore the integration and connectedness between services;
• Improve the access to services by identifying and providing referral pathways for community members and for primary care providers, particularly General Practitioners (GPs);
• Using knowledge gained; inform service delivery/design improvements and future joint agency service planning and commissioning;
• Strengthen and/or develop communication pathways between service providers and between service providers and the community;
• Inform the development of the AMR Shire Public Health Plan and Community Resilience Plan; and
• Make recommendations for future health community service models.