ALLIED to KIDS Issue 35 Allied to Kids Is an Initiative of the NSW Child Health Network
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ALLIED TO KIDS Issue 35 Allied to Kids is an initiative of the NSW Child Health Network. August 2011 The newsletter will be circulated regularly to provide updates and information to support allied health professionals who work with children. Creating a Healthy Eater Inside this issue: Introducing solids to an infant can be a stressful time for parents with anxiety about what foods to offer, how often and when. As clinicians we can often see the repercussions of inappropriate introduction to solids including iron Creating a Healthy 1 Eater deficiency, poor texture transition and fussy eating which can continue through early childhood (and beyond in some instances!). At Orange Health Service, in Farewell 1 regional NSW, collaboration between Child & Family Health and Community Dietetics has led to the development of Creating a Healthy Eater, an education Employment 1 package to make introducing solids as stress free as possible for parents. The Opportunity presentation and resource package focuses upon key considerations for introducing solids including encouraging iron rich foods, texture transition, Speech Pathology in 2 Education feeding environment and food allergies. The program has been successful at the Western NSW Health District Quality Events 3 Awards held in July and will be distributed throughout the Western NSW and Far West NSW Health Districts. Positions Vacant 9 For further information about the program please contact: Alexandra Drobiszewski, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics Orange Health Service, 6369 3300 Farewell to a GESCHN Allied Health Educator Many of you will be very familiar with Maree Doble. Maree commenced in the GESCHN Allied Health Educator role in April 2010. Since that time, Maree has been an invaluable member of the Allied Health Educator team. Her insight, professionalism and good humour have significantly contributed to progressing the program. We wish Maree well as she moves on to her next career venture in the NGO sector - THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!! Jenny Nicol will remain in the GESCHN Allied Health Educator role 3 days per week. Are You Passionate About Allied Health Education? Then we may have the ideal role for you! Greater Eastern Southern Child Health Network is currently advertising a 16 hour per week temporary part-time (until June 30th 2013) Allied Health Educator (Level 5) position. This is an exciting opportunity to work with the Allied Health Educators in each of the three Child Health Networks to coordinate, facilitate, and expand the current ongoing education and clinical support needs/programs for Allied Health Professionals (APHs) working with children across NSW. To discuss this position further, please contact Virginia Binns on 02 9382 1055 or visit http://nswhealth.erecruit.com.au/ViewPosition.aspx?Id=39770. Position closes 21st August 2011. Issue 35 Page 2 SPEECH PATHOLOGY IN EDUCATION (SPIE) A partnership between Mudgee Health Service & Schools in the Cudgegong Learning Community In recent years there has been considerable growth in the population of Mudgee and surrounding towns, and as such we have seen a significant increase in the demand for Speech Pathology services. This increased need was in addition to the already extensive waiting lists and limited service availability and poor accessibility in regional areas. During 2009 members of Mudgee and its regional communities expressed concerns regarding the limited access to Speech Pathology and other intervention services for school aged children. An enthusiastic local school teacher, together with the Mudgee Lion’s Club began a fundraiser named “The Chatter Charity Challenge”. A total of $20,000 was raised and was used to fund and implement a School Speech Pathology position based within Mudgee Health Service. The project commenced mid-way through 2010 and aimed to identify gaps in existing service, determine how a collaborative working practice could be achieved between education and Speech Pathology and to improve management of school aged children with communication needs. An evaluation of the current services was undertaken through discussions with and surveys of teaching staff. Over the following 12 months changes were implemented and a new service delivery model for school aged children emerged. Means of identifying students requiring Speech Pathology has moved from teacher only identification to classroom observations by Speech Pathologist and discussion with teacher regarding students. This has seen an increase in the number of children identified with possible communication delays in the areas of speech, language, literacy and social skills. The number of referrals has increased by 36% when compared with the 12 months prior to implementation of the position, and by 66% when compared with the average number of referrals over the past three years. Teachers were responsible for identifying 45% of children referred to Speech Pathology and the remaining 55% were identified by the Speech Pathologists. Teachers often identified children who demonstrated receptive language deficits while Speech Pathologists identified children with expressive language and milder difficulties. Assessments were previously only provided in a clinical setting. Children now attend formal language assessment in the school setting and additional observational assessment of children in their classroom environment is strongly encouraged. Allowing clinicians to assess their functional use of language, helps to set more relevant and curriculum based goals. The greatest benefit of the revised service delivery has allowed for more regular and flexible intervention. Children can be seen individually, in small class groups or whole class activities. Team teaching (Speech Pathologist and Teacher working together in the classroom on a common goal) and up skilling the teachers about speech and language has been instrumental in building rapport between professionals. Whole class, teacher friendly resources for sound development and phonological awareness, have been developed to complement formal phonics teaching and promote the importance of these skills for literacy development. The programs explain the typical development of speech and possible contributing factors to speech and language difficulties. They also provide activities and strategies to help incorporate speech and phonological awareness goals within the classroom. The Speech Pathology Department and School Communities are eager to see this collaborative project continue for the sustained benefit of all local children. The continuation and ideally, an expansion of the project is dependent upon extended funding. Two local schools have committed funds to continue the project for another six months and are seeking additional funding from external organisations. Further evaluation and planning will help establish a position which continues to support the learning and social needs of all school aged children and will have lasting benefits for the wider community. For more information please contact the Speech Pathology Department at Mudgee Community Health Centre. Karina Cumerlato, Meg Sheridan & Rachel Kearins Speech Pathologists Issue 35 Page 3 Jenny Nicol GESCHN Allied Health Educator Phone: 02 9382 4471 Email: [email protected] Supporting Allied Health Professionals Working with Children Sonia Hughes NCHN Allied Health Educator Phone: 02 6592 9623 / 0423 823633 For more details about any of the Email: [email protected] information included in this newsletter, or if you have something you would like included in a future edition, please contact one of us. Carmel Blayden WCHN Allied Health Educator Phone: 0418 313 930 Email: [email protected] Events 2011 … Submissions for Future Editions of Allied to Kids Let us know about your workshops, new programs, events, research or positions vacant. Clinical articles need to be evidence based with a relevant (albeit short) reference list. Submissions can be sent to any of the Allied Health Educators (email details are listed above) and need to be received no later than the 25th of each month to ensure inclusion in the following month’s edition. Remember, Allied to Kids is a newsletter for paediatric Allied Health Professionals by paediatric Allied Health Professionals. Kaleidoscope Conference 3rd Rural & Remote Mental Health September 9th 2011 Symposium Newcastle 14th – 16th November 2011 Ballarat Keynote Speaker: Fr Chris Riley http://anzmh.asn.au/RRMH11/registration.html www.kaleidoscope.org.au Optimising the Management of Pain 24-25 August 2011 Melbourne The aims of the seminar are to: Highlight innovative approaches to the optimal management of acute, chronic and palliative pain and especially those that focus on the patient experience Showcase models of service delivery and/or care, and other innovations projects that have demonstrated improvements in the management of pain Invited speakers include: Prof Stephen Gibson, President, Australian Pain Society, Deputy Director of the National Aging Research Institute (NARI) & Director of Research at the Caulfield Pain Management and Research Centre, Australia Prof Julia Fleming, Queensland Health For more information go to http://www.changechampions.com.au/seminar/optimising-the-management-of-pain_109 Issue 35 Page 4 State-wide Telehealth Education Opportunities Available to allied health professionals who provide services through NSW Health NSW Child Health Network Allied Health Telehealth Education Anita Darby, Dietitian SCH; Lisa Parker, Clinical Psychologist,