Tara Murray
Youth Junction and the Royal Melbourne Hospital will continue an important program which highlights the impacts of drink driving.
The Prevent Alcohol Risk-related Trauma in Youth Program (P.A.R.T.Y.) program is a groundbreaking program that has been working in Melbourne communities for over a decade.
Those delivering the sessions to young Melbournians work to draw on the experiences of trauma professionals and trauma survivors to educate.
Young attendees learn through others’ experiences as to what can happen when they make a risky decision and undertake risky behaviour.
Until March last year the program was delivered partially on site at the Royal Melbourne hospital where clinicians and people with lived experience of trauma spoke and shared their experiences.
The Youth Junction, a youth services provider, supported many young people to attend the program. Most of those participants through that partnership are from within Hume and Brimbank.
With the pandemic preventing that from continuing staff at the hospital, the hospital and The Youth Junction worked to find a solution that could build on the success of the program but reduce the pressure on being on site.
The two groups have now teamed up to offer a new one day format, where participants are virtually connected into the ICU department and get to speak to current patients and medical staff. The program will continue to focus on preventing accidents before they happen.
The Youth Junction CEO Jo Malcolm Black said they were pleased to still be able to run the program virtually.
From post surveys conducted, 97.3 per cent of participants still remember the lessons from PARTY and consider their actions more due to the program.
“We are delighted to still be running the PARTY Program three times a year, as we know what great results and impacts it has on those who undertake the program.
“We have changed to virtually connecting to the Royal Melbourne hospital, which still gives the participants real life experience and connection with trauma professionals and survivors.
“We would like to thank our ongoing support of Plenary Health and KAFF (Kids and Family Foundation) for allowing us to continue in our good work and allow us to deliver this program.”
Details: at info@youthjunctioninc.net.au or 9091 8200.
