Bendigo mental health support provided through great team in HeadtoHelp hub
Meet some of our wonderful HeadtoHelp hub staff.
Our community has faced tough times with the COVID-19 Pandemic impacting on mental health, finances, job security and the pure joy of seeing family or friends.
It’s okay to admit things aren’t going well and talking to someone is the first step. Call 1800 595 212 to make an appointment with our HeadtoHelp hub staff.
We’d like to share the following feedback from some of our HeadtoHelp clients to show that reaching out can make a big difference. We publish these with the permission of the clients to help others in need …..
“The experience today was good. I have felt heard, and I feel that you are interested in me – this is new to me and I was going to give up on the system, but not now, I am comfortable to come back and see you again. It gives me hope.”
Refugee COVID-19 vaccine clinic creates a little bit of history for Bendigo Karen community
When you work together you can achieve great things.
Staff from Bendigo Community Health Services and Bendigo Health teamed up with the Karen Culture and Social support foundation Inc. to create history at the weekend – Bendigo’s first COVID-19 vaccine clinic for the Karen community.
Our ongoing consultation with the Karen community to raise awareness around the vaccine showed a need for a special clinic.
Bendigo Health stepped in to provide staff to deliver the vaccines and Ashin Moonieinda offered the temple as a site.
That’s team work!
It was a fantastic to see everyone working together to support the Karen community.
That’s what community spirit is all about.
Thank you to everyone who played a role in this clinic.
Video: To step inside Saturday’s historic COVID-19 vaccine clinic watch our video from the day. To watch click on the ‘read more’ button below.
Hazara community support: Watch a video as our staff help the Hazara community to attend the Bendigo Health COVID-19 vaccine centre in Mollison Street click here
Media: To read the Bendigo Advertiser’s story on the Karen clinic click here
Bendigo NAIDOC Week calendar of events for 2021 – theme Heal Country
Bendigo Community Health Services is a proud gold sponsor of Bendigo NAIDOC Week 2021.
It’s part of our commitment to providing care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people.
NAIDOC Week will run from July 4 to July 11 with the theme of ‘Heal Country’.
To support the week we are sharing the official Bendigo NAIDOC Week calendar of events.
Read our Acknowledgement to Country which is used before all internal and external meetings featuring Bendigo Community Health Services staff click here
Last updated: June 2021
Victorian Refugee Young Leader Award is great recognition for Ku Htee’s wonderful work
It’s so exciting our Community Guide Ku Htee has won the 2021 Victorian Refugee Young Leader Award.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence MP announced the winners this afternoon.
“Victorian refugees and asylum seekers are a vital part of what makes Victoria so special and diverse – these awards are a wonderful way to celebrate their achievements and contributions,” Ros said.
Ku Htee is an absolute trailblazer … the first refugee to complete a traineeship with BCHS and continuing that wonderful work today with the Settlement Services and Cultural Diversity and Relationships teams to keep the Karen community informed and educated on important health issues.
Ku Htee has been so important in helping to raise awareness and understanding in the Karen community about COVID-19 safety and the vaccine.
Bendigo coat drive helps homeless and vulnerable in community after wonderful donation
Homeless and vulnerable residents in the Greater Bendigo area are being kept warm this winter through a generous Royal Flying Doctor Service donation of new UNIQLO coats to the Bendigo Community Coat Drive.
The donation has allowed Bendigo Community Health Services to supply coats to organisations including Haven Home Safe, Bendigo Family and Financial Services, Mad Cow homeless cafe and community houses in Eaglehawk, Heathcote and Long Gully.
“We distribute around 2000 coats each year so this generous donation from the Royal Flying Doctor Service means we can continue to care for the homeless and vulnerable members of our community even through these uncertain times around COVID-19 and ever-changing restrictions,” Bendigo Community Health Services CEO Gerard José said.
“These coats are high quality and will do much to help the homeless, individuals and families struggling to make ends meet through these tough winter months. We can’t thank the RFDS enough for not only their interest in regional healthcare but going above and beyond by supporting our community with a donation like this.”
RFDS Victoria Chief Executive Officer Scott Chapman said the challenges of 2020 had brought out the best in some people.
”In the peak of the pandemic, our wonderful partners at UNIQLO came forward to see how they could help us directly, and in our broader efforts to support Victorians in need. Following a very generous donation of surgical face masks to keep our patients and staff safe, UNIQLO offered to work with us to identify a group who may be in need of winter jackets,” Mr Chapman said.
NDIS Bendigo – learn more about how the program can help you (Karen language)
The National Disability Insurance Scheme supports people who have a permanent disability to achieve their goals.
You could qualify for NDIS support if you were born with a permanent disability or have acquired one later in life that severely impacts on the ability to do everyday tasks.
The NDIS can be very hard to understand for people using the scheme for the first time.
Our Settlement Services team have created this information booklet to help the Karen community learn more about disability and the NDIS.
To download and print out the information booklet click here
This initiative has been created in partnership with Intereach, Rights Information and Advocacy Centre (RIAC), Amicus, Carer Support Services and Bendigo Health.
VIDEO: Understanding the NDIS (Karen language)
Our Community Guide Ma Paw explains the NDIS to the Karen community. To watch the video click on the ‘read more’ button below:
Louise recognised for wonderful commitment to women’s health in Bendigo
Super proud of our nurse practitioner Louise Holland who won the Outstanding Contribution by a Nurse/Midwife category of the Victorian Rural Health Awards last night.
Louise does so much for our Women’s Health Clinic and Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub but in true style declines to take the credit for herself.
“None of my work is done in isolation and we have SUCH AN AMAZING TEAM that my sincere thanks go to all of you,” Louise said.
Wonderful stuff and thanks for all you do.
To watch Louise’s little presentation from last night’s awards ceremony click on the ‘read more’ button below.
Sexual health the focus of online chat hosted by Bendigo healthcare workers
Sexual health is such an important issue but one that society doesn’t like to talk about all that much.
So we’re teaming up with Thorne Harbour Country and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee to change that with a special online chat for the LGBTIQA+ community at 5.30pm on June 24.
Our sexual health nurse Mary-Anne will join with Claudia from Thorne Harbour Country, Ashleigh from Women’s Health Loddon Mallee and Adam from Thorne Harbour Health to talk all things sexual health and most importantly answer any questions you might have.
You can absolutely do this anonymously by turning off your camera and displaying your preferred title if identity is an issue.
Or you can send questions in and the panel will answer them during the event.
Register your place by using this direct link: http://bit.ly/ThirstyQuestions
RELATED INFORMATION
Last updated: June 2021
Bendigo bottle shops urged to check ID for anyone who appears 25 or younger
Bendigo Community Health Services has called on bottle shops to stay vigilant in asking for identification before selling alcohol.
The call comes after the BCHS Health Promotion team conducted a Supply Monitoring Project that saw three volunteers aged over 18 but appearing ‘underage’ visit 30 Bendigo bottle shops to buy alcohol without identification.
BCHS volunteers found 16 bottle shops sold alcohol without requesting identification.
Two outlets asked for identification but sold alcohol despite the buyer saying they had no ID on them.
The remaining 12 bottle shops requested identification and refused to sell alcohol when ID could not be produced.
The Victorian Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 states it’s illegal to supply alcohol or permit liquors to be supplied to a person under the age of 18 years.
It’s considered ‘best practice’ for alcohol sale outlets to request ID for anyone appearing 25 years or younger.
BCHS Health Promotion team member Kahla Else said bottle shops had a responsibility to ensure Liquor Licensing Laws were followed to protect young people.
“If we are serious about reducing the impact alcohol has on communities then it’s essential that the practices and laws put in place to protect young people and stop habits being formed are strictly followed,” Ms Else said.
“It was encouraging that 12 bottle shops followed the law to the letter but really disappointing 18 did not.
Bendigo LGBTIQA+ Community Reference Group to guide our services and culture
Bendigo Community Health Services is seeking community members to join our new LGBTIQA+ Community Reference Group.
The purpose of LGBTIQA+ Community Reference Group is to:
- Build Bendigo Community Health Services organisational competence in working with LGBTIQA+ communities through a better understanding of issues and facts.
- Build Bendigo Community Health Services staff confidence in designing accessible and equitable services and programs that engage LGBTIQA+ communities.
- Provide advice and assist in the development and implementation of strategies to enhance LGBTIQA+ consumer and community participation guided by the Rainbow Tick standards
Essential criteria for reference group members:
