$2.6m boost for Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service

The WA Government has committed to improving access to culturally responsive healthcare services for Aboriginal children and families, with new funding for Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service (DYHS).

Under the $2.6 million grant agreement, DYHS will strengthen its existing services to children up to 18 years of age in the Perth metropolitan area through its holistic, evidence-informed and comprehensive paediatric model of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service delivery.

This two-year investment will support the delivery of specialist healthcare and will provide an alternative option for Aboriginal children and families, while easing pressure on the Child Development Service waitlist.

Key Points

• Government partnering with Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service to boost access to child development services
• Grant agreement worth $2.6 million to support Aboriginal children and families
• Culturally responsive model of care to improve access to holistic services

The partnership will provide clinical, allied health, and family support, based on the individual needs of the child and family, supported by a comprehensive model of paediatric health care.

The agreement is designed to improve access to high-quality child development services, including paediatrician-led care, helping Aboriginal children and families receive coordinated care closer to home and within their communities.

Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the partnership was just one of the ways the Government was improving access to child development services for Western Australian families.

WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat.

“Child development service pressures are growing across the country, and this important partnership with Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service will increase the options available to Aboriginal children,” she said.

“I’d like to acknowledge the important role Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service plays in our community, and look forward to working together to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal children.”

Culturally informed service

DYHS chief executive Lesley Nelson said their model had been developed over the last four years in response to the lived experience of our community.

“This model is embedded within our Derbarl primary health care setting and brings with it more than 50 years of culturally informed service delivery,” she said.

“Derbarl is delighted to have our model acknowledged as a genuine solution to the challenges faced by our families.

“We are delighted to embark on this partnership and support the health and developmental outcomes of our kids well into the future.”