Health Works aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people who inject drugs in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

 

Health Works services include:

Needle Syringe Program (NSP)

This service provides people who inject with new injecting equipment and condoms and a place to dispose of used equipment safely. The service also undertakes some needle syringe collection services. NSP staff can offer advice on safer injecting and referral to other Health Works services and drug and alcohol services. The NSP is available Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Mobile Drug Safety Worker

This worker provides education and health promotion activities to people who inject drugs, both onsite and in an outreach capacity. Services include education groups and the development of health promotion campaigns.

Mental Health Project Worker

This worker is employed to ensure Health Works is able to best support and respond to the needs of people who inject and also have a mental illness. This is done through staff training, developing systems and supporting the team to work with this particular client group.

Health Care Team

This team provides primary health care services for people who inject drugs. These services include:

• blood-borne virus testing
• HIV and hepatitis C treatment
• vein care
• education to reduce harms associated with injecting
• sexual health and antenatal care
• wound care
• first aid and overdose response
• vaccinations
• general health care
• outreach
• social support and referrals
• laundry and shower

The Health Care Team is staffed by Community Health Nurses, Community Health Workers and a General Practitioner. The Health Care Team is available Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm (except Thurs mornings).

Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese Worker

This worker offers family support and education for these communities about harm reduction, with a particular focus on the Vietnamese community.

Community Education Worker

This worker provides education and training about harm reduction issues with the broader community and is available to speak to community groups, businesses, local residents and other organisations.

 

What is harm reduction?

The term harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and projects which aim to reduce the health, social and economic harms associated with the use of psychoactive substances. It is an evidence-based and cost-effective approach – bringing benefits to the individual, community and society (International Harm Reduction Association, 2006).
The evidence clearly demonstrates that harm reduction reduces the impact of substance use for the individual and society, and helps keep people alive and well. Importantly, harm reduction approaches are effective in reducing the spread of blood borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C.

 

Health Works is located at:

4-12 Buckley Street
Footscray VIC 3011
Phone: 03 9362 8100
(click here for map)

 

 

 

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