School-based integrated healthcare model: how Our Mia Mia is improving health and education outcomes for children and young people

Abstract

Integrating healthcare into education settings represents a promising model to address complex health problems in disadvantaged communities through improving access to health and social services. One such example of an effective school-based health hub is the Our Mia Mia (OMM) Wellbeing Hub, located in a primary school in Nowra and servicing a community experiencing significant socioeconomic disadvantage. The efficacy of OMM rests on its success in facilitating access to services by removing the barriers of cost and transport and establishing connection to community. The OMM fosters collaborations between health professionals and educators to coordinate holistic treatment and implement appropriate student supports in a timely manner. The support of key individuals and groups, in addition to the flexibility of the model, has allowed the hub to pivot and adapt to meet the changing needs of its community, particularly as challenges pertaining to bureaucracy, financial sustainability and community mistrust have presented themselves. Future directions for the OMM hub, and the possibility of adapting and translating school-based healthcare delivery models in other disadvantaged communities, is discussed.

Retrospective audit of a school‐based integrated health‐care model in a specialised school for children with externalising behaviour

“…This was indicative of improved access to care and acceptability of school‐based health‐care models. The literature supports this finding with other studies showing that schools provide an accessible and convenient opportunity to provide health services 7,16,49–51 . Some of the reasons for non‐attendance were elucidated in this evaluation.…”

“…The literature supports this finding with other studies showing that schools provide an accessible and convenient opportunity to provide health services. 7,16,[49][50][51] Some of the reasons for non-attendance were elucidated in this evaluation. An important reason included the student's behaviour.…”

Critical success factors for school‐based integrated health care models: Learnings from an Australian example

“…These models represent a promising strategy to advance health equity 2,6 . This article will explore an Australian example of a SIH model, and will map the perspectives and priority areas of stakeholder groups so these insights can be considered by other emerging health hubs 7 …”

“…The current study aims to respond to these identified gaps in the literature, to evaluate an example of a SIH model located in a primary school on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. 7 The Our Mia Mia 22 Well-being Hub is located on the grounds of Nowra East Public School (NEPS) though its services are available to families from other preschools, and primary and high schools in the region. This region was ranked in the lowest decile on the most recent socioeconomic indexes for areas 23 NEPS itself services a particularly disadvantaged population of children; 86% of the school's families sit in the lowest quarter of the index of community socio-economic advantage scale.…”

Integrating primary health care and education to improve outcomes for children

“…A second paper reports the qualitative findings that explore the role of the primary health nurses and the experiences of the nurses and education staff working in the integrated learning support and nursing teams (Sanford et al 2021). A different model of integrating primary healthcare professionals and education professionals is presented in the practice and innovation report of the Our Mia Mia (OMM) program in rural NSW (Mendoza Diaz et al 2021). Again, this service targets a disadvantaged population of children, approximately half of whom identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.…”