Whilst we offer a variety of treatment and education services for individuals at KCHS we also work with communities to improve their health and wellbeing and prevent illness.

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to take control over their own health. Some of the ways this is achieved include creating supportive and healthy environments, strengthening communities and assisting people to develop personal skills and health knowledge. Working with the community and other organisations to develop more holistic and health promoting services and to build healthy public policy are also important ways to create health for all.

Some of the ways we achieve this are listed below
If you are interested in finding out more about any of the health promotion or community development projects at KCHS you can call the service or email us at
healthpromotion@kchs.org.au

In line with the Department of Human Services requirements KCHS produces a comprehensive three year Organisational Health Promotion Plan (2006-2009). We also produce yearly updates providing detail of actions for each year.

For 2006 -2009 our priority areas for action are:

1. Promoting Physical Activity & Active Communities
Mothers Living Well project – see below

2. Promoting Mental Health & Wellbeing–
Mothers Living Well project - see below
and
Chinese Seniors Wellbeing project – see below

3. Promoting Sexual & Reproductive Health
Youth KISS project

Mothers Living Well (MLW) is a health promotion project based in Bayswater . It aims to work with local mothers and others to make their communities the best possible places for mums to live, feel connected and do healthy things like walking and cycling. It commenced in July 2007. The project is a partnership led by Knox Community Health with Knox City Council, Women’s Health East, TravelSmart Program of the Department of Transport & Care Connect. Recent outcomes include a CommunityTravel Plan for Bayswater looking at ways to increase active transport (walking and cycling).

The project was recently a finalist in the VHA Population Health Awards

If you would like more information regarding the project and a calendar of events please visit the website designed by the mothers.
http://motherslivingwellproject.blogspot.com
You can also email healthpromotion@kchs.org.au for more info and a copy of the draft Community Travel Plan

The Youth KISS Project is a collaborative project of Knox Community Health Service in partnership with Knox Youth Services, Knox School Focused Youth Service and Women’s Health East.

‘Sexual Health Conversations’ are happening across Knox with young people, parents, service providers and schools to find out about young people’s sexual health issues and needs; how the service system, schools and parents respond to the sexual health needs of young people; and what solutions and strategies could be implemented to bring about an improvement in young peoples sexual health. Information gathered will support and inform the development of a Knox Youth Sexual Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

To view the summary report of Phase 1 - Sexual health Conversations with Young People please click on the link below. For a copy of the full research report please email shelley.walker@kchs.org.au

KCHS is currently working with a range of local organisations in a network to better co-ordinate and promote new and existing activities for Chinese speaking seniors living in Knox.

This is response to consultations held with the Chinese community that revealed that Chinese seniors had limited opportunity to meet others in the Knox area and that language was a barrier that created isolation.

The network is working with Chinese seniors on a range of innovative activities and exciting projects. Organisations working alongside KCHS include Care Connect, Centrelink, Eastern Region Libraries, Knox City Council, Orana and Rowville Neighbourhood Houses, Chinese Community Social Services centre, Wesley DoCare, Uniting Care Community Options, Knox Division of GPs and Consumer Affairs Victoria.

The Knox Accord Project, coordinated by Knox Community Health Service, aims to promote community driven consensus and action towards preventing violence against women in the Knox community. Central to the project is the community driven development of a commitment statement and protocols known as the Knox Accord to End Violence Against Women (KAEVAW). The project is funded by a VicHealth “Respect responsibility and equality” grant

A period of community consultation culminated in a Violence Against Women Forum on 7th November 2007. At the Forum community members contributed to the design and wording of the Accord. The Knox Accord was first signed by Cr Jim Penna, Mayor City of Knox on 23 November. Click on the link at the top of this website to see how many people have signed to date!

The Knox Accord project also provides resources for workplaces to take a lead in understanding and challenging violence against women. Resources are available at the link at the top of this page.

The acronym RAGE stands for Register and Get Educated. The RAGE project is designed and coordinated by Knox Community Health Service and funded by the National Illicit Drugs Strategy. The RAGE project aim is to trial the use of health promotion SMS messages, sent to young people at times when they are likely to be at risk of abusing alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

A Youth Steering committee has been formed and they are working on strategies to encourage young people to register for the text messages as well working with Drug and Alcohol workers to design the SMS messages and ensure that they are relevant and useful to young people.

To support them they have access to a small budget and advice from legal services, the police, drug and alcohol and health promotion services and staff. A month in to their campaign the young people had obtained over 600 registrations. If you are interested in finding out more please visit the MySpace website maintained by the Youth Advisory Committee members at www.myspace.com/Rageproject/knox
or
healthpromotion@kchs.org.au