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Doctors in Secondary Schools

A Victorian Department of Education and Training partnership.

The Doctors in Secondary Schools (DiSS) program provides primary health care services to 100 Victorian government secondary schools. The program funds a general practitioner (GP) and Practice Nurse (PN) to provide onsite primary care for students up to one day per week. Fit-for-purpose clinic consultation facilities have been installed onsite at all participating schools as part of the program. The initiative complements existing student wellbeing programs aimed at improving health literacy, and preventive health.

Current vacancies and Expression of Interest

The Program is funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) and implemented by Victoria’s six Primary Health Networks (PHNs). PHNs are supporting the GPs to be integrated with community-based primary care services to enable best-practice, patient-centred care. The DiSS program provided health care treatment and support to more than 24,000 students between 2017 and 2023.

Objectives

The objectives of the program are:

  • make primary health care more accessible to students;
  • provide assistance to young people to identify and address any health problems early; and,
  • aim to reduce the pressure on working parents and community-based GPs.

All GPs, PNs and school staff are provided with training in adolescent health, at no cost. School-based GPs bulk-bill consultations through Medicare and are remunerated for time spent that cannot be billed. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for students who attend consultations with participating GPs and PNs.

Schools involved

To ensure young people across Victoria can access quality health care services, selected participating schools cover areas with high unmet need across Victoria.

Schools included in DiSS, as per PHN:

Eastern Melbourne PHN

  • Bayswater Secondary College
  • Boronia K-12 College
  • Charles La Trobe P-12 College
  • Croydon Community School
  • Healesville High School
  • Lalor North Secondary College
  • Melba Secondary College
  • Scoresby Secondary College
  • Upper Yarra Secondary College
  • Wallan Secondary College
  • Whittlesea Secondary College
  • Yarra Hills Secondary College

Gippsland PHN

  • Bairnsdale Secondary College
  • Drouin Secondary College
  • Kurnai College
  • Maffra Secondary College
  • Neerim Distric Secondary College
  • Sale Secondary College
  • Swifts Creek P-12 School
  • Traralgon College
  • Warragul Regional College

Murray PHN

  • Alexandra Secondary College
  • Benalla P-12 College
  • Crusoe 7-10 Secondary College
  • Eaglehawk Secondary College
  • Greater Shepparton Secondary College
  • Irymple Secondary College
  • Kerang Technical High School
  • Kyneton Secondary College
  • Merbein P-10 College
  • Numurkah Secondary College
  • Ouyen Secondary College
  • Red Cliffs Secondary College
  • Robinvale College
  • Rutherglen High School
  • Seymour College
  • Swan Hill College
  • Wedderburn College
  • Weeroona College Bendigo
  • Wodonga Middle Years College
  • Wodonga Senior Secondary College
  • Yarrawonga College P-12

North Western Melbourne PHN

  • Bacchus Marsh College
  • Bayside P-12 College
  • Braybrook College
  • Copperfield College
  • Craigieburn Secondary College
  • Footscray High School
  • Glenroy Secondary College
  • Hume Central Secondary College
  • Keilor Downs College
  • Kurunjang Secondary College
  • Laverton P-12 College
  • Manor Lakes P-12 College
  • Melton Secondary College
  • Mount Alexander College
  • Mount Ridley P-12 College
  • Reservoir High School
  • Roxburgh College
  • St Albans Secondary College
  • Sunbury College
  • The Grange P-12 College
  • Victoria University Secondary College

South Eastern Melbourne PHN

  • Carrum Downs Secondary College
  • Cranbourne East Secondary College
  • Cranbourne Secondary College
  • Dandenong High School
  • Fountain Gate Secondary College
  • Gleneagles Secondary College
  • Hallam Senior Secondary College
  • Hampton Park Secondary College
  • Keysborough Secondary College
  • Lyndale Secondary College
  • McClelland Secondary College
  • Monterey Secondary College
  • Mornington Secondary College
  • Narre Warren South P-12 College
  • Noble Park Secondary College
  • Oakwood School
  • Pakenham Secondary College
  • Patterson River Secondary College
  • Rosebud Secondary College

Western Victoria PHN

  • Ararat Secondary College
  • Beaufort Secondary College
  • Brauer Secondary College
  • Camperdown College
  • Casterton Secondary College
  • Colac Secondary College
  • Geelong High School
  • Heywood District Secondary College
  • Horsham College
  • Lavers Hill K-12 College
  • Maryborough Education Centre
  • Mount Clear College
  • Mt Rowan Secondary College
  • Newcomb Secondary College
  • North Geelong Secondary College
  • Phoenix P-12 Community College
  • Portland Secondary College
  • St Arnaud Secondary College

Requirements for ‘Doctors in Secondary Schools’ general practices, General Practitioners and Registered Nurses

General Practices

General Practices accredited against the RACGP Standards for General Practice (5th edition) under the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme or those registered for accreditation are encouraged to apply. Practices are required to provide bulk billed services to students and to maintain students’ medical records with a medical software program.

General Practitioners (GP)

The Program requires Vocationally Registered GPs, with an AHPRA registration and license to practice in Australia. Experience in child and adolescent health, mental health and drug and alcohol services is desirable.

Practice Nurse (PN)

The program is also seeking Registered and Enrolled Nurses (Division 1 and 2), with an AHPRA registration and no restrictions on scope of practice in Australia.

Professional Development and Training

All participating GPs and PNs working in the DiSS program are provided with training in adolescent health delivered by the University of Melbourne, in partnership with the Royal Children’s Hospital, headspace, Sexual Health Victoria, Foundation House and the Youth Support and Advocacy Service. The DiSS program also offers GPs and PNs further RACGP-accredited training and professional development opportunities to provide youth-friendly primary health services in Victorian secondary schools.

News

On Wednesday 1 June 2022, Premier Daniel Andrews, Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas and many other distinguished and invited guests attended Hampton Park Secondary College as part of the official opening of their Doctors in Schools Program building.

It will provide a variety of services including counselling, a visiting psychologist and even legal advice from the Springvale/Monash Legal Service and Southern Migrant Resources Centre.

Previous
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The program is funded by the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training (DET)  and implemented by Victoria’s six Primary Health Networks (PHNs). North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) is the lead PHN. 


Project contacts

Statewide Project Coordinator
Carlia Bennardo
Ph. 03 9347 1188

North Western Melbourne PHN
Ash Jones
Ph. 03 9347 1188

Eastern Melbourne PHN 
Di McConchie
Ph. 03 8814 2443

Gippsland PHN 
Bernadette Heaton-Harris
Ph. 03 5126 2899

Murray PHN
Natalie Tremellen
Ph. 03 4408 5600

South Eastern Melbourne PHN
Funmi Omidiora
Ph. 03 8514 4437

Western Victoria PHN 
Kimberly Hutton
Ph. 03 4310 5103

To view and download campaign resources, click here.

Copyright 2023 Victorian and Tasmanian PHN Alliance
  • About us
    • About the Alliance
    • Community engagement
    • Collaboration
    • Leadership
    • PHN Publications
    • Thought Leadership
  • Our Work
    • Best practice, prevention, management and support
      • Accelerated uptake of Hepatitis C medicines
      • Carer Awareness in General Practice
      • Community led cancer screening
      • Lymphoedema Primary Care Capacity Building
      • Optimal Care Pathways
        • Optimal Care Pathways – Oesophagogastric Cancer OCP
        • Optimal Care Pathways – Prostate Cancer
      • Place-based Suicide Prevention
      • Urgent Care Clinics
      • Statewide Paediatric HealthPathways Project
      • Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning (VHHITAL)
        • VHHITAL – Education and events copy pack
    • Connecting health with other sectors
      • Doctors in Secondary Schools
        • Apply to Doctors in Secondary Schools: one day out of your everyday
      • Enhancing Mental Health Support in Secondary Schools
    • Health system integration and reform translation
      • Alcohol and other Drug Integration
      • Care Pathways and Referral
        • COVID-19 care pathways
      • Enhancing Carers Supports Within Primary Health Care
      • Mental Health Integration
      • My Health Record Expansion
      • PIP QI Incentive partnership
      • SafeScript
      • State Emergency and Support Recovery
      • Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria
      • The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Victoria and Tasmania
      • Voluntary Assisted Dying
  • News and Education
    • Education and Calendars
    • News
    • Online Learning
  • SafeScript Training
  • Contact
    • Contact us
    • Our PHNs
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