Disability Health Network
The Disability Health Network aims to improve health outcomes for people with disability by enabling consumers, families and carers, health professionals, hospitals, health services and the WA Department of Health to engage and collaborate effectively to facilitate health policy and increased coordination of care across the State.
Network lead and membership
The Network is led by Stephanie Coates and Jocelyn Franciscus, They are supported by an Executive Advisory Group of representatives from the Department of Communities, Health Service Providers, Mental Health Commission, non-government organisations, general practice, research, consumers, and carers.
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Hospital Stay Guidelines
The Hospital Stay Guidelines (guidelines) support the State Disability Strategy 2020-2030 and its guiding principles and acknowledges the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The guidelines aim to inform people with disability and their support networks, disability service providers and hospital staff of their respective roles and responsibilities throughout a person’s stay in hospital in WA. The goal of the guidelines is to improve the hospital experience for people with disability and empowering people to have more say in their healthcare.
Easy read Hospital Stay Guidelines
The below are easy read versions of the Hospital Stay Guideline: A guide for people with disability, families, friends and carers (PDF 4.2MB).
Staff with Disability and Allies’ Network
The Staff with Disability and Allies’ Network (SDAN) is a collaborative group focussed on improving the diversity and inclusion of WA Health for people with disability. It is a forum for people to connect and share, learn from each other, drive a culture of inclusivity, and build collective momentum for action across the system.
Staff with Disability and Allies’ Network Conference 2024
The Staff with Disability and Allies’ Network (SDAN) Conference was held on Tuesday 30 April at The Niche, Nedlands. The focus of the event was inclusive workplaces are healthy workplaces.
It was a hugely successful event, attended by over 70 participants including staff with disability, with presentations from incredible champions in the system, including keynote addresses by Dr Sarah Bernard and Associate Professor George Eskander.
For more information, contact SDAN@health.wa.gov.au
WA Disability Health Framework
The WA Disability Health Framework will help health services to consider disability issues when developing policy and designing services, which will lead to improved health outcomes for people with disability.
The Framework was developed by the Disability Health Network using a consultative approach.
Consultation and project outcomes report
Health Networks develop models of care, frameworks and guidelines to provide a cohesive consistent plan for health care across WA. Implementation of these resources occurs in partnerships with people with lived experience of disability, Health Service Providers and disability service providers.
Archive of TRACS WA NDIS-Health Community of Practice
The Disability Health Network partnered with Training Centre in Subacute Care (TRACS) WA to provide information and resources for clinicians about the National Disability Insurance Service through a Community of Practice, which ran from 2018 to 2022.
7 May 2018 – NDIS overview
13 August 2018 – Panel discussion
16 January 2019 – NDIS and mental health
16 May 2019 – Strategies to help clinicians support an individual making an access application for the NDIS
7 November 2019 – NDIS funding agreement on disability-related health supports
25 March 2021 – Ready to Go Home project update and WA Health interface with NDIS
20 July 2021 – Ready to Go Home Project update and transitional accommodation and rehabilitation programs
20 September 2022 – Young People in Residential Aged Care (YPiRAC) pathway
13 December 2022 – NDIA update on discharge from hospital
COVID-19
Information available on the Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care (external site) and HealthyWA (external site).
Contact
Health Networks
Address: 189 Royal Street East Perth
Phone: 9222 0200
Email: HealthPolicy@health.wa.gov.au
Last reviewed: 05-06-2024
Produced by
Health Networks