NGO Telepractice Venture supporting the transition to hybrid models of service delivery
Children and families benefit from flexible, accessible services that provide them with options and meet their needs. Families needing access to important support services around Australia continue to be supported by the findings and outcomes of the NGO Telepractice Venture (the Venture). Lifestart is involved in the Venture as an investor and in a community of practice, bringing hybrid service models to families.
Since the Venture’s launch in 2020, families are being offered greater choice for how services are delivered. This has resulted in greater engagement in services.
Lifestart CEO Suzanne Becker says, “Tailored supports which recognise the diverse needs of children, their families and carers are an important aspect of Lifestart’s work. We are proud to be collaborating with Karitane, the Parenting Research Centre, and other stakeholders to offer quality hybrid models of service delivery into the future. Online supports have been integral to our suite of services for many years and our ongoing family and carer feedback tells us that hybrid models, including telepractice, remain their preferred option.” Organisations also report benefiting from telepractice through increased staff skills and flexibility regarding how services can be delivered to meet the needs of families. Through the continuation of telepractice in hybrid models of service delivery, where both in-person and telepractice may be used flexibly, these benefits to both families and organisations can be sustained.
With new funding in 2022, the Venture is focused on building the capacity of organisations to embed telepractice as a sustainable, tailored, service delivery option in hybrid models of care – that is, moving telepractice beyond a Pandemic emergency response to a strategic, planned, designed and viable option for families.
An additional focus for the Venture is to embed resources developed in the first year of the project in small- to medium-sized organisations, including a focus on the use of telepractice among First Nation’s people and organisations.
Funded by DCJ and a group of leading non-government organisations including Lifestart, and led by Karitane and the Parenting Research Centre, this successful joint venture’s 2nd year will leverage lessons learned and consolidate good practice to embed telepractice into the future.
For resources developed in phase one of the Project see: www.parentingrc.org.au/telepractice_hub/
