PRIORITY POPULATIONS
A Statement from the Blue Mountains
Women’s Health & Resource Centre
Blue Mountains Women’s Health & Resource Centre provides integrated health care services to Women ‘who experience health disadvantage’ who reside within the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Hawkesbury LGAs. The target group aligns with the NSW Health Framework for women’s health 2019. This includes meeting the needs of priority populations defined as:
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• Aboriginal (First Nations)
• Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
• Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer
• Living with a disability
• Living in rural or remote areas
• Experiencing socio economic disadvantage
• Women who have experienced any form of sexual, domestic and family violence
• Women assessed by the Centre Practitioners as experiencing or having experienced complex trauma
• Carers
WE ENCOURAGE & WILL PRIORITISE APPOINTMENTS FROM:
FIRST NATIONS WOMEN
because we know that Australia’s Colonial history of dispossession continues today and First Nations women are disproportionally suffering the social, economic and health consequences.
WOMEN WHO HOLD A CONCESSION CARD
because we know how much harder it is for women to access essential services if they are also struggling financially and that poor wealth most often equates to poor health. (NB: This includes Health Care Concession Card; Pensioner Concession Card; Low Income Health Care Card; Recipients of Youth Allowance & Tertiary Student Concession Card holders)
CALD WOMEN
because a person’s ethnic, religious and linguistic background influences their physical and mental health.
LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER OR INTERSEX PEOPLE
because being LGBTQI+ should not mean a person has different health and wellbeing outcomes. LGBTQI populations experience higher rates of mental health issues and suicidal behaviour and younger lesbian, bisexual and queer women are more likely to exhibit poorer mental health and self-harm than heterosexual women.
WOMEN LIVING WITH A DISABILITY
because we know that women and girls with a disability, experience greater limitations on their wellbeing, than men and boys with a disability, as well as greater limitations than female peers without a disability.
CARERS
because being a carer can have economic and social effects on women and girls that can also affect their access to health services.
VICTIM/SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL, DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
because we know the long term physical, emotional, mental and economic impacts of trauma.
The Centre offers access to a doctor and a nurse; a remedial massage therapist for clients experiencing chronic pain; intake and counselling as well as access to a range of group activities. The number of appointments available for counselling and remedial massage are limited and depend on the assessment provided by a practitioner and Centre policies.
