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We acknowledge the Stolen Generations and the historical and ongoing impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ living culture is the oldest continuing culture in the world, and we acknowledge that the land and waterways are a place of age-old ceremonies of celebration, initiation and renewal.
Walking Together, 2023
Rhonda DiBlasi and Jamie Crooks
This artwork was commissioned to create a piece that resonates instantly with the cultural identity of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Rhonda DiBlasi is a proud Warumungu (Tennant Creek NT) Wathaurong (Geelong) woman who has developed ways to tell traditional stories. Jamie Crooks, a proud Wadawurrung woman, unveils her debut painting as an Aboriginal artist with this collaboration. Rhonda has played a pivotal role as Jamie’s mentor and the two friends have collectively painted the artwork on Rhonda’s kitchen table, spanning over 80 hours of artistic creation fuelled by yarns about self, growth, art, and culture.
Content warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following document may contain images of deceased persons. If you see an image or name in these materials that you believe should no longer be used for reasons such as death, misgendering or deadnaming, please email communications@cohealth.org.au to have it removed.
Over the past year, many communities across Australia have experienced rising cost-of-living pressures, persistent barriers to health and wellness, and deepening social inequalities.
In response to these challenges, cohealth delivered free and low-cost health and social support to tens of thousands people in Victoria and Tasmania, through its dedicated team of 1,000+ coworkers.
By listening to the voices of our communities, we ensured that our services continued to be responsive, innovative and flexible to best address their most pressing health needs.
cohealth also continued to use its voice and platform to champion the systemic changes required to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities.
Our Impact Report for FY24 showcases some of the incredible work our team delivered in response to community need. We launched a Victorian- first health-led approach to public intoxication, established a primary healthcare service in a youth justice precinct, and created a wraparound healthcare and housing partnership for people experiencing homelessness.
We also brought cohealth to Tasmania, driven by our mission to reduce inequity and improve health outcomes for rural and remote communities.
Looking to the future, we’re committed to strengthening our partnerships and increasing our impact across Victoria, Tasmania, and beyond. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our coworkers for their ongoing commitment, and to our funders and partners in the health and community sectors, who have always believed in our mission. With you by our side, we look forward to continuing to partner with our communities to strive for a healthier, more equitable world.
Cost of living pressures create barriers to care
The proportion of Australians who reported that cost was a reason for delaying or not seeing a GP when needed increased to 8.8% in FY24, from 7.0% in FY23.*
The national health system is fragmented
Australia’s complex health system can often be difficult for people to navigate and can lead to inconsistent care.
Intersecting inequities persist
We know that some groups in our community face multiple intersecting and unfair societal barriers to good health and wellbeing.
* Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023-24), Patient Experiences, ABS Website
Affordable care for all
cohealth provides free and low-cost health and social support services for all. Our medical clinics often provide a pathway into our 45+ other services, to help address the spectrum of people’s needs.
Our services are integrated
Our integrated services make it easier for people to get holistic support for all interconnected aspects of their health and wellbeing.
Our approach reduces health disparities
We prioritise supporting groups in our communities who face the greatest barriers good health.
This data doesn’t capture that our clients often travel to access our services or are supported through outreach, meaning our true reach is much larger.
* Includes Investment & Occupancy (2.69%), Fee for Service (1.92%), Donations and Sponsorships & Bequests (0.01%)
The cohealth model of care sees us provide trauma-informed, inclusive, person-centred care to our communities, while advocating for health and social equity.
With cohealth’s wraparound support, Jess has accessed a range of services including a GP, physiotherapist, dietitian, and counsellor over the past two years.
“I’ve had a really hard time with GPs in the past, cycling between different doctors to find the right fit. I’ve been with my GP at cohealth for a while now and it’s been really great.”
Living with multiple disabilities, chronic illnesses and mental health challenges, Jess values the importance of lived experience and trauma-informed care.
“Accessing services used to feel daunting for me, but I’ve found cohealth workers to be open and understanding, which makes a big difference.”
Coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse and queer background, Jess finds culturally sensitive care crucial in helping her feel safe and supported when seeking help. “It helps me feel comfortable connecting on that level, so I don’t fear reaching out for help.”
Jess first encountered cohealth in 2022 through the Youth Outreach Recovery Support program, while struggling with ongoing mental health challenges.
After experiencing family violence, she was referred to the Youth Residential Recovery (YRR) program, where she was paired with a Mental Health and Wellbeing coach to build life skills and focus on recovery, while pursuing employment in the lived experience workforce.
Jess is now a member of cohealth’s Community Advisory Group and successfully became a Peer Support Worker in 2024, while still living at YRR.
2014 – cohealth was established, through the merger of three community health organisations.
2015 – Opened a new health clinic in Laverton to meet the needs of the local community.
2016 – Launched a new community health centre in Footscray, including medical and oral health services for community. Led a community-driven campaign that secured the future of our pharmacy in Collingwood.
2017 – Won the Premier’s Primary Healthcare Service of the Year Award for the first time. Formalised our community participation approach, to ensure community voices remain at the heart of what we do.
2018 – Renovated our Collingwood site, creating a more welcoming and accessible waiting room, reception and pharmacy for community.
2019 – Enhanced cultural safety across cohealth environments through org-wide workshops and initiatives.
2020 – cohealth scaled up to 1,200+ employees, to enable our flexible response to community need during the pandemic. Employed 90 residents of high-rise public housing towers to support the health needs of their fellow residents and reduce the risk of COVID-19.
2021 – Launched our lived/living experience strategy for growing, supporting and integrating our lived experience workforce. Launched an outreach service in Melbourne’s CBD to support people experiencing homelessness and/or substance dependence.
2022 – Won the Premier’s Health Service of the Year Award, recognising our vital role in Victoria’s COVID response. Gained Rainbow Tick accreditation, affirming our commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
2023 – Launched an innovative mental health and wellbeing service, as part of a once-in-a-generation change in how mental health support is delivered.
Improving health outcomes for young people in the justice system. We commenced delivery of Primary Healthcare Services at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct, supporting young people to access integrated healthcare.
Partnering to reduce demand on the Children’s Hospital. cohealth at the children’s’ opened in May 2023 to reduce demand on the Royal Children’s Hospital emergency department and help 8,347 children get care sooner.
Opening our doors in Tasmania. cohealth became a national organisation – taking over the operation of two medical clinics on the east coast of Tasmania. We have developed a community designed plan for a multidisciplinary primary community health care services and innovative workforce solutions in the Glamorgan Spring Bay Local Government Area.
Innovating to deliver community-centred mental healthcare. We continued to partner with our communities to find innovative ways to support the mental health of people in Brimbank and surrounding areas.
Looked after, not locked up. We launched Victoria’s first Public Intoxication Response service, providing a health-led response to 3507 people who were intoxicated in public, instead of a justice response.
We provided113,778 appointments from our medical clinics in FY24. cohealth’s medical clinics offer free and low-cost care, and often provide a pathway for people to connect to other health and social support they need.
95% of our medical appointments were bulk billed. Continuing to provide bulk billed appointments helps to reduce the financial barrier to high-quality healthcare for those who need it most.
Our 52 doctors have a diverse range of specialities to treat the whole person. Their specialities include refugee health, drug and alcohol, mental health, travel medicine, children’s health and chronic disease management.
Dr Kate’s clinical interests are refugee health, chronic disease, mental health, women’s health and the complex care which typifies community health work. Kate supports people over long periods of time, some up to 20 years, and enjoys collaborating with other members of the care teams.
“The joy of the work is to witness small shifts in my patients’ health over time, their loyalty and appreciation of my efforts. The teamwork and support I have at cohealth makes this work possible and is professionally and personally very inspiring.”
cohealth became a national organisation in October 2023, delivering medical services in Triabunna and Bicheno on Tasmania’s east coast. Everyone has the right to access the health services they need, when they need them, regardless of their postcode or capacity to pay. But people living in rural and remote communities often face barriers to accessing healthcare.
We believe the cohealth model can reduce health disparity among rural and remote communities. cohealth is working alongside communities on the east coast of Tasmania to deeply understand the barriers to good health and propose a new model of care that would improve health outcomes for all.
“Rural and remote communities like Glamorgan Spring Bay wouldn’t have higher rates of hospitalisation if we had the right mix of health services available locally, so that people could manage their chronic health conditions before they snowball.” — Nurse and cohealth Tasmanian Operations Lead, Katie Pennington
cohealth and its partners have codesigned a place-based integrated model of primary health care, that will ensure health care is local, visible, connected and accessible for all.
We are actively seeking the funding and partnership arrangements required to implement the new model.
In November 2023, we commenced a Public Intoxication Response (PIR) service in metropolitan Melbourne following the decriminalisation of public drunkenness in Victoria.
This reform represents a fundamental shift in the way that we, as a community, respond to public drunkenness. It will save lives, improve people’s health, and reduce the burden on emergency services.
Outreach is a central part of the service
Getting people home or reconnected with friends and family is the team’s priority. If this is not possible, they are transported to the Sobering Centre under the care of healthcare workers. People supported by the PIR Team have an opportunity to connect with cohealth’s other health and social support services. For repeat clients, this coordinated support often reduces their need for the sobering service over time. This year 632 people spent time at the Sobering Centre and 680 people were referred to other services for support.
Victoria Police Protective Services Officers encountered Robert* at a train station, when he was highly alcohol intoxicated. They called the cohealth PIR outreach team to support him.
Robert was wobbly on his feet, and was unable to give his home address or hail a cab due to his level of intoxication. After a clinical and safety assessment, cohealth staff deemed it was unsafe for Robert to return home, but that he was not unwell enough to need hospital. Robert consented to be taken to cohealth’s Sobering Centre to rest for the night.
The next day, Robert disclosed to cohealth staff that he had experienced race-based physical attacks which had left him with trauma, and he felt marginalised in the community.
cohealth made referrals to relevant services, including counselling and provided resources on identifying and managing post-traumatic stress disorder.
* Name changed for privacy
People in the youth justice system deserve equitable access to high-quality, trauma-informed health and social support.
On 1 February 2024, cohealth commenced delivery of Primary Healthcare Services at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct.
We have provided timely, culturally safe and age-appropriate healthcare to 382 children and young people.
As one of 11 on-site partners, we take an integrated team- based approach to address chronic and complex health needs with the young person’s care team.
We provide on-site primary healthcare services, mental health support and access to other health and social supports to meet the needs of the individuals.
By taking on this role, we can position ourselves closer to influencing service and policy reforms to directly address and support the health challenges faced by children and young people in custody.
cohealth provides a flexible, inter-disciplinary service that aims to best meet the unique, complex health needs of the children and young people.
In FY24, 8,347 babies and children were cared for by cohealth. This is an average of 22 per day, and 9% of all emergency department presentations saving over $1,000,000.
“As soon as we walked in, the nurses and doctors immediately made my 6-year-old daughter and I feel at ease. I have deep gratitude for the treatment and level of care we received, and the peace of mind we walked away with.”
In May 2023, we partnered with the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to establish a new Priority Primary Care Centre – cohealth at the Children’s, to reduce demand on the emergency department and help children get care sooner.
The collaboration enables RCH’s clinicians to focus on the children who are more acutely unwell, while cohealth’s staff treat mild conditions and connect children and their families to ongoing care within the community.
A home is just the start—lasting stability comes from addressing an individual’s underlying health and social needs. The Buckley Street Supportive Accommodation program uses housing first principles to provide stable housing and wraparound supports for people with a history of homelessness and complex health and social issues.
Operated by cohealth in partnership with Unison Housing, the building is a safe and welcoming space made up of 48 studio apartments and one and two-bedroom units.
cohealth delivers on-site health and social support through case management while Unison provides tenant management services. On-site staff, including housing support and peer workers, offer mental health, alcohol and drug treatment and support, and assistance with daily living skills.
We are working together to provide shelter and address the long-term systemic factors that can cause homelessness to recur.
“My case worker is great. She helps with paperwork, doctor’s appointments, and getting around. It’s helpful having support, and I still feel independent with my own space.”
Since its launch in October 2023, cohealth has transitioned 34 residents from the defunded Homelessness to a Home program and welcomed 47 new residents to the building.
With 92.5% of residents maintaining their tenancy and 100% engaging in support services, the Buckley Street program is helping people get housed, stay housed and get connected to care and community.
Launched in 2022, the Mental Health & Wellbeing Local in Brimbank connects people aged 26+ to a range of free mental health services and social supports, without the need for an appointment or referral from a GP.
The innovative service is one of the first of 60 new mental health and wellbeing locals being established as part of a reform to strengthen Victoria’s Mental Health System.
The Mental Health & Wellbeing Local in Brimbank is a partnership with Clarity Healthcare and the University of Melbourne.
Every element of the service was co-designed with community, with a strong focus on ‘peer support’ and lived/living experience contributions in service design and delivery.
We continue to deeply engage with the local community to understand their unique needs, and partner to provide innovative solutions.
The City of Brimbank is home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities in Victoria, making up 16% of the population. Many people from this community are connected to the local Quang Minh Buddhist temple.
Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Local connected with 6,187 people in FY24.
“In our community, there is a lot of stigma around mental health, and a lack of information about what help is available.”
After recognising that some people who came to the temple had mental health needs, the head monk Abbot Thich Phuoc Tan, approached cohealth for help.
“People often come to talk to me about their problems, and while I can help them with spiritual guidance, I know they need a holistic approach that looks at their spiritual, mental and physical health,” he said.
cohealth is building the capacity of the temple to identify and respond to the mental health needs of its community.
We are providing mental health training to spiritual leaders, offering in-language consultations through our bi-cultural workers, and improving access to the Mental Health & Wellbeing Local.
cohealth launched an outreach service in the CBD in 2021, in response to the need for support in the community.
The City Street Health team of community nurses, AOD specialists, and outreach workers— many with lived experience— walk the streets of Melbourne’s CBD 7 days a week.
They engage directly with people who are sleeping rough, and/or drug dependent, and remove barriers to accessing health and social support they may need
Less than half of Australian adults see a dentist at least once a year. Oral healthcare is one of the most necessary yet inaccessible health services.
An alarming 27.9 per cent of adults on a low-income report they skipped or delayed oral healthcare because of cost. This is more than three times higher than high-income adults.
cohealth has provided free and low-cost oral health care to our communities for 36+ years.
A team of 80+ staff provided expert oral healthcare to 16,678 people in FY24. 41.5% of these people received support at no-cost, while the rest were low-cost.
— cohealth Oral Health Therapist
Strong partnerships with community, health providers, philanthropy, private enterprise, non-health sectors and government underpin cohealth’s work, enabling us to respond holistically to complex client needs and remove barriers to good health and wellbeing.
Through your generosity, commitment, and shared belief in caring for all, cohealth can continue its important work, and keep on being bold and brave in our design and delivery of innovative, value-based care for communities.
We are always seeking aligned opportunities to make a meaningful impact for our communities, through philanthropic gifts, donations and corporate partnerships. If you’re interested in partnering with us, or making a contribution, please email partnerships@cohealth.org.au.
*A. Giusti, K. Nkhoma, R. Petrus, I. Petersen, L. Gwyther, L. Farrant, S. Venkatapuram, R. Harding. “The empiral evidence underpinning the concept and practice of person-centred care for serious illness: a systemic review”, BMJ Global Health, 2020.
Collingwood