• Who we are
• Our key focus areas
• Our Services
• What we believe in
• Staff team
• Patron and board members

Our mission

Our mission is to protect and promote the health and well-being of young people in NSW by partnering with health care, non-government, education, academic, community and advocacy bodies to ensure better adolescent health outcomes.

Who we are

The New South Wales Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health (NSW CAAH) is funded by NSW Health.

In partnership with NSW Health and other sectoral stakeholders the Centre seeks to improve the health and well-being of young people aged 12-24 in NSW.

Our key focus areas

1. Developing information and resources to increase knowledge and understanding of youth health issues
• Provide information and referral services to service providers, government departments, media, and the general public
• Transform research findings into user-friendly information resources
• Build the capacity of CAAH's website
2. Capacity building to increase organisational skills and confidence in addressing young people's health needs
• Host forums, workshops and seminars for service providers and facilitate networking opportunities
• Design and provide specific training/capacity building programs
• Identifying opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of GP youth health training and access initiatives
• Support education and training of health professionals about youth health issues
3. Supporting applied research and promoting better practice in youth health care
• Undertaking applied research into youth health issues
• Providing technical support for youth health research and programming
• Promote evidence-based models of care for young people
• Contribute to initiatives to improve health outcomes for at-risk young people
4. Supporting advocacy and policy development to increase leadership and action for adolescent health
• Promote adolescent health issues through media and public events
• Provide input into government/ NGO/ private sector policy development
• Maintaining active participation in youth services networks and developing strategic relationships with cross-sectoral partners
• Provide recommendations to NSW Health, other government departments and service providers on improving young people's access to health services

Our Services

Developing resources
Do you have an innovative program concerning young people's health you'd like to share with others? We can assist services to plan and write user-friendly training manuals and other resources so that their programs can be replicated in other organisations and areas across NSW. We can provide guidance with evaluation, production and dissemination strategies.

Professional development
Want to improve knowledge and skills on how to work effectively with adolescents? We can provide presentations and workshops on a variety of topics relating to young peoples' health. We can also assist you to develop your own training programs.

Is there an issue you'd like to see featured in our youth health forums? Write to us!

Applied research
Thinking of doing a research project or needs assessment involving young people? We can assist by linking you with research tools and guidelines as well as provide advice to ensure that your process goes smoothly from beginning to end. We can also provide examples of participatory tools and activities for involving young people.

Want to design a project? It's always good to have somebody external look over a project with fresh eyes! Our commitment to health promotion and a public health approach means we'll always be helping projects work out sustainability, advocacy and integration issues. We can provide planning, monitoring and evaluation support for projects focusing on young people's health and wellbeing.

Advocacy and policy development
CAAH works with NSW Health to provide advisory support, participating in policy committees and advocacy working groups. Clinical Professor David Bennett also regularly advocates in the media for an increased awareness of, and investment in, the issues affecting young people's health. Contact us for further information.

What we believe in

Promoting social equity and health promotion
We recognise that poverty and social inequalities significantly shape the lives and future prospects of young people. We are committed to working with and on behalf of all adolescents, addressing factors of risk and disadvantage. Our work is based on a holistic health promotion approach, ensuring sustainable improvements in adolescent health.

Adopting collaborative approaches
We believe our resources are best utilised in partnerships, supporting activities within existing structures and organisations. We are committed to increasing organisational and individual confidence and competence in improving youth health - using capacity building and advocacy to improve quality and young people's access to services.

Facilitating consultation, participation and empowerment
Young people's needs, experiences and aspirations form the core motivations behind our work. We are committed to young people's representation, and promoting opportunities for participation and decision making in matters relating to their health and well-being.

Promoting evidence-based practice
We recognise the importance of promoting and supporting evidence-based practice in adolescent health care.