Making a difference to family health

Supporting healthier lives across our community through services we fund, as well as primary healthcare training we support, is integral to our work as a PHN, and aligns with our vision to drive better health outcomes where community need is greatest. See services for our community, and our health professional resources – including for patient care and practice support – if you are a clinician or healthcare professional.

Every parent deserves support. Yet each year, 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads experience perinatal depression and anxiety. That’s around 100,000 Australian parents who may need someone to hold them through it. With Perinatal Mental Health Week from 22 to 28 November, the challenges parents experience with their mental health are in the spotlight this month.

Gold Coast Primary Health Network (GCPHN) is proud to fund initiatives like Motherhood Village, which offers free, in-person, non-clinical perinatal mental health peer support delivered by a lived experience workforce for parents during pregnancy, postpartum and the early parenthood years.

Motherhood Village is based across two locations on the Gold Coast at Varsity Lakes and Miami, and you can learn more about the work the team does to help parents during pregnancy, postpartum and the early parenthood years.

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For dads needing support, we’re backing initiatives like Men, Mates & Mentors, which brings together not-for-profit organisations to help men connect, grow and thrive. The consortium includes Complete Men, Dads in Distress, Men’s Wellbeing, The Men’s Table, The Mankind Project and is supported by Gold Coast Primary Health Network.

Across the group, there is far-reaching expertise and support available to help men handle major life transitions such as becoming a parent, experiencing child loss, and navigating divorce, as well as the everyday challenges of parenting and family life.

Dads in Distress, one of the organisations, offers peer support for separated dads, with a weekly group catch up at Palm Beach. It is part of Parents Beyond Breakup, which also offers support for mums.

On Saturday 7 November, dads can join Men’s Day – a free event just for men that will foster connection, community and courage locally at Robina. A catered lunch will be provided (register here if you’d like to attend).

We’re also proud to be working with GPs to help them train the next generation of GPs through a targeted program of placements focused on Women’s Health and Children’s Health.

GPs are invited to find out more about Clinical Placement opportunities on our website or by contacting our team directly: Gold Coast Primary Health Network Clinical Placements team | Phone:07 5612 5402 | Email: clinicalplacements@gcphn.com.au.