The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has been providing outstanding care for Victoria's children and their families for over 150 years through groundbreaking research, state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and patient and family centred care programs.
Over its long and proud history, the Good Friday Appeal has contributed over $399 million to the Royal Children’s Hospital - bringing all sectors of the community together to raise funds.
DECJUBA is committed to supporting the Royal Children’s Hospital across five years to deliver their new Mental Health Strategy which will provide high quality, comprehensive mental health care to ensure the best outcomes for children and their families.
“The Good Friday Appeal is thrilled to be partnering with DECJUBA in 2022, the first year of a five year partnership. The Good Friday Appeal is built on an incredible amount of commitment, generosity and care, and it is very much driven by the community and organisations like DECJUBA who are committed to helping change the lives of others.”
Rebecca Cowan, Executive Director - Good Friday Appeal
With the rise of coronavirus and subsequent restrictions, Victoria has seen a surge in mental health issues. Parents’ and carers’ concerns about their child’s mental health have tripled, with the RCH Emergency Department (ED) seeing a 35% increase in mental health patients.
Research indicates that lifetime mental health problems begin in childhood. Through extensive stakeholder engagement and research, the objective of the Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health Strategy is to deliver high quality mental health care supported by education and research.
The clinical driven research will inform everything from workforce education to training programs which in turn will enable evidence based and consistent care. Children with mental health conditions will receive timely, quality mental health care and support and the mental health of those with chronic illness, disability and vulnerabilities will be identified and addressed. Carers and siblings will benefit from staff and carers with knowledge, skills and tools to identify child mental health or behavioural concerns, knowing how and when to help.
The intended impact of the strategy is to reduce the severity and occurrence of mental health disorders in children through evidence based care, early identification and intervention, improve mental health literacy for carers, staff and community providers, and ensure staff are equipped with appropriate mental health education and training to prevent trauma in children.
“Through our partnership with The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, The DECJUBA Foundation hopes to improve the care for children with mental health problems and ensure consistent, expert support for their families and carers.”
Tania Austin, Founder & CEO DECJUBA
For more details on how you can get involved, please visit The Good Friday Appeal.
