Friederike McCartney
Clinical Nurse Consultant / developer and coordinator
CQ Youth Connect Program
We CQ Youth Connect feel very privileged to work together with Youth & Family Education Resources and recently beside Deb Pattrick, one of the Directors and developer of CORE OF LIFE (COL) in mentoring Central Queensland facilitators in provision of youth sessions in this region.One of our main goals is to improve the health and well-being of Youth especially disadvantaged Youth across Central QLD, addressing social determinants of health informing, inspiring and empowering youth, and their communities in making informed healthy decisions, accessing health care services and preventions programs across Central QLD.
Our collaborative partnership with YFER over many years is something very unique as we access their evidence-based resources, train COL facilitator across CQ and together delivery the Core of Life program across Central Queensland e.g. recently Woorabinda, Baralaba and Rockhampton with outstanding feedback from participants.
As our goal is to:
- Alleviate/ reduce teenage pregnancy rates by confronting reality during the Core of Life presentation, rather than the ‘dream’ or ‘escape’ some adolescents see as having a baby.
- Increase knowledge base for young people and inspire seeking information about choices relate to Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting, plus adding to a ripple effect of knowledge sharing across Communities “building stronger Families”
- Increasing healthy choices/lifestyle
- Building resilience and inspiring to connect to Culture
- Heighten the awareness of local health services and support networks available
- Empower larger numbers of young people through improved knowledge and access to evidence-based information on Healthy Pregnancy, Birth, Parenting
- Reduces, prevent number of Alcohol, Smoking, Cannabis, or other drugs (legal or illegal substance) uptake.
- Raise awareness of preventable health condition e.g. SIDS, Drug induces health effects and Alcoholinduced health effects e.g. FADS which is a 100% preventable brain injury
