Partners

The Australian Childhood Foundation is an independent national charity that aims to prevent child abuse and reduce the harm it causes to children, families and the community. It provides counselling services for children who have experienced abuse and family violence. It also runs a range of recognised prevention, education, advocacy and research programs.

Australian Unity in partnership with the Australian Centre on Quality of Life at Deakin University, have created the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. This is a barometer of Australians’ satisfaction with their lives and life in Australia. Unlike most official indicators of quality of life and wellbeing, it is subjective – it measures how Australians feel about life, and incorporates both personal and national perspectives. The first index survey, of 2,000 adults from all parts of Australia, was conducted in April 2001. Since then 16 additional surveys have been conducted, with the most recent survey in April 2007.

Bayer Australia and Pfizer Australia are among the two largest international pharmaceutical companies. Psychology staff serve on the Advisory Boards of these companies to provide advice on the sexual health needs of Australians, and review local pharmacological treatment outcomes, particually in the context of erectile dysfunction and sexual arousal disorder.

The Deakin University & Department of Human Services (Barwon-South Western Region) Partnership represents a unique and innovative partnership committed to protecting and promoting the health and wellbeing of regional and rural Victorians. The objectives of the partnership include: conducting collaborative research programs and program development to enhance the health of people living in this region of Victoria and supporting collaboration of the partnership with other industries or services.

Defence Science and Technology Organisation develops and monitors operations systems for military personnel and conducts training of these personnel in current and emerging technologies. Psychology staff have several ongoing research contacts with the Air Operations Division of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. This partnership is manifested in two forms. First, in the form of collaborative research projects using the expertise of Deakin staff to conduct research into applied problems that arise through the adoption of new technologies in aviation. An example is a current project investigating the human factors aspects of a state-of-the-art night vision system that has been acquired by the ADF for an Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. The other form the partnership takes is the contribution DSTO makes to the research training of Deakin students (at Honours, Master by coursework and HDR levels) by providing suitable research projects for students for their thesis research, providing day-to-day research supervision of the projects, as well as access to the equipment and technical resources required for the projects.

Eastern Health provides comprehensive health care services to people in the eastern region of metropolitan Melbourne. Services are provided through a number of hospitals and community health services. Eastern Health provides public hospital services; aged inpatient, community and home care services; and inpatient and community mental health services to its primary and nearby catchment populations. The Deakin - Eastern Health partnership has been in place for 10 years and has produced the Deakin University Psychology Clinic that operates from Eastern Health premises in Box Hill. Several collaborative research projects have been conducted and are being conducted through this partnership.

Jesuit Social Services is a progressive, vibrant organisation which works in a range of areas of human services including crime, addiction, mental illness, long-term unemployment and entrenched social disadvantage. JSS runs a range of programs for members of the community with disadvantage including the Gateway Program and the Connexions program for young people. JSS also maintains a policy and research arm and is involved in work in the field of public policy, research and advocacy, on behalf of the disadvantaged members of our society.

Kidsafe - the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia, is an independent, non-profit, non-government charitable foundation dedicated to the prevention of unintentional death and injury to children. Kidsafe operates at national, state and regional levels and in co-operation with government, industry, schools, hospitals, the media, community groups, voluntary organisations and individuals. Kidsafe conducts injury prevention programs, media campaigns, provides information, develops educational resources and initiates special programs to raise awareness of child safety issues and injury prevention throughout the community.

The Mental Illness Fellowship is Victoria's leading membership-based not-for-profit organisation and their mission is to work with people with mental illness, their families and friends to improve their wellbeing. They work closely within communities and embrace in their work the contributions of people affected by mental illness.

MS Society Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation which works to enhance the quality of life of people with MS and reduce the impact of MS on the families and carers of those with multiple sclerosis. The MS Society also aims to help eliminate MS by funding research into the nature, causes, treatment, diagnosis and management of the disease.

Odyssey House Victoria has three divisions that provide a range of treatment and other services to persons affected by alcohol and other drug use. Odyssey Residential and Community Services provide residential and community based treatment and other interventions to those affected by alcohol and other drug use. The Odyssey Institute of Studies is an arm of Odyssey House Victoria and was established in 2000 based on a strong commitment to evidence based practice. The Institute offers a range of services including nationally recognised accredited education and training, research and consultancy, program development, vocational, pre-employment and employment services to persons who have alcohol and other drug issues, employer and employee support programs to name a few.

ORYGEN Youth Health is a youth specific health service for people in the western and north western metropolitan areas of Melbourne. An Early Intervention approach is used to minimise the impact which mental illness can have on a young person's learning, growth and development into an independent member of the community. ORYGEN also maintains a comprehensive youth mental health research program together with an evolved education and dissemination structure.

The Office of Employment and Youth Affairs. The Community Advisory Committee on Body Image provides advice to the Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs on youth issues related to negative self image. The committee advocates for funding of research to identify ongoing mental health needs of young people, and for funding of public education campaigns and schools-based interventions that address these needs.

Southern Health provides comprehensive health care services to people in the south-eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne. Services are provided through a number of hospitals and community health services. Southern Health provides public hospital services; aged inpatient, community and home care services; and inpatient and community mental health services to its primary and nearby catchment populations. Southern Health is also a centre for medical and postgraduate nurse training, postgraduate study and medical research.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation was established to promote the nutritional education in children in Melbourne through hands-on gardening and food preparation programs. Staff in Psychology are commissioned by the foundation to develop, conduct, and review outcomes of these programs. This is a high profile project in which staff from the School of Psychology and the School of Health and Social Development collaborate on a VicHealth funded evaluation of the social, health and economic impacts of the Kitchen Garden Program. This Kitchen Garden Program is currently being implemented in 20 primary schools across Victoria.

Uniting Aged Care is the largest provider of aged care services in Victoria and Tasmania. United Aged Care offers a continuum of care for the aged with a full range of services including high and low care residential aged care, independent living unit accommodation, community day programs, Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) and Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) Packages in Victoria and Tasmania.

The Youth Substance Abuse Service (YSAS) provides accessible, effective and engaging alcohol and drug interventions for young people between the ages of 12–21 years who are experiencing significant problems with their alcohol and/or drug use. YSAS provides a range of youth-specific outreach, treatment, withdrawal, rehabilitation and support programs in a number of locations in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Victoria Police is currently reviewing the police response to sexual assault and child abuse investigation and their training models. The organisation has a longstanding constructive partnership with one of our senior researchers, particularly the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Coordination Office (located at the Victoria Police Ctr in Flinders St) which is responsible for training, research and policy issues within the areas of sexual assault and child abuse.

WISE Employment, Ltd provides employment assistance for disadvantaged long term unemployed people through their Job Network service, disability service, and internally funded programs. WISE has been a partner for five years and worked on several collaborative research projects including two ARC Linkage Program grants. We also have several new and developing partnerships across the southwest region of Victoria including: Ballarat Psychiatric Services, Geelong Psychiatric Services, Warrnambool Psychiatric Services, Barwon Health and the City of Greater Geelong.