Increasingly, health and social services are seeking to work together on the vexed and wicked problems they cannot address alone. Identifying the need to collaborate or work differently in response to those problems is an important first step, but where to from there?
At Health Justice Australia a common question we encounter is, ‘I want to start a health justice partnership (HJP), but where do I begin?’ This resource is for anyone looking to start an HJP with strong foundations. It will also provide a handy reference point for those looking to troubleshoot different stages of HJP development and implementation.
Acknowledging that there are a range of ways partnerships can be built and managed over time, this resource aims to be descriptive rather than prescriptive in the development and implementation of HJPs. It breaks down four common areas of service design and implementation that, when taken together, can contribute to the development and maintenance of an HJP. We refer to these common areas as building blocks, and they include investigating needs and service gaps; exploring and reaching agreement on how the partners will work together; determining what the partners will do together; and learning from and evolving the HJP.
Services are encouraged to take the time to consider each of the building blocks contained in this resource and draw on the recommendations provided as a guide to developing and implementing an HJP that responds to their local conditions and needs.
What will you find in this resource?
- Investigating needs and gaps
- Identifying what you’ll do together
- Agreeing on how you’ll work together
- Learning and evolving
