The board of Health Justice Australia is pleased to release Collaboration for Change: Annual Report 2023-24, a reflection of our progress and achievements over the past year.
Health justice partnership is more vital than ever, and we are proud to share our work supporting and advocating for this innovative model. The year ahead presents us with even more opportunities as we continue to deepen our understanding and build the evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness of health justice partnership.
The HJA annual report & our work
Health Justice Australia is the national centre of excellence for health justice partnership, supporting collaborations between services to achieve better health and justice outcomes for vulnerable communities. Health justice partnerships integrate legal help into services that support people’s health and wellbeing.
As more and more people recognise the role of legal assistance in helping to improve social and health outcomes for people and communities dealing with complex, intersecting challenges, we’re stepping up our work to support collaborations between legal assistance services and health, social and community services.
Our work has continued to build expertise, identify system barriers, create opportunities for systems change, and enable health justice partnerships to expand and increase their impact. Across Australia, as of the end of June 2024, there are 134 active health justice partnerships.
“The work of Health Justice Australia does not happen in a vacuum nor in isolation,” writes Health Justice Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Sheree Limbrick, in the HJA annual report.
“The shifts we advocate for, observe and support are made and reinforced every day by hundreds, if not thousands, of practitioners, managers, agency leaders, research partners, advocates, policy and decision makers – I thank them all for their work and their connection with Health Justice Australia.”
Our role in the health justice landscape
Health Justice Australia is the only organisation on the health justice landscape that plays a cross-sectoral role at the intersection of health, social and legal assistance services and systems. We do this through our three pillars of research, practice and advocacy. This has allowed us to bring together knowledge from across these sectors, creating space for interdisciplinary dialogue and shared learning.
One of the standout themes this year has been the growing recognition of the vital role legal assistance plays in improving social and health outcomes for people dealing with multiple complex challenges.
Working in partnership takes investment, not just in dollars but in relationships, skills, knowledge, culture and process. We provide opportunities for practitioners and services to build these skills. Our connections with services working in partnership give us unique insights into what is needed to form and sustain effective, purpose-driven collaboration.
Our thanks
“As you will read throughout this report,” says CEO Sheree Limbrick, “Health Justice Australia is supported by many colleagues and like-minded change agents – in this regard I want to especially acknowledge the support of our Justice Equity Centre and Our Community House colleagues, with whom our Melbourne and Sydney teams feel very much at home, and to Justice Connect who continue as a member of Health Justice Australia since our inception.”
“I also want to recognise the ongoing support of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and other philanthropic and government funders, without whose support, engagement and encouragement we would simply not be able to do what we do.”
“In closing, I want to thank Michael and members of the board for placing your trust in me to lead Health Justice Australia into our next exciting phase, and for your support as I have taken up my role. Also, to the incredibly skilled, supportive, caring and enthusiastic Health Justice Australia team – thank you for making me so welcome and for your ongoing commitment and passion to create more just communities.”
The year ahead presents us with even more opportunities and challenges as we continue to deepen our understanding and evidence of the effectiveness of health justice partnership. Read Collaboration for Change: Annual Report 2023-2024 now.
