Mourning the demise of Community Health

On Saturday I attended an open day for the new Hospital/ Health Facility in the town in which I have spent most of my working life as a Community Health Social Worker. It was nice and shiny and full of expensive new equipment, but it was also the reason I chose to retire. Community Health will now be absorbed into Ambulatory Care (and the name will be lost) and Social Workers will be part of the Allied Health team (as they have been more recently), who will have work stations in one large room, rather than offices of their own (which they have had up until now). There is a new emphasis on Integrated Care and I predict that Social Work will become much more medically focused.

Having been a pioneer in Community Health in this town way back in 1976 (there was only myself and a Community Nurse then and our office was initially the kitchen of the Baby Health Rooms in the CWA building), I would like acknowledge some of the history.

The early days

My mother recently sent me letters I had written to her back in the 1970’s and I would like to share some quotes from these letters. Back then Community Health was a new initiative of the Whitlam Government and was Commonwealth funded. I flew out from Sydney, had a chat with the Deputy Regional Manager (referred to as Dr R in the letters), was offered a choice of about 4 towns and, a few months later, found myself picking up a brand new Ford Falcon work car to drive out, having transferred from Liverpool Community Health in Sydney (and having been promised the construction of demountable offices at the rear of the CWA Hall).

6/2/1976

I am now thoroughly exhausted after my first week here… I spent most of the week introducing myself to other people in the welfare field. I mostly got a good reception.

19/2/76

The C of E Archdeacon came up to me and told me a lady from his church would like to talk to me about some girls who are concerning her. I went the next day, but was unable to do much – still it’s another good contact…. Things are now settling down at work and I'm getting some decent cases at last … I’d just like somewhere to work … our modular office has fallen through since the council suddenly decided the CWA Hall is in an all brick zone! … I went out to T. last week and had a really nice day – I get on really well with the Community Nurse there… I'm going to P. tomorrow and I have to leave early (8.30 am.).

25/2/76

Dr R phoned me today to see how I was going – so I told him I’d like somewhere to work and that I wasn't exactly overloaded with work – he suggested I go down and talk things over with him next week, which I thought was nice of him.

14/3/76

The Regional Geriatrician said he had heard that I was very unhappy, and could still transfer to O. if I wanted to. I explained to him that is was my flat trouble that was upsetting me and that I thought it would be very bad for the town in terms of accepting future Social Workers if I just got up and left now. The work situation is now much better – I have a reasonable amount of work to do and am beginning to feel accepted by the community. I was invited to give a talk to the Primary School Mother’s Club on Tuesday… I got through my talk alright, although now I keep thinking of things I should have told them.

3/4/76

Well I can’t complain any more about not having enough work to do – after last week I feel utterly exhausted and seem to have more than I can cope with. I also did a lot of driving, which is exhausting. I went to T. on Tuesday and again on Friday, to C. on Thurs and to a farm out the back of G. also on Tues … We’re still having hassles over getting an office to work in, but there are 3 houses which are half being offered to the Health Commission for rental.

9/4/76

Grasshoppers – I think we have a plague out here – boy is my car a mess after I've driven out in the country… I have done 5 hrs overtime this fortnight but haven’t had a chance to take it off in lieu, which means I lose it as you have to take it in the same pay fortnight. I have done over 2,600 km in my Ford now … I'm becoming very suspicious about our office. I've heard rumours that after the budget comes down the Health Commission will only be given on-going funding i.e. no money to rent extra premises and all unfilled positions will be wiped.

5/5/76

Yesterday we had a visit from the staff review committee. It was horrible – they kept asking us questions but gave no indication of what they were thinking or how we measured up – we were both quite angry when they left and we feel quite determined to start putting pressure on re: getting an office. We piled our room with all the things we could find, including all the things from our cars – and they wouldn't even sit in it. I'm starting to get fed up with working conditions in the country – especially when, added to the above, people seem to think that Social Workers are Pensions and practical assistance experts, and not much else… On Monday night I had to go over to F. to talk about Social Work and Speech Therapy at a careers night … there were about 20 people who wanted to know about these 2 careers, but I think they were more interested than enthusiastic.

12/5/76

Our office furniture was delivered today and you should have seen our little room! We literally could not move. By lucky chance Dr R happened to be visiting (the area) so we asked him to come and pay us a visit as well. Probably didn't do any good, but at least we tried… The hospital is still being difficult… (this) rubs off with the Doctors, and my predecessor at the hospital has given the town a negative impression of Social Workers.

6/7/76

At the moment my Health Commission car is unregistered – they sent the registration stickers for the community Nurse and Baby Health Sister, but forgot mine! So all in all I've had a rather frustrating day and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

2/8/76

We have finally got our Speech Therapist, but unfortunately she has been spirited away to the hospital because of our lack of accommodation… P. now wants a playgroup – gives me something to do which I will enjoy for a change!

9/8/76

Well we’re finally moving into our new premises for work. The Speech Therapist is to move in with us and we are getting special permission to employ a part-time receptionist despite the staff freeze.

24/8/76

We spent most of toady moving to our new office – no phone, so we are going to be in the CWA rooms until 10.00 a.m. each morning until the phone is put on … it rained nearly all day today – we picked a good day for moving – everything is now in the other building, but we are by no means settled – there are boxes, files and papers everywhere.

1/9/76

I'm starting to feel almost completely drained work-wise and can understand how Social Workers become apathetic and develop “what’s the use” syndrome. I feel that I have put so much of myself into my job, but am not being refilled. I have no-one to ventilate to, although people are always ventilating to me… It was really good to spend some time with normal families in Melbourne (at my Granny’s memorial service) for a change and to be reminded that family life can be other than one big tangled mess and fouled up communication.

25/11/76

Last week we were landed with a mother and six children from F. who had to catch the midnight bus to Brisbane. They stayed in our office all afternoon and evening. The mother was absolutely exhausted and they had all spent Thurs night sleeping on the floor of the F. Health Centre… I went back at 8 p.m. to see how they were getting along – they were all just about crawling up the wall, so I took them for a drive around town, then out to the airport to see the plane take off, then back to my flat until 11 p.m. – then back to the Health Centre where they were picked up at 11.30 p.m. by the welfare officer from the hospital and the Salvation Army Officer… I’d planned to take the afternoon off as I had been going flat out all week … but instead of that I worked overtime! (Around this time I was also daily driving 4 children to school).

1977

During this year I began a local Neighbourhood Centre by researching, drawing up a proposal, recruiting volunteers and supervising them in collating information (which was stored on cards in shoe boxes). I also became engaged and married in October that year, resigning to adjust to farm life.

 Return to work

 I did not return to Community Health until the late 1980's, beginning part-time in a nearby town, and teaching the Welfare Course at Tafe as well, before becoming full-time in the current town. During the intervening years Community Health had moved several times and had increased substantially in staff. It had also been moved from the Commonwealth to the State Government, with administration from the local Hospital. In the early 1990's a new purpose built Community Health Centre was constructed in the grounds of the Hospital, and this is the building that staff will be relocating from.

During the past 25 years in Community Health I have been involved in setting up and sustaining a Youth Support Service, a Domestic Violence Committee (which was involved in numerous projects) Social Work Group Supervision, a Women's Support Group, a Bereavement Project (which included a Support Group), Rural Crisis Workshops (and a written manual for conducting them), Health Promotion projects, amongst other things, along with providing a Counselling service and Clinical Supervision. And I wonder if the scope for providing such a wide ranging service will continue.

Rest in Peace, Community Health.