BUSHkids Annual Report 2011-2012

MOUNT ISA

Outreach this year has consisted mostly of school visits for group programs, however in special circumstances individual therapy sessions have also been completed at the school. It is really gratifying to see schools around Mount Isa continue to provide their support to BUSHkids by assisting in any way to bring the children to their therapy sessions. Community support this year has been excellent with our Rodeo Queen raising funds to support the running of our centre. From SLP Melissa Bell This year has seen the closure of the speech pathology waiting list in an attempt to decrease the ever- growing number of clients waiting for services. Therapy has mostly been conducted on an individual basis; however, one literacy group was run for a school in the district during term two. Additionally, we have found the need to conduct multi-disciplinary sessions with a number of children to ensure the best outcomes are obtained. These have generally involved Olivia and I; however, James has been on-hand to provide both the parents and ourselves with various strategies to further assist the children.

ACTIVITYAND OUTPUTS From OT Olivia Playford In my first year at BUSHkids it has been a time of learning curves, new experiences and lots of fun! I do not think we could have a better team out here in Mount Isa and having a happy workplace is priceless. Some key points from my perspective are set out here. The OT waiting list has increased continuously during the year, and individual therapy sessions have been the main focus throughout 2012, to try to keep the waiting list at a stable level. A number of different programs have been run during the year to meet the needs of both individual schools around Mount Isa as well as clients, including: Phonological awareness for Literacy , Fine Motor Skills , and Handwriting . As a team we felt there has been a need for a number of our clients to receive a multi-disciplinary service to ensure best possible outcomes for the child and the family. This has mostly involved Melissa and I and James has also been a great support for us and the family if required.

THEYEAR IN GENERAL It has been a good year. Two new team members, Olivia and Jane, complete our fantastic team, after Sam and Lana sadly departed at the beginning of the year. Having Tash fundraising has made it a fun year with lots of events which have really promoted BUSHKIDS. Service statistics are dynamic – we have a continual flow of referrals, the SLP waitlist is reducing, the OT waitlist is rapidly growing, and the FHSW programs are in high demand. AROUND OURAREA Due to the constant turnover at schools and new parents arriving in town, we did a school tour earlier this year to get the word out about the service. This was very much appreciated by the schools, and was followed by a wave of referrals. In other news around ‘the Isa’ – • Additional air services, with Virgin now flying daily to Brisbane • Many beef growers in our area were affected by the live export ban • ‘ Chroming’ is still a big problem, but suicide rates have dropped. We have noticed that difficulties in school attendance are affecting clients participating in groups run at the schools, and this issue will need to be addressed.

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