The Secondary School Nursing Program (SSNP) aims to reduce risk to young people and promote better health in the wider community. Approximately two thirds of government secondary schools participate in the SSNP with the program targeted to Victoria’s most disadvantaged schools.
The goals of the SSNP are to:
• Play a key role in reducing negative health outcomes and risk taking behaviours among young people, including drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, eating disorders, obesity, depression, suicide and injuries
• Focus on prevention of ill health and problem behaviours by ensuring coordination between the school and community based health and support services
• Support the school community in addressing contemporary health and social issues facing young people and their families
• Provide appropriate primary health care through professional clinical nursing, including assessment, care, referral and support
• Establish collaborative working relationships between primary and secondary school nurses to assist young people in their transition to secondary school.