Victoria
Health Promotion in Victoria
This site provides a gateway to health promotion activities within the Department of Human Services and other key health promotion resources.
It provides a comprehensive, starting point for exploring health promotion on the internet, and aims to facilitate and improve communication about quality health promotion practice in the following areas.
Oral Health Guidelines
Oral Health Guidelines for Victorians (DHS 2003) has been developed by the Victorian Oral Health Promotion Strategy Partnership Group (OHPSPG) convened by the Department of Human Services Victoria (DHS).
The Victorian Oral Health Promotion Strategy (OHPS) outlines a framework for oral health promotion activity with the aim of preventing and controlling oral disease and promoting oral health amongst the Victorian population.
Promoting Oral Health for People Living in Disability Accommodation Services
In 2008-09, Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) worked collaboratively with Disability Accommodation Services (DAS) and Plenty Valley Community Health on a pilot project to promote and improve the oral health of people with intellectual disabilities.
The project involved an oral health information session for DAS house supervisors and the completion of annual oral health can plans and assessments for each resident in the group home. Based on the oral health assessment residents were then if needed referred to oral health services. An evaluation of the project was then completed.
Following the success of the project, a resource toolkit was created for oral health services and disability services. The toolkit provides users with step by step instructions and resource needed to replicate the original pilot project. For further information on the project please visit the website or email healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au
Pension Level Supported Residential Services (SRS) Project
In the 2008-2009 Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) piloted a project to improve pension-level SRS residents’ knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene. The project involved the delivery of oral health education sessions and the provision of essential oral health products (kits) to residents.
In June 2008, the first rounds of oral health kits were delivered to all pension-level SRS across Victoria.
In February 2009, DHSV health promotion project workers began the delivery of oral health education sessions to all staff and residents of pension-level SRS. A second round of oral health kits were distributed at this time.
The messages from the oral health education session were used to develop an educational DVD for residents called Healthy choices for healthy mouths. This DVD will be sent to all pension-level SRS across Victoria.
What will happen in the future?
The pension level SRS oral health project is one part of a larger initiative directed by the state government. Two Community Health Centres (CHC), Knox and Inner South have completed a pilot project involving an oral health assessment, referral and treatment of residents in 19 pension-level SRS in Victoria.An external evaluation was conducted around the initiatives. This will help the Department of Health explore better ways to improve oral health and oral health services for residents of pension-level SRS.
For more information on the Pension Level SRS Project and to access the evaluation visit the website.
For further enquiries email healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au
Smiles 4 Miles Award Program
The Smiles 4 Miles Award Program is an initiative of Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) working in partnership with local organisations to improve the oral health of the youngest children in the community. Beginning in 2003-2004, the program is based on the World Health Organisation’s Health Promoting Schools Framework.
DHSV partners with a range of health organisations including local government, community health services and primary care partnerships. Their role is to provide support to early childhood services to achieve the Smiles 4 Miles award (for example, by proving training to early childhood staff). There are currently 31 funded sites participating in Smiles 4 Miles – these sites work within one to four local government areas.What are the Smiles 4 Miles Award criteria?
The Smiles 4 MilesAward Program has four broad criteria which must be met to obtain the Smiles 4 Milesaward. The criteria relate to:
- Nutrition and water policy review or development
- Drink well and Eat well surveys
- Curriculum activities supporting the key messages
- Parent engagement activities
What are the Smiles 4 Miles key messages
There are five key messages promoted through the Smiles 4 Miles program:
Fact sheets Tip cards Drink well Drink well Eat well Eat well Clean well Clean well Play well Play well Stay well Stay well For further information, please contact the health promotion team on email healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au
Fact Sheets for Youth
- Protecting your mouth - all you need to know about mouth and tongue piercing...
- Protecting your mouth - all you need to know about tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs...
- Tobacco, alcohol & recreational drugs – how do they affect oral health?
Resources for pregnant women
Smiling schools
The Smiling Schools project, undertaken in 2006–07, was a demonstration project that administered an oral health literacy survey to a sample of Victorian primary school children and their parents.
Eleven randomly selected schools consented to participating in this study. The parents of children in grades one, five and six each were invited to participate. Children in grades five and six were also invited to participate in the survey.
The aim of the project was to explore the oral health literacy of Victorian primary school children and their parents. The project also aimed to determine the relationships between oral health literacy, oral health practices and oral health knowledge and to examine population awareness of the key messages of the Oral Health Guidelines for Victorians (Department of Human Services Victoria 2003).
To view the Smiling Schools report visit its webpage.
Other Resources
Video and podcast resources from dental health services Victoria
