The Community Health Infrastructure and Resilience Charity (CHIRF) is an Australia wide registered DGR not for profit charity with current projects in SE NSW (Bega), and East Gippsland Victoria (Mallacoota).
East Gippsland Victoria (Mallacoota)
Medical Centre offers access to two highly-trained counsellors, Joanna Heman (mental health worker) and Monica Blaney (psychologist). They visit Mallacoota every fortnight and both travel down from their busy practices in the Bega Valley.
These programs are provided by the Mallacoota Medical Centre with funding support from CHIRF via grants from Gippsland Primary Health Network (GPHN) and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).
Formed in May 2016 as a deductible gifts recipient (DGR) CHIRF Health Promotion Charity to ensure medical and allied services are available to the Mallacoota community well into the future. The Charity supports a sister charity Mallacoota Inlet Aged Care (MIAC) committed to establishing residential aged care facilities for the community. CHIRF
Our fundraiser registration number is 14430
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The CHIRF model has been adopted by Yarram, a Victorian community with similar issues.
All CHIRF Responsible Members have recent police checks with one member a practising Psychologist. Partners in the ground-breaking project include:
- Mallacoota Inlet Aged Care committee (MIAC) – local committee of community members, owners of the current medical centre site. In partnership with CHIRF to build a new Medical centre (est. completion 2019)
- Mallacoota Dr. Search – local committee of community members, funded by CHIRF
- Gippsland Primary Health Network (GPHN)
- Victorian Counselling and Psychology Service (VCPS) – Psychology service provider currently funded to provide Telehealth services to Mallacoota
SE NSW
- Bega Valley Medical Practice (BVMP) Teen Clinic program – regional teen health program funded by NSW Primary Health Network.
Nurse training for teen general and mental health is in place since June 2019. A Teen Clinic, with the direct support of the GP’s and the visiting Psychologist has been in operation since 1 July 2019.