The P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) Program has run worldwide since 1986 and at RPH since 2006 to expose young people to thinking about risk-taking behaviours that may cause death or injury.

Once a week during the school year, a group of young people aged 14 to 18 tour the RPH trauma area and hear from guest speakers who are injury survivors, or from family members who lost young relatives to risk-taking behaviours.

The Program helps young people to recognise potential injury-causing situations, make informed choices and adopt behaviours and actions that minimise risk.

The Program at RPH would not be possible without the support of Road Safety Commission, St John Ambulance, Synapse, Mission Australia and Paraplegic Benefit Fund (PBF).

Background

There are now more than 120 programs running worldwide.

The Program was developed by Joanne Banfield and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada, in 1986 in response to high numbers of preventable trauma incidents. In 2006, RPH became the first Australian hospital to run the program.

More than 20,000 West Australian teens have since participated in the program in Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton, Katanning and Kalgoorlie, St John of God Midland Public Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital.

An outreach program is offered to schools and youth groups who are unable to attend on-site.

Juvenile Justice offenders are referred to the program as part of the Magistrates’ diversionary court process. These teens have shown higher risk-taking behaviours. They hear from a ‘family impact speaker’ who gives a powerful and confronting presentation about how their family has been affected by preventable trauma.

This program allows youth to experience the journey of an imaginary trauma patient from the hospital Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Trauma wards within Royal Perth Hospital.

The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce injury and death among young people aged 15 to 25.