Nicole Snelleksz Lynne Harrison Stephanie Lee
Date & Time
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Name
Embedding Education Consultants in a Multidisciplinary Clinic for Aboriginal Children: The Healthy Koori Kids (HKK) School Model
Description

Background / Context Healthy Koori Kids is a multidisciplinary clinic based at Monash Health in Melbourne. It brings together a team of Allied Heath, Medical and Education staff to provide a health and wellbeing service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children (aged 0-17) with experiences of Out Of Home Care (OoHC). The Clinic has been running for 10 years with education staff joining in 2023. Children with experiences of OoHC frequently present with complex and intersecting health, developmental, educational, and wellbeing needs. Traditional outpatient clinic models can create barriers to engagement, particularly for children with trauma histories, neurodevelopmental differences, and disrupted schooling. The Healthy Koori Kids (HKK) Clinic identified a need to redesign service delivery to better support regulation, engagement, and continuity across health and education systems. Aim To describe the development, implementation and outcomes of the HKK School 'classroom' model and its role in strengthening collaboration between healthcare providers, educators, children, and families to improve engagement, assessment, and educational outcomes. Methods / Approach The HKK School model embeds two education consultants from Monash Children’s Hospital School within a multidisciplinary paediatric clinic, located in two sites across Melbourne's outer south east. A dedicated classroom space operates during clinic days, providing child-led, culturally responsive learning and regulation activities. Education consultants liaise with children’s base schools prior to clinic attendance, gathering reports, Individual Education Plans, and insights into learning and wellbeing. Within the clinic, they facilitate informal observation, support regulation, and trial strategies that can be translated across settings. This approach integrates health, education, and family perspectives in real time. Results / Outcomes The introduction of the HKK School has transformed clinic experience and outcomes. Children demonstrate improved regulation, reduced anxiety, and increased engagement with health services. The classroom environment enables naturalistic observation of communication, learning behaviours, and social interaction, enhancing the quality of multidisciplinary assessment. Stronger partnerships with schools have improved information sharing, accelerated clinical decision-making, and supported more targeted educational recommendations. Clinicians report improved clinic flow and greater capacity to conduct sensitive discussions with carers. Importantly, children report positive experiences and increased willingness to return. Implications / Significance The HKK School model provides a practical example of how integrated health–education partnerships can enhance outcomes for children with complex needs. By embedding education within healthcare, this model promotes culturally safe, trauma-informed, and child-centred practice, aligning with the H.E.L.P. Alliance vision of bridging health, education, and wellbeing to empower young people.