Country Resource Program

The Country Resource Program's (CRP) role is to support families who have a child (0 to 18 years) with cerebral palsy in rural and remote Western Australia. These services include consultative advice, education and advocacy to children and their families, local therapists and the general community in order to assist them to effectively achieve appropriate outcomes.

Based in Perth, the CRP team includes a program manager, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist and social worker. You are welcome to contact us via phone, fax, post or email. You are welcome to visit The Centre at any time.

Local therapists in the family’s community provide primary services to the family and the Country Resource Programme aims to support and enhance these local services, rather than replace or duplicate them. The Country Resource Programme responds to specific requests by families and local therapists, rather than being an ongoing service which provides regular reviews. As the CRP team aims to support and enhance local services rather than replace or duplicate them, local therapists remain responsible for the child's ongoing therapy needs.

It is our aim to support local therapists with information, knowledge and the development of specific techniques unique to cerebral palsy when requested.

Areas we often assist with include:

• Assessment and therapy techniques
• Equipment provision and design
• Inclusion of the child in community settings such as school or child care
• Family support and advocacy
• Perth based medical reviews and / or treatment.
• Specialised clinics

The Centre has a number of clinics which provide support and advice to therapists regarding a range of specific problems. Children are referred to these clinics when specialist advice is required. Referrals to the clinics are made by the CRP team members in conjunction with the family and/or local therapists.

Clinics available include mealtime management, walker, CP Tech, hand and upper limb, spinal, orthotics, sleep solutions, foot and biomechanical and gait analysis. Sometimes highly specialised equipment will be required, and the CRP team and CP Tech can provide support for the prescription and manufacture of equipment. Funding will be organised by your local health service.

We are able to provide ongoing education for country practitioners through workshops and videos. We visit two country areas per year. We can also provide video conferencing, videos and resources.

Support and sharing of specialist knowledge and skills are provided to children, families and local service providers via:

• Telephone, including teleconferencing
• Email
• Videos
• Video conferencing; and/or
• Direct contact when families or therapists visit the country team in Perth

Making an Appointment to Visit The Centre for Cerebral Palsy

Country Resource Program

• Families request an appointment by calling The Country Resource Program on 1800 198 263. The CRP will work with the family to find a time that suits them, usually when they will next be in Perth.
• Once a request for an initial appointment or review is made, an appointment letter will be sent to the family and an email will be sent to the local therapists.
• The child will see a paediatrician if it is an initial appointment, and may see a paediatrician if they are down for a review. The paediatrician's report is available to the family on request. A request in writing is required.
• Depending on the family's needs, the child will be seen by all or some of the CRP team.
• The team meets with the family at the beginning of their visit to discuss the child's progress and to find out what the family's needs are at this time.
• Assessments, observations and ideas will then be provided by the team and a report will be written and distributed to the family and therapists.
• You are welcome to contact us to discuss any aspect of the report or to discuss our ideas and suggestions further.
• The social worker or welfare officer will call the family in eight weeks' time for feedback to ensure they are satisfied with the outcome of the visit.

Any child, aged 0 - 18, with cerebral palsy who lives in rural and remote areas of Western Australia and has primary therapy services within the community is eligible for the CRP.

For further information contact the Country Resource Team on 1800 198 263.