PARTY Program

What is the PARTY program?

Teenagers are at more risk of becoming a victim of trauma than any other age group, with road trauma being the most common.

The PARTY program is an injury-prevention program for 16 to 25 year olds that aims to educate young people about the risks, choices and consequences of risk-taking behaviour.

The program introduces participants to risk identification strategies to:

• Help the participants understand their role in injury prevention
• Teach the consequence of traumatic injury and the changes that occur to their quality of life after sustaining an injury
• Encourage responsible decision-making in everyday choices that they can then apply to more dangerous risks

History of the PARTY program

The RMH has been running the PARTY Schools program since 2010 and the PARTY Intervention program since 2011.

The PARTY program began in Canada in the 1980s with a focus on alcohol and partying, when alcohol was the main ingredient to risk-taking at the time. The program has since expanded to include the risks, choices and consequences of any risk-taking behaviour, including driving, drugs, alcohol and assault.

How the program is delivered

The PARTY program is interactive and focuses on risk, choice and consequence. 

The program is delivered in a positive way, helping participants to:

• Learn coping skills – Helping young people to cope in risky situations, understand they won't get into trouble, make good decisions (such as providing advice, calling 000) and provide basic assistance like the recovery position
• Build resilience – Talking about effects of injury and substances on the body, looking at medical equipment and getting a tour of the patient journey with the real smells, sounds and sight of a real hospital and real patients, interacting with presenters, patients and their families to see how they manage
• Focus on hope – Spreading hope, providing coping strategies and motivating young people to make better choices

We also have injury ambassadors, who talk to participants about how they have overcome daily challenges like getting dressed, working and relationships.

Schools program – 16 to 18 year olds

The school program began in 2010 and involved a whole immersion, including:

• Presentations and simulated activities from trauma doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals
• Tours of departments that look after trauma patients
• Meeting patients and injury ambassadors

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restriction of visitors, the PARTY Schools program has been paused.

Intervention program – 16 to 25 year olds

The intervention program at the RMH is for young offenders yet to be sentenced for their offence. The magistrate may refer them to the PARTY program then, post-program, ask the young person to submit a written reflection of their offence, which may influence their sentence.

It is the only program like it in Australia, and results have shown that 90% of participants did not reoffend in the 12 months post-program.

The intervention program integrates with Victoria Police and the Crime Choices and Consequence program run by The Youth Junction Inc. Youth Junction support participants with any socioeconomic problems they may be having and conduct assessments before and after the program.

We are currently running a hybrid version of the intervention program.