Women’s community based health services are designed for all women with different backgrounds and individual experiences and aim to provide quality services that deeply understand the factors and environments that shape women’s health and wellbeing.
Women’s community based health services work within what is commonly referred to as the social model of health, meaning different areas of a woman’s life are thought about such as family, social, cultural, political and environmental factors.
Services work from a trauma-informed approach meaning support is guided by the individual, at their own pace and women are not forced to make decisions they don’t want to. Although women’s community based health services are not crisis centres, they can be the first service women access when experiencing abuse or a life crisis.
Western Australia has twelve women’s community based health services which include seven metropolitan and five regional services. Women can access any of these services across the State; not just the ones nearest to where they live.
Women’s community based health services function like ‘hubs’ and are run by caring staff. They can provide a safe, women only place to stop and talk, link in when extra support is needed, a health check or to participate in a group or workshop, like a new mums and bubs program or a self-esteem workshop.
These services aren’t necessarily known by the wider public as places that offer services like family and domestic violence support, but they are safe and confidential spaces women can access without fear of judgement or worry about people finding out. Many have free-crèches available on site. Women’s community based health services can also refer onto other specialist services.
Women’s community based health services are also appropriate services for women who face barriers to accessing other health service such as:
Women’s community based health services are also ideal for women who may be experiencing major life stressors such as divorce, job loss, death of a family member, injury or illness or providing care for a child with a disability.
Overall women’s community based health centre’s aim to empower women by providing the information, support, and resources to assist with good health, wellbeing and a positive life.
Although adaptable in their approach the key service areas of women’s community based health services are:
Please note some services may incur a small fee, this information will be available on the individual services website.
If any information on this page is not up to date or you have any suggestions, please contact us.
Sarah Brown AM is the Chief Executive Officer of Purple House and has been helping the Indigenous Directors to run the organisation since its inception more than twenty three years ago.
Sarah holds a Master of Nursing, a Graduate Diploma in Aboriginal Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Health Service Management. Prior to joining Purple House, she was a remote area nurse and university lecturer.
Sarah has been recognised in many ways for the work she does, being named Hesta’s Australia’s Nurse of the Year in 2017, being listed as one of BOSS magazine’s ‘True Leaders’ in 2018, and in 2020 Sarah received an Order of Australia Medal for “her significant service to community health, remote nursing and Indigenous communities”.
Professor Louise Keogh is a leading voice across women’s health and reproductive rights in Australia. Louise is Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Equity and Chair of the Hallmark Research Initiative in Reproductive Justice at the University of Melbourne.
Louise’s work explores issues that matter deeply to women, and includes the decriminalisation of abortion, contraception, voluntary assisted dying and the growing role of genetics in cancer prevention. Her work aims to make healthcare more equitable, accessible, and responsive to women’s needs.
Louise works with clinicians, policymakers, and communities to translate research into practical change in healthcare practice and policy. She is passionate about fostering open, thoughtful conversations about women’s health, particularly where ethics, rights and emerging technologies intersect.
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