History and Background

The P.A.R.T.Y. Program was developed by Joanne Banfield & Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada, in 1986 in response to high numbers of preventable trauma incidents. The licensed program has been operational at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) since 2006, and was the first Australian P.A.R.T.Y. Program site. There are now sites throughout Australia and over 120 programs are running world-wide.

As of the start of 2021 over 19000 West Australian teens have participated in the program state-wide. In regional WA we have P.A.R.T.Y. Programs currently running in Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton, Katanning and Kalgoorlie. A second metropolitan program commenced at St John of God Midland Public Hospital and a third metropolitan pilot program commenced in 2021 at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Opportunities to further expand WA’s P.A.R.T.Y. Program and accommodate more youth from both metropolitan and regional areas are continually being explored. Due to the popularity of the program at RPH an Outreach program is offered to schools and community-based Youth Groups who are unable to attend an on-site program.

RPH also conducts a P.A.R.T.Y. Program specifically designed to cater to high risk youth. Juvenile Justice offenders are referred as part of the Magistrates’ diversionary court process. The program is slightly adjusted for these teens as they have increased risk-taking behaviours; their day includes the addition of 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 mortality among youth 15-25 years of age.