Despite a decade of Australian health policies emphasising patient-centred care, care coordination, and integrated care with a focus on hospital avoidance, data suggests these policy objectives remain largely unrealised. While successful healthcare integration exists, it tends to be localised, limited in scope, or temporary, with sustained national-level change remaining elusive.

In this one-hour webinar, John Mendoza explores how to bridge this implementation gap through the lens of two transformative local initiatives that achieved remarkable success in relatively short timeframes:

The Goonda Family-Centred Employment Program demonstrates how integrated services can create ripple effects across multiple domains. Beyond improving employment outcomes, this initiative achieved significant gains in social participation, education, and health outcomes for unemployed families.

The Alternative Pathways to Care intervention at the Central Adelaide Local Health Network showcases the power of whole-of-system transformation. This approach revolutionised service delivery, enhancing both consumer and clinician experiences while delivering measurable improvements in overall service performance.

The presentation will first highlight the critical success factors that underpinned these achievements in service integration. Building on these insights, John will then share practical strategies for sustaining meaningful change at the local level. Finally, he will explore how to translate these localised successes into system-level transformation through approaches including:

• Transitioning from national to regional approaches
• Utilising service mapping and network analysis
• Implementing change management across macro, meso, and micro levels
• Developing comprehensive wrap-around service delivery models
• Engaging boards and executives to prioritise mental health and drive sustained systemic change

These case studies and discussion will provide participants with practical insights into effective service integration, along with strategies for scaling local successes into system-wide improvements.