Inter-Organisational Relationships of Community Health Centres

It is often argued that community based health organisations ought to have substantial links with other organisations in their local environment in order to provide integrated, accountable clinical and preventive services. This paper reports results from a study of the links forged by staff working in four community health centres in Victoria, Australia. The pattern of links between organisations is described and their functions explored. The perceptions of community health workers and their network partners in the other organisations are compared and the strategies used by the workers to establish and build their links identified. It can be argued that links with external organisations are important in community health practice and are valued by the organisations with which the centres establish links. They have, however, received very little attention within or without the field of community health. They are taken for granted, rarely discussed, and as often inhibited as facilitated by the structures within which community health centres operate. Consequently, a great deal of valuable community health work remains unacknowledged, potentially underdeveloped and undervalued. It has not been made clear how education can best support community health staff in this aspect of their work.