Completed projects

Latrobe City Council Community Engagement

The CERG (formerly CEU) analysed the results of the Latrobe City Council Community Engagement Survey. This will assist Latrobe City Council prepare a new Community Vision and Council Plan, Financial Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Val Prokopiv
• Michelle James
• Elissa Dabkowski

Find out more about Latrobe City Council Community Engagement Survey and Download the Report.

Make Your Move (MYM) Latrobe

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluated the GippSport and Latrobe Health Assembly’s MYM program, which aimed to increase physical activity opportunities, activity levels, levels of physical literacy, and social inclusion and social connectedness for communities throughout Latrobe City.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter
• Elissa Dabkowski (Lead)
• Dr Karen Missen
• Chris Snell
• Val Prokopiv

Increasing Access to Sport:

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluated the implementation of the GippSport Increasing Access to Sport program. The Increasing Access in Sport program was consistent with the Hazelwood coal mine fire inquiry: Victorian Government implementation plan, which aims to optimise healthy living by providing sustainable community-based initiatives to improve physical activity.

Increasing Access to Sport was an initiative developed by GippSport and funded in partnership with the Latrobe Health Assembly (LHA). The project aimed to identify the barriers affecting young people aged 12 – 25 years from participating in traditional sports in the Latrobe Valley.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Co-Lead)
• Elissa Dabkowski (Co-Lead)
• Val Prokopiv
• Michelle James
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Dr Vaughan Reimers

‘I am Ready’ Program

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluation of the ‘I Am Ready’ Program sought to ascertain the impact of the program on the preparedness to seek future employment of participating Year 10, 11 and 12 students with mild intellectual or learning barriers.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Jennifer Bur
• Val Prokopiv
• Michelle James

Find out more about the 'I Am Ready' Program evaluation.

Streetgames 2019 and 2020/2021

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluation of GippSport's Streetgames program in 2019 and 2020/2021 analysed the impact of Streetgames in regional townships in Latrobe City while assessing the impact on social connectedness and increased participation.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Paul Kemel
• Nicole Coombs
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Val Prokopiv

Find out more about CERG's Latrobe Streetgames 2019 evaluation.

Yinnar Exercise Program

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluation analysed the impact of the Yinnar and District Memorial Hall Committee’s Yinnar Exercise Program in 2019 by developing an understanding of the participant’s motivation for attending and the effect it had on social connectedness.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Elissa Dabkowski
• Val Prokopiv

Find out more about CERG's Yinnar Exercise Program evaluation.

Emerging Practice Survey: COVID-19

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluation of the Emerging Practice Survey, commissioned by LHA and DHHS, analysed how successful service organisations were in adapting to the rapidly changing environment of COVID-19.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Michelle James
• Elissa Dabkkowski
• Val Prokopiv

Find out more about CERG's Emerging Practice Survey evaluation.

HandsUp Latrobe Valley

Evaluating the impact of HandsUp Latrobe Valley, an initiative recognising the health and social benefits of volunteerism, on the development and coordination of community volunteering opportunities in Latrobe City.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Val Prokopiv
• Michelle James

Gippsland Aboriginal Advocacy Support Services (GAASS)

Evaluating the processes and outcomes of GAASS’s work toward increasing workforce capacity to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, their families and carers to understand and access the NDIS within the Gippsland region.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Jan Jones
• Nicholas Johnson
• Val Prokopiv
• Michelle James

Find out more about the CERG GAASS Evaluation

Latrobe Valley Youth Survey: Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN

Evaluating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of services to young people in the Latrobe Valley, including an in-depth analysis of the attitudes and experiences of community service agencies who assist young people.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Dr Michael Barbagallo
• Michelle James
• Elissa Dabkowski
• Val Prokopiv

Zero Suicide Prevention Pathways Project

Evaluating the processes and outcomes of Latrobe Regional Hospital Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Pathway, which aims to improve care for people presenting with suicide and self-harm.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Elissa Dabkowski
• Val Prokopiv

'Hello.' Campaign

The CERG (formerly CEU) evaluation of the Lifeline Gippsland 'Hello.' Campaign in 2019 analysed the effectiveness of the campaign in increasing awareness that social connection improves mental wellbeing.

CERG researchers

• Associate Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
• Dr Karen Missen
• Dr Vaughan Reimers
• Dr Damian Morgan
• Dr Sue Whyte
• Professor Britt Klein
• Val Prokopiv

Find out more about CERG's 'Hello.' Campaign evaluation.