Community outreach

The Dental and Oral Health Clinic offers a range of general and specialist dental services, from standard cleans to complex implant rehabilitations. The clinic provides dental services in regional South-East Queensland communities including Warwick, Stanthorpe and Kingaroy. No referrals required.

Free dental checks

Please call us on 1800 188 295 to find out more.

Healthy Habits Triple P

Researchers from Griffith University and the University of Queensland are testing a newly developed online program designed to support parents to develop healthy eating and snacking practices with their children and reduce challenging eating behaviours (for example, fussy eating and mealtime difficulties).

Healthy Habits Triple P is suitable for parents of young children aged 2-6 years.

Healthy habits

Outreach to local schools

Through a series of short plays, hands-on activities and sing-a-longs, and under the guidance of their Convenor, Professor Jeroen Kroon, students from Griffith University’s School of Dentistry and Oral Health have been visiting local preschools since 2013 to promote oral health practices and help establish good oral hygiene habits in children from an early age.

The interactive and fun classes assist children to look after their teeth and gums as well as providing dental students with valuable learning experience in community-based oral health education, which forms part of their course requirements.

A variety of schools across the Gold Coast participate in the program each year with hundreds of children in schools at Coombabah, Biggera Waters and Musgrave Hill learning good dental hygiene practices.

Local school outreach

Rural outreach

Poor oral health has been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, poor nutrition, diabetes and even dementia, yet people living in rural Australia are more likely to visit their doctor for antibiotics and pain relief for a dental problem than they are to seek out quality dental services. Reduced income and difficulty accessing dental services significantly impact regional and remote communities.

Griffith University partners with free State Government dental clinics in several areas including Warwick, Tweed Heads, Kingaroy, Stanthorpe, Woolloongabba and Southport. In all these clinics, students provide a full range of dental treatments at no cost.

The Hope4Health initiative

The Cherbourg dental clinic is another example of how Griffith students are contributing to rural communities. Prior to the Hope4Health initiative, the nearest dental surgery was more than an hour away and had a two-year waiting list.

The Hope4Health initiative is run entirely by students and volunteers in their final years of dentistry. The clinic provides treatment free of charge to the largely Indigenous community located west of Gympie and an hour’s drive from the nearest dentist.

Hope4Health

Set Free Care

Set Free Care is a community hub in the greater Southport area providing meals, showers, clothing, and professional service connections for vulnerable people, including the homeless and disadvantaged. Funded through an op shop, donations, and some government support, it aims to help clients return to safe living, with some former clients becoming volunteers. Griffith Paramedicine students participate in health assessments, wound management, contributing to both client care and their professional accreditation.

Griffith University's School of Medicine and Dentistry is relaunching its Set Free Care donation drive for 2025, encouraging staff to contribute pre-loved items to support the community. In 2024, more than 45 bags of clothing, shoes, bedding, toys, and other items were donated, with 28 bags collected in the last three months alone, demonstrating strong participation from staff and the Griffith Dental Clinic.

Donation drop-off points: Staff can leave donations at designated offices in G40_8.28 (Lisa Cotterell's office) and G01_1.22A (Mal Boyle's office), with collection available monthly at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute starting January 15, 2025.

Ongoing commitment: The donation drive is a key action item within the School’s Values pillar of the Implementation and Action Plan, reflecting a commitment to living the Health Group Charter and supporting community welfare.

Find out more

The Counselling Clinic provides free and low cost on-campus and telehealth services, as well as a community based walk and talk for wellness program.

Walk and Talk for Wellness

Walk and Talk for Wellness is an initiative developed by staff and students in the Bachelor of Counselling program and is based on current research which shows the importance of nature to human wellbeing. Launched in July 2020, the program offers walks in the Gold Coast Botanic Gardens at Benowa, every Wednesday from 9-12pm, as well as on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, with trained facilitators who have specialised skills in counselling.

Walk and Talk sessions are for individuals and small groups. The program is a non-clinical opportunity for social connection and emotional support within a natural outdoor environment. Sessions are just $5 and are available on the Gold Coast and in the Logan region.

For bookings please email the team at walkandtalk@griffith.edu.au or via phone on 0448 575 548.

Walk and Talk for Wellness

Social work clinic

The Social Work clinic provides free, low cost and concessional social work services to members of the local community, and accepts referrals from multiple community partners. The clinic offers psychosocial support, advocacy, counselling, and mental health wellbeing checks.

For more information, please contact the team on 1800 188 295 or email ahreceptionteam@griffith.edu.au. Appointments are available Monday to Thursday between 8am and 5pm, or at other times by special appointment.

Our social work clinic

Pacific Islander communities

Queensland is home to the largest Pacific Island population in Australia. As part of Griffith University's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are proud to offer the Griffith Maori and Pāsifika LEAD Program.

The LEAD program is developed on the concept of āko, where the teacher and student share learning experiences to support students through their education journey by implementing culturally responsive initiatives that raise confidence and demystify misconceptions of higher education.

Pacific Islander outreach

School programs

Griffith University works in close partnership with selected schools in delivering programs from Year 7 to Year 12.

Outreach school program

The exercise physiology team offer low cost and fully funded chronic disease programs to members of the local Gold Coast community. The clinic offers a range of telehealth and community programs to promote health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of developing chronic disease.

Outreach programs

The Exercise Physiology team offers Community Health Checks and education sessions by request. They also have a referral partnership with Queensland Health, and with Community Health programs to ensure patients are supported upon discharge from their services. Griffith University has previously partnered with Lungs in Action, NDIS organisations, as well as local social groups such as Sheila Shack and Seachange over 50s.

Currently, Sheila Shack is open for weekly attendance, for a low cost annual fee of $20, as well as $2 charge for weekly attendance.

For more information, please contact the Exercise Physiology team directly on 1800 188 295.

Sheila Shack

The Physiotherapy team offers community outreach, clinic and partnerships with local teams and elite athletics, as well as offering a tailored osteoarthritis management program, aimed at strengthening, and reducing pain.

Partnerships with local teams and elite athletes

Griffith University provides sports physiotherapy services to local teams and elite athletes on the Gold Coast, including the Gold Coast Titans Netball, Swimming Australia, Men of Business Community Cup Rugby League, the Gold Coast Suns, Surfing Australia, Queensland Academy of Sport, Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association, GAPS and more.

Our sport partnerships

Inclusive Education – Include-ED

Inclusive education for people living with an intellectual disability, Include-ED is a transformative post-schooling program. Funded via NDIS healthcare service fees, this Griffith Allied Health Clinics initiative offers school-leavers living with an intellectual disability the chance to engage with peers in a university setting, including access to student-led Allied Health services.

Include-ED

REEF (Recognising Emotions and Establishing Friend)

The REEF program is aimed at helping those children that find social situations confusing and difficult to navigate. Social anxiety makes it harder for them to develop and nurture friendships and often leads to other behavioural, emotional or learning issues. This program provides personalised strategies for child and parent to reduce anxiety and help them feel more confident and comfortable in social situations. The program is designed for children aged 5-7 years and 8-12 years.

REEF progam

ROAR (Regulating Overload and Rage)

Children tend to express rage when they are overwhelmed and frustrated. Rage can be a scary experience for the family, and both child and parent are often left feeling misunderstood and hopeless. The ROAR program helps the child and parent by teaching emotion regulation strategies, and provides practical solutions to everyday situations that lead to rage. This group is for 8-12 year olds.

ROAR program

LaTCH (A Memory Group Program)

LaTCH Memory Group program works with adults 50 years and older, covering topics including: learning about how memory works, understanding factors that might impact on memory performance, learning how to use practical strategies for enhancing everyday memory, and engaging in positive lifestyle choices. This program is delivered by a Neuropsychologist from our School of Applied Psychology, with our provisional psychologists providing additional support.

LaTCH Memory Group program

The BRAVE Program

The BRAVE programs are evidenced-based, online, cognitive-behavioural programs aimed at treating anxiety in young children, primary school aged children and adolescents. The BRAVE programs are free to all Australian families and are the result of 20 years of research that has provided strong evidence for their efficacy.

BRAVE programs

FIP (Family Interaction Program)

The Family Interaction Program ( FIP ) is a specialist parenting service and research group that has been working closely with the Queensland Government and families since 2002. FIP provides a diversity of parenting programs to the local community.

Family Interaction Program