Social prescribing initiatives, communities, research papers and general articles

A reference list for your reading and learning pleasure

I’ve been putting together this list of social prescribing resources for quite some time, as I continue to read more about how this approach is being increasingly adopted and researched across Australia and beyond.

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

If you’re new to the concept of social prescribing you can read more about what I’ve discovered so far in this essay.

---

Social Prescribing Initiatives and Communities

Australia

• Australian Social Prescribing Institute of Research and Education (ASPIRE): Promotes social prescribing research, policy development, and education across Australia.

• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) – Social Prescribing Roundtables: Engages GPs in understanding and implementing social prescribing in clinical practice.

• Victorian Department of Health Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals: Social prescribing within these Locals is facilitated by link workers—professionals with lived experience—who assist individuals in building confidence and participating in social groups.

• Social Rx® by COORDINARE and PCCS: A collaborative program between COORDINARE (South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network) and Primary and Community Care Services (PCCS) that offers short-term support through qualified social workers, known as link workers, who connect individuals to community resources and non-clinical supports.

• Life Concierge (Gold Coast): A Social Prescribing service which is designed to help you access local supports and community resources that can make a real difference to your life.

• Western Queensland Primary Health Network – Social Prescribing Trials:
  Involved in place-based pilots for social prescribing and community connection.

New Zealand

• Health Improvement Practitioners (HIPs) and Health Coaches (via Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora): Embedded roles in general practice offering non-clinical support, similar in function to social prescribing link workers.

United Kingdom

• National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP): Established by the UK Government to promote social prescribing at scale across the NHS and globally.

• Social Prescribing Network (UK): A collaboration of academics, clinicians, and community workers to promote research and best practices in social prescribing.

• University of Westminster – Social Prescribing Unit: Hosts a leading research and education hub for social prescribing in the UK.

• Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) – Social Prescribing Toolkit: Provides GPs with guidance and tools to implement social prescribing.

Canada

• Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP): Led by the Canadian Red Cross and supported by community health organisations, CISP promotes a people-centred approach to health.

• Alliance for Healthier Communities (Ontario): Pioneered social prescribing in community health centres across Ontario, with ongoing evaluation and development.

International / Global

• International Social Prescribing Collaborative (UK): A global partnership of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to advance social prescribing worldwide.

• Global Social Prescribing Alliance: Founded by the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), NASP (UK), and the United Nations, this alliance promotes social prescribing globally through policy, research, and system-level change.

United States

• Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network (SIREN), University of California San Francisco: Focuses on how healthcare systems address social needs, overlapping with social prescribing principles.

---

Research Papers & General Articles about Social Prescribing Initiatives & Benefits

The rest of this update includes a reference list of research papers and general articles about social prescribing available for paid subscribers.

Enjoy full access with a 7 day free trial and then pay A$8/month – or save with A$75/year.

Research Papers about Social Prescribing