Ten New Youth Mental Health Services

View by date:

• April
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

• 2011
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004

PDF printable version of Ten New Youth Mental Health Services (PDF 22 KB)

14 April 2011

Ten new headspace youth mental health services will begin operating by the end of the year, with the announcement of the selection of the lead agencies for operation today.

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler said the lead agencies for the ten new sites (see attached) include some of the nation’s most experienced community-based organisations, as well as Divisions of General Practice with proven success in supporting young people with mental health issues.

“With the right leadership in place, the ten new headspace services will soon begin helping more young people aged between 12 and 25 access support for depression, substance abuse and other mental health issues,” Mr Butler said.

“One in four young Australians aged 16-24 years (about 670,000 people) will experience mental health disorders—including substance use disorders—in any year.

“However, three-quarters of these people aren’t receiving the professional help they need partly because of a lack of access to youth-specific mental health services.

“The headspace services give young people and their parents and carers somewhere to turn to for help with the knowledge that 92 per cent of surveyed clients have reported improvements in their mental health after using headspace,” he said.

headspace Chairperson Wendy McCarthy AO said: “Increasing the number of headspace centres will help improve access to the organisations youth friendly services.

“The new centres will help expand headspace services into areas of Australia that are in desperate need,” she said.

The ten new youth-friendly headspace services will include three sites in Queensland (Nundah and Inala in Brisbane, and Cairns), two in NSW (Parramatta and Shoalhaven) two in Victoria (Bendigo and Collingwood) and one each in Tasmania (Hobart), South Australia (Noarlunga) and Western Australia (Perth).

The ten lead agencies will receive a $300,000 grant to establish a headspace service, with ongoing funding to support the operation of the sites.

The headspace services will provide information, promote early detection and offer holistic care tailored to young people in the areas of mental health, physical health, alcohol and drug use, and social and vocational support.

“Since 2007, more than 42,000 clients have received support, information and treatment through headspace sites,” Mr Butler said.

“In addition to the ten new sites being launched today, up to 20 more headspace services will be launched by mid-2013, giving an additional 20,000 young Australians each year the opportunity to get the help they need and lead healthy and successful lives.”

Priority for future sites will be given to areas experiencing social disadvantage or where factors such as youth suicide and substance abuse indicate an urgent need for youth mental health services.

The Australian Government has committed to providing $133.3 million over four years from 2010-11 for the successful headspace program.

The lead agencies were independently selected following an open Expression of Interest process by the headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation. The Foundation has as its members the University of Melbourne, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute, the Australian Psychological Society, Principals Australia and the Australian General Practice Network.

For more information about the national headspace program, see the headspace website.

For more information contact Mr Butler’s office on 02 6277 7280