Young people across South East Queensland will soon have access to more mental health support as the Albanese Labor Government delivers greater funding, extra staff and expanded services to youth mental health centres across the region.
headspace centres at Woolloongabba, Indooroopilly and Maroochydore will be among the first services in the country to transition to headspace Plus, a new and enhanced model of care designed to support young people experiencing more severe and complex mental health challenges.
This is about making sure locals can access dedicated mental health services where they need them and when they need them - free of charge.
headspace Plus brings together a highly skilled team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, peer workers and counsellors to deliver coordinated care tailored to young people with more complex needs, while maintaining the accessible, youth-friendly approach that headspace is known for.
Together, these three centres have delivered almost 15,000 walk-in appointments to nearly 2,500 young people. Those figures are expected to grow significantly once the upgrades are delivered, underscoring the increasing demand for youth mental health services across South East Queensland.
As part of the transition to headspace Plus, funding for each centre will approximately triple, enabling the recruitment of additional specialist staff and the delivery of more intensive, multidisciplinary care for young people experiencing complex mental health challenges.
The Albanese Labor Government is investing more than $149 million to upgrade 30 headspace centres nationwide to the headspace Plus model, with Woolloongabba, Indooroopilly and Maroochydore among the first 10 centres selected across the country.
With 175 headspace centres currently operating across Australia and plans to expand the network to 201 locations, the Albanese Labor Government is continuing to strengthen access to free and affordable mental health care for young Australians, no matter where they live.
Quotes attributed to Assistant Minister McBride:
“When headspace opened its first centre two decades ago, around one in five young people experienced mental health challenges. Today, that figure has grown to two in five, and our services must grow to meet that need.
“Today’s announcement will mean more young people can access coordinated, personalised support close to home, regardless of the challenges they are facing.
“This is what Labor governments deliver: free, accessible mental health care and support in local communities, without the need for a referral or appointment.”
Quotes attributed to Member for Griffith Renee Coffee:
“Before entering Parliament, I was CEO of a national youth mental health charity.
I am incredibly proud of this announcement that headspace Woolloongabba will be upgraded to become a headspace Plus.
I’ve spoken with many young people in our community who have told me that headspace Woolloongabba has been a lifeline when they needed it most.
This upgrade will strengthen our local mental health services and will provide more comprehensive, coordinated wraparound support closer to home for young people with more complex needs, keeping them connected with the local community.”