The Australian Government is tripling funding for headspace Bendigo, delivering expanded mental health services for young people across the region.
Over the next 12 months, headspace Bendigo will transition to headspace Plus, a new and enhanced model of care designed to support young people experiencing more severe and complex mental health challenges.
The increased investment builds on the centre's strong track record of supporting locals, with more than 5,700 sessions delivered at no cost to over 1,100 young people in the past financial year.
As part of the expansion, headspace Bendigo will grow its specialist workforce and capacity, enabling more young people to access high quality care closer to home.
headspace Plus brings together psychologists, social workers, peer workers and counsellors to deliver multidisciplinary care tailored to young people with more complex needs, while maintaining the accessible, youth-friendly approach that headspace is known for.
Bendigo will be among the first centres in Australia to deliver the headspace Plus model.
Nationally, headspace provides mental health care for young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing, or at risk of, mental ill-health, alongside helping people with related physical and sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, and work and study.
Over the past year, the Australian Government has invested more than $211.5 million to deliver 56 new headspace services nationwide, including the transition of 30 centres to the headspace Plus model.
For young people who prefer online support, eheadspace is available at: www.headspace.org.au or by phoning 1800 650 890.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister McBride:
“Young people in regional Australia deserve access to the mental health care they need, close to home.
“Two decades ago, one in five young people experienced mental health challenges. Today, it's two in five. The challenge has grown, and so must we.
“By tripling funding for headspace Bendigo and upgrading the service to headspace Plus, we're making sure more young people can access coordinated, specialised support sooner.
“This is about meeting locals where they are with the help they need.”
Quotes attributable to Local Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters:
“headspace provides such a crucial service for young regional Australians who would otherwise be left without access to mental health support services.
“Our local headspace team do an amazing job supporting young people in our community.
“Now with our local service becoming a headspace Plus, our local team will have more capacity to assist even more young people than before.”