FIONA PARKER, HOST: As we turn our attention now to the fact that thousands of young people across the Bendigo region, so Bendigo and beyond really, rely on resources like headspace for support with their mental health and other things going on in their lives, but demand- even though I say thousands, demand for those services continues to grow. So Bendigo headspace really trying to keep up. They've got money from the Federal Government to be able to expand their service and help more young people experiencing more complex challenges.
Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, who's also the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride, is in Bendigo today and joins me in the studio now. Good morning.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Good to be with you, Fiona.
PARKER: So what extra services will Bendigo headspace be able to provide?
MCBRIDE: This is a really important investment for young people aged 12 to 25 at risk of or experiencing mental health challenges. As you've mentioned, when headspace was first introduced, about one in five young people experienced mental health challenges in any given year. That's now doubled, which is why our investment needs to increase to meet that growing demand. This will mean a big boost in funding, more staff, more wraparound support to provide that tailored earlier intervention that young people need and deserve, particularly in the regions.
PARKER: So it’s called the headspace Plus model.
MCBRIDE: It is. It's a new model of care that we committed to at the last election in our historic $1.1 billion investment in mental health and wellbeing, of which the greatest portion, more than $700 million, is going towards young people, including introducing this new headspace Plus model which will mean more specialist services, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and also peer workers, people with their own lived experience. And we found bringing together clinicians with lived experience with greater resources is really making a big impact.
PARKER: Why Bendigo?
MCBRIDE: In Bendigo, we have seen in the last year more than 5700 occasions of care through Bendigo headspace. It's one of the highest performing headspaces across the country with large and growing demand. Of the 1100 young people that reached out to headspace Bendigo for care last year, more than 600 of them were new to the service, showing the large and growing demand, which is why, with the advocacy of the local member Lisa Chesters, we're proud to be able to announce that headspace Bendigo will be one of the first 10 of the new headspace Plus model across the country.
PARKER: Okay, and that, as you say, is the expanding services, Bendigo one of 10 for this new headspace Plus model. Why do you think Bendigo is experiencing such an increase in demand for mental health support from young people? Is it because the service itself is more visible or is it- and the young people know it exists, so they've been successful in getting word out there? Or is it because there are people with more and complex health issues in the Bendigo area, mental health issues?
MCBRIDE: I think it's both of those. Headspace Bendigo was introduced around 2011, 2012. It has become a very trusted place for thousands of young people and their families to seek support and care. And we've seen a growing increase in psychological distress amongst young Australians. And in the regions that is amplified, because young people have often had to wait longer, had to travel further and pay more for support. So a trusted service that young people and communities have confidence in and a growing demand within regional communities, including Bendigo.
PARKER: So you say the service will be expanding, there'll be more staff in Bendigo?
MCBRIDE: That's right.
PARKER: We know there's a shortage, for example, of psychiatrists and indeed other mental health practitioners in Australia generally. So how are you going to get the staff to expand headspace in Bendigo?
MCBRIDE: I'm a mental health clinician myself, and across the country and particularly in the regions, we've both got a shortage and a distribution problem of mental health clinicians. That's part of the reason that we have a 12-month lead time to be able to recruit and retain the right kind of staff. At the moment, headspace Bendigo has got 17 staff, including social workers, occupational therapists and a GP. So there's already a good clinical profile there, but this will be boosted and expanded so that more young people can get support sooner. And also recognising that the challenges that young people are coming to headspace with now are much more complex and severe than they were when headspace was first established originally for people at risk of or experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges. So acknowledging the change in the experiences of young people, the way they seek support and the need locally in Bendigo.
PARKER: But- so you mentioned a long lead time to employ the staff, but how are you going to entice them to Bendigo?
MCBRIDE: We’ve seen a lot of mental health clinicians really want to work in the headspace model. And having discussed with lead providers that there is a lot of interest from mental health clinicians to be able to work in this new model of care with increased resources, greater multidisciplinary teams. It's a type of work that mental health clinicians are keen to do. And when they're well supported to do it, we see that we can recruit and then retain mental health workers. I know myself, as a mental health worker who worked in a multidisciplinary team in a regional community, when you’re working alongside social workers and psychologists and occupational therapists and you feel that you're genuinely contributing to a young person's care, that is very appealing and also with the right kind of resources. We know that many clinicians, particularly mental health workers, haven't been well resourced to do the work they do, which is why there is a big boost in funding as well. So they're working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team with the health clinicians and, do you know, the fulfilment from seeing young people thrive, from seeing someone who was coming to them, who was concerned, who was worried, who didn't know where to look for support, now has that support, is now back at school, is now thinking about their future work, has now reconnected with their family and friends. These are the things that make working within headspace something that is really fulfilling for mental health clinicians.
PARKER: All right, well fingers crossed that it won't be a huge challenge to get more psychologists and counsellors to work at Bendigo headspace. With this new funding, Emma McBride is with us this morning, Assistant Minister of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention as well as for Rural and Regional Health in the Federal Government. So how much is this funding boost, did you say, for Bendigo?
MCBRIDE: So typically a headspace funding is around a million dollars a year. The headspace in Bendigo will also receive in this financial year a boost of just under $500,000 of enhancement funding, recognising the growing demand, and another around $1.4 million to become a headspace plus. So a significant investment to make sure that we have the resources to meet the growing needs of young people, particularly in the regions, including Bendigo.
PARKER: And Emma McBride, before we let you go and I guess officially make this announcement, and thank you for coming into the studio this morning to tell us about it. Before you go, this parliamentary inquiry into the gambling industry and your government's proposed reforms, which some say don't go far enough. Of course, you're talking mental health and we know problem gambling can be coupled with mental health issues and that- you’re Minister for Suicide Prevention, people have taken their own lives due to gambling addiction. Will the Federal Government do more than is proposed to crack down on gambling companies?
MCBRIDE: These are serious and concerning allegations that we've heard in the Senate inquiry yesterday, which is continuing today. With my responsibilities for mental health and suicide prevention this is something that we are taking very seriously, which is why as a government we're introducing the most comprehensive reforms of any federal government. I’m particularly pleased to see that we're working to break that entrenched link between sport and wagering. Also to reduce the exposure to advertising, wagering advertising, particularly to young people, those at risk. And I know the Minister has spoken about, the Communications Minister, has spoken about BetStop, which your listeners may be familiar with, which is a national register where you can register if you don't wish to place bets and also so that you're not exposed to inducements, including advertising. So a really comprehensive response to gambling reform and one that I'm pleased to see, particularly with my responsibilities for mental health and suicide prevention.
PARKER: Do you believe those reforms need to go further though, especially given what we've heard in the Inquiry in the past 24 hours about inducements, including drugs being offered by some companies. And we know in the past there have been incidents, for example, casinos keeping people in there and not being able to leave the pokies venues. We know about young men being very much enticed by what can be quite amusing ads for online gambling companies and how easy it is. Do your government's proposed reforms go far enough?
MCBRIDE: What we've heard yesterday, including from former NRL player Luke Bateman, are very serious and concerning allegations that a 23-year-old was exposed to these type of inducements, which is why I'm so pleased to see this comprehensive response that our government has taken. And it is the most comprehensive and strongest response.
PARKER: Yeah, you said that, but do you think it needs to go further?
MCBRIDE: Of course. Advocates and people with their own lived experience will be pushing the government to go further. I'm pleased to see the strength of the measures. I'm really focused on implementing those measures, particularly to reduce harm, especially to children or other people that might be vulnerable.
PARKER: Have previous governments, do you think, been too beholden to powerful lobby groups, like ClubsNSW for example, and therefore failed to act on things like limits on pokie machines?
MCBRIDE: I would like to think that this is something that is a whole of government- across the parliament because I know that this is something that affects individuals and families across all communities. Our Governments is acting and I know the New South Wales Government is also acting as are other states and territories around the country to strengthen reforms in their responsibilities. It's something that the community expects and which is leading to these really much stronger and more comprehensive reforms.
PARKER: All right. We'll see if those reforms end up going those reforms end up going further. But thank you very much for answering those questions and for being with us this morning talking about Bendigo headspace, getting that extra funding and becoming a headspace Plus, as they’re known. Thank you very much.
MCBRIDE: Thanks, Fiona.