JOSH PIERCE, HOST: And I am joined by Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride. She’s in Dubbo to launch a new headspace outreach service designed with the First Nations young people across Western New South Wales, bringing culturally safe, on Country mental health support to communities right across our region. And I say good morning to you, Emma.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Josh, good to be with you.
PIERCE: Good to be with you too. And I’ve heard your name a fair bit growing up, because you were also the MP Dobell, which is in Wyong back where I live. Big drive?
MCBRIDE: Yes, we did have a drive that I understand you do about once a fortnight.
PIERCE: I do, yeah.
MCBRIDE: We drove overnight, and I guess it also shows me when I’m driving to communities the distances that people in the past have had to travel to get healthcare, and often more specialised healthcare. But really good to be with you and back in Dubbo today.
PIERCE: Beautiful. Hey, Minister, can you explain how this new outreach service will work for young people in towns like in Nyngan, Warren and around Lightning Ridge?
MCBRIDE: Well what we’ve known, Josh, is that for far too long for young people, particularly living in more remote parts of Australia, that it’s been too hard to get healthcare and mental health care.
PIERCE: Yeah.
MCBRIDE: So what we’re doing as we expand headspace, the national youth mental health service across the country, is making sure that it reaches young people closer to home. So this service, which is based out of the headspace in Dubbo, will then take a mental health worker and a young Aboriginal youth worker out to these communities, and also Walgett, Lightning Ridge and make sure that mental health support and care is available to them within their own communities …
PIERCE: Yeah.
MCBRIDE: … which makes a really big difference in young people having the confidence to be able to seek that support, and provided by someone who they feel safe having these conversations with.
PIERCE: Yeah, what makes the service culturally safe and tailored for the unique needs, especially for First Nations young people?
MCBRIDE: Well, we know that for young people that there has been a big increase in distress. So when headspace was first designed back in 2006, in any 12-month period, about one in 5 young people would experience distress that would escalate to sort of – to a mental health diagnosis.
PIERCE: Yeah.
MCBRIDE: Now that’s about 2 in 5, but it’s also higher for young – First Nations young people, which is why it’s so important that these services are co-designed. So designed with the young people themselves, with their families and also with Aboriginal health services to make sure that they do meet the needs of young First Nations people, which can be different to non-indigenous people.
PIERCE: And how will this program bridge the gap?
MCBRIDE: Well, as I mention that – I mean, headspace was first set up in 2006, and now there’s more than 172 headspaces across the country. But even with eheadspace and digital connectivity, it was still often too hard for young people in more remote communities to access that care. So now, it’ll mean that an Aboriginal youth worker paired with a headspace mental health clinician will be visiting these communities. And I've these services work, for example, in Mutitjulu on the eastern side of Uluru. And we're going to be having more remote and more outreach services for exactly this purpose so that a young person doesn't have to get a lift or travel into a major centre, doesn't need to wait and can get that care on country, which is where they feel most safe in accessing the support.
PIERCE: Yeah. And for young people listening this morning who might be really struggling, what's the best first step for them to reach out and seek support?
MCBRIDE: Often the best first step for most young people is to have that conversation with a trusted family member, a trusted their life. headspace is the national network that we provide, and it might be walking into a headspace, it might be connecting with headspace online to get a sense of the kind of support and care that they need. If they do then come into a headspace service, they'll get wraparound support. They might be met by a peer worker, someone who's walked in their shoes who understands their particular needs, and then at headspace there are other clinicians that are available. It might be that the best support for this young person might be speaking to a social worker. It might be speaking to a counsellor. It might be working with a youth worker. So the intention is that it's tailored to that young person and to their particular circumstances, but also available to support their family and friends as well to help to equip them to be able to better support the young person in their life.
PIERCE: And I think it's definitely – like, I'll be brutally honest here. I'm just going on my 2 years where I was really struggling with my mental health. I actually, it'll be a week – it'll be 2 years next week where I actually voluntarily admitted myself in the hospital. Because I was going down a real dark path and I was always just like, I really don’t want to but I don't really have any other option. And I remember doing 2 weeks there in the hospital and getting out, and just having the support of headspace on the Central Coast, which was fantastic.
And then just even, they just pointed me all in the right directions. Like my medication got sorted in the hospital, but then they just kind of pointed me, two years ago – because I moved back from Sydney to the Central Coast for, you know, for obvious reasons. I just wanted to be closer to friends, family when I was really struggling. And just the support of headspace back then, even on the Central Coast, just kind of really pointed me in the right direction. Like, you know, you have so much to look forward to. This is just a really rough patch at the moment. And I've been a massive fan of headspace. You guys do fantastic work.
So, definitely reaching it out here where there's not really a lot of support for young people and for mental health, I just think it's absolutely fantastic. On behalf of myself and every young person listening, I just want to say a massive thank you. It's fantastic.
MCBRIDE: And Josh, I want to thank you. You sharing your story with your listeners has a really big impact. And it's young people like yourself sharing your own experiences that gives other young people the confidence to know that they can thrive. And to see you as an on-air radio presenter, they can see that it is possible to be optimistic and hopeful about the future.
I'm so pleased to hear that you were able to access the support in a hospital. I used to work as a mental health pharmacist in that hospital service. To know that, in combination between the hospital, headspace and being linked in with other services, that you're now here today doing this job and thriving.
PIERCE: Because that's a bit the big thing about, is when you are going through those dark days and you have so many loved ones telling you, it's light at the end of a tunnel, or it's only going to get up for here. You're always thinking, like when you're in those dark days, you kind of just really tell them to you know to get stuffed really. Because it's like, you can't genuinely see it and you just have to, I guess, need to put that in your head and go okay, I need to get all the support I can. Yeah, everyone keeps telling me there was light at the end of a tunnel, and there is.
Like, there is. I never thought that I would end up getting my first on-air job in a place like Dubbo, which I've been here for 6 months and loving it. I never thought I'd go on an overseas trip to the UK for a month. It’s like, I've done so many things to achieve it. And it's like, when I was in that head space 2 years ago, I was just like, I couldn't see any of that. So, it's amazing that we are getting the services out here for young people - absolutely fantastic.
MCBRIDE: And we know that earlier support can make such a big difference in that person's path in life, and you're an example of that. And since headspace was founded, hundreds of thousands of young people have had similar experiences. And I want to make sure that continues now and into the future, and that headspace reaches more young people close to home.
PIERCE: Perfect. So when are we – you're doing the announcement today, which is fantastic. Hey, for anyone that wants to come and say hi to you, where can we find you today?
MCBRIDE: So, first, I will be at the Medicare Mental Health Centre in Dubbo, and that's 106 Talbragar Street in Dubbo.
PIERCE: Talbragar, yeah. I've been here for 6 months and I still get all the street names wrong here.
MCBRIDE: And then after that we'll be heading to headspace in Dubbo where I'll be meeting with the incredible staff at headspace that make all of this possible. And we'll be talking to young people who are also accessing the services. So, first at the Medicare Mental Health Centre and then off across to headspace Dubbo.
PIERCE: Fantastic. That's Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, with us this morning. If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact with headspace Dubbo or in person, or you can visit headspace.org.au. There's also support available anytime on 1800 650 890. Hey, Emma, I appreciate your time in the studio this morning.
MCBRIDE: So good to be with you, Josh.
