Ahead of the federal budget and upcoming election, headspace is calling on political leaders to help address critical gaps in Australia’s youth mental health system.
Key priorities include securing funding for 30 metropolitan and large regional headspace centres to operate at the same level as Medicare Mental Health Centres (MMHCs) and increasing outreach to rural and remote areas, where access to care is often limited by cost, distance, and stigma.
To combat workforce shortages, headspace is calling for an expansion of its Early Career Program, which places graduate clinicians in participating headspace centres. This initiative aims to improve service capacity while fostering the next generation of youth mental health professionals.
Stable funding needed
headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan, emphasises the importance of stable funding to maintain and evolve the trusted youth mental mental health model.
“Our goal at headspace is to ensure that every young person, regardless of location or background, can access the support they need, when they need it.
“The Government’s most recent independent evaluation found that headspace is both effective and cost-effective.
“Much of our success to date comes from our services being informed by young people, by families, and with the expertise of workers from right across the headspace network of nearly 170 centres around the country.
“To keep delivering for young people headspace must continue to evolve and adapt, which means we need stable and sustainable funding to support our youth mental health services.
“Building on existing trusted models where young people feel safe is the fastest, most cost effective and lowest-risk approach to delivering better access and support for young people,” he says.
Priority areas
headspace’s priority areas are:
- Sustain and increase access to services: Establish new headspace services; introduce a sustainable, salary-based funding model for all headspace services; increase funding for metropolitan and large regional centres; and expand rural and remote services.
- Grow and develop the youth mental health workforce: Build on the success of the headspace Early Career Program to provide education and training infrastructure, and increase the number of graduates and early career clinicians who can support young people.
- Reach and better support at-risk young people: Increase culturally safe and appropriate support for First Nations, multicultural, and LGBTIQA+ young people; additional cultural safety training; strengthen suicide prevention for higher education students.
- Help young people stay in work and study: Expand the headspace Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program, as recommended by the Productivity Commission, to help young people experiencing mental health challenges as a barrier to gaining and staying in employment and education.
Young people aged 12-25 can access support at headspace centres or through eheadspace (1800 650 890), 7 days a week between 9am–1am (AEST).
If you’re looking for someone to talk to immediately, Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) are available to talk 24/7.
