It has been over a decade since headspace Canberra opened their doors to offer mental health and wellbeing support to the over 38,000 young people in the region aged between 12-25 years.
The anniversary celebrations coincide with the official launch of the new, centrally located centre in Braddon – which opened its doors to young people in December last year.
Since opening, headspace Canberra has seen over 14,000 young people across the community and has become a pillar of youth wellbeing in the community.
headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said each headspace centre is created with, and for, young people; ensuring all services, programs and facilities are welcoming and youth-friendly.
“Seeking help for any concerns troubling a young person takes a lot of courage, and headspace has made it easier for young people to come to the one place with all the support they need,” he said.
Zora Todoroska, Centre Manager at headspace Canberra, said the service has been able to provide these much-needed supports through a hardworking team, a passionate community, and generous stakeholders and funders.
“75 per cent of mental health problems emerge before the age of 25. Our role has been to ensure young people know how and where to access support, while educating the community on how to spot emerging mental health concerns and how to take the next steps,” she said
“We have been provided these opportunities to support young people, their families and carers, through overwhelming support from our stakeholders and funding partners.”
A range of services are provided through the headspace Canberra centre. headspace Canberra is funded through the ACT PHN Program and receives additional grants from ACT Health Directorate, Canberra Health Services and various other non-government organisations.
These services include the PHN Next Step program consisting of low intensity psychological services provided by coaches and high intensity psychological services provided by mental health professionals. Sexual health services and drug and alcohol services are also offered, with GP services being available later this year for young people to access for their physical and mental health needs.
Ben, a young person who accesses services at the centre, said headspace Canberra is a place where he feels like he belongs.
“Everyone is incredibly kind and welcoming. They make you feel like you’re part of a family – and as someone who suffers from severe depression and anxiety, I truly treasure the time I spend here,” he said.
Capital Health Network (CHN) Chief Executive Adj Prof Gaylene Coulton said they were proud to fund headspace Canberra, through the ACT PHN Program, and support Marathon Health as the Lead Agency for headspace Canberra.
“I congratulate headspace on the commitment shown to providing holistic support in meeting the mental health needs of the youth of Canberra over the past 10 years. Capital Health Network is proud to fund such a vital service in our community. The re-location of the headspace centre to be centrally located in Braddon, offers exciting opportunities for headspace and we look forward to seeing many more years of their wonderful work in our community,” she said.
