headspace

What is headspace?

headspace is Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation, established in 2006 under the Federal Governments Promoting Mental Health – Youth Mental Health Initiative. The national mission is to deliver improvements in the mental health, social well-being and economic participation of young Australians aged 12-25 years.

Location

Daniel Thomas Plaza, 6-10 Mount Street Mt Druitt (near the train station). Refurbishments of the centre are underway and they will be opening their doors to the centre late 2008. While refurbishments are taking place, they are providing temporary services from the local youth health service located in Mt Druitt.

A New Way of Working With Young People

• Re-orientating services and maximising the use of existing resources;
• Bridging the gap between mental health, drug health, primary care and educational, social recovery and vocational services;
• Increasing the capacity to see more young people and provide specialist services for young people.

headspace Mt Druitt

headspace Mt Druitt is an innovative and new integrated youth health and welfare service – a 'one-stop shop' for young people aged 12-25 years and their families. It assists to reduce the burden of disease in young people caused by mental health and related substance use disorders through early identification, and the provision of evidence-based interventions delivered by primary care and specialist providers.

Additional services include:

• Access to educational rehabilitation, work skills development, accommodation/housing and legal issues;
• Local community awareness campaigns and health promotion initiatives to build the capacity of the community to detect and act on the early warning signs of mental health, and to promote well being in young people;
• Specialist training programs to build capacity of Service Providers who work with young people by providing evidence-based training.

Benefits of registering as a headspace GP:

• Support is available from headspace youth workers, including assistance developing mental health care plans and visits with the young person to the GP (as required);
• GPs will have access to a range of professionals at headspace to assist in management of care including psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, drug and alcohol workers and youth workers;
• GPs will have young people referred to them from headspace.

Links and Resources

• headspace Mt Druitt

Latest News

Western Sydney Medicare Local progress update, click here to read