What is headspace?
headspace is Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation. It provides a national, coordinated focus on youth mental health and related drug and alcohol problems in Australia and aims to improve access for young people aged 12-25 years to appropriate services and ensure better coordination between services.headspace was established to promote and facilitate improvements in mental health, social well-being and economic participation of young people aged 12-25 years old.
Through youth-friendly headspace sites across the country, headspace promotes an integrated approach to care in four key areas – mental health, physical health, alcohol and other drug use, and social and vocational support. headspace aims to achieve this by:
- Providing holistic services through headspace sites
- Increasing community capacity to identify young people with mental ill-health and related problems as early as possible;
- Encouraging help-seeking by young people and their carers;
- Providing evidence-based, quality services delivered by well-trained professionals; and
- Providing a mechanism for service coordination and integration within communities and at an Australian and state/territory government level.
headspace is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and operated by an independent not-for-profit company limited by guarantee called headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation. The company is made up of 5 member organisations:
- University of Melbourne
- Orygen Youth Health Research Centre
- Brain and Mind Research Institute
- Australian Psychological Society
- Australian General Practice Network
Why is this important?
One in four young Australians will suffer from mental illness in any one year with three quarters of all mental health problems beginning before the age of 25. Mental health problems like depression and anxiety may also lead to serious alcohol and substance abuse problems when left untreated. Half of all young people with alcohol and substance abuse problems can directly attribute this to untreated or poorly treated mental health problems.Who benefits?
Young people aged 12-25 years, with or at risk of developing mental health problems, or who are showing early signs of mental health problems and associated drug and alcohol problems will benefit.
headspace: National Youth Mental Health Foundation
- Funds integrated youth friendly headspace sites across the country. There are currently 30 fully established sites, with another 10 developing sites arising from the 2010 Budget.
- These sites provide access for young people aged 12-25 years to primary and mental health care, alcohol and drug counselling, vocational and social support.
- Provides a Centre of Excellence that promotes evidence-based practice in youth mental health services.
- Fosters community awareness and improves mental health literacy on young people’s mental health issues.
- Increases the knowledge, understanding and skills of GPs and other service providers working with young people with mental health issues through the development and dissemination of evidence based education, training and resources.
How does headspace work?
headspace is a youth friendly, community based health service for young people aged 12-25 years and their families. The model provides a service platform for and entry point to existing services by engaging a range of youth workers and mental health professionals, but also referring young people to other appropriate services.
What funding is attached to this initiative?
The 2011-12 Budget allocated $197.3 million over five years, on top of a current commitment of $133.3 million to 2013-14, to expand existing and establish new youth focused mental health services through the headspace program. Specifically, the 2011-12 Budget measure provides funding for 90 fully sustainable headspace sites across Australia by 2014-15. This will be achieved through boosting funding to the 30 current and 10 developing headspace sites and ensuring a robust funding base for the further 50 sites to be established by 2014-15. Once all 90 sites are fully established, headspace will help up to 72,000 young people each year.
When did headspace start?
headspace: National Youth Mental Health Foundation was officially launched in Sydney on 18 July 2006.
How is headspace progressing?
The University of New South Wales independently evaluated the headspace project. The final report was provided in late 2009, indicating:- the project to be effective in attracting young people experiencing higher than average psychological distress; and
- that most young people surveyed reported improvements in their mental health (92%) and reduced levels of psychological distress (using both quantitative and qualitative data).
- 94% said they got the kind of service they wanted, that the services had helped (96%) and that they would return if needed in the future (97%).
- young people access and remain engaged with headspace because of its youth-friendly nature i.e. non-clinical environment, non-judgemental and trusting relationships and low or no cost services.
- almost 80% of young people stated that their ability to manage their emotions without alcohol and other drugs had improved.
- approx 50% believed that headspace had improved their ability to go to school, TAFE or university, or to work or find work.
Further information
headspace: National Youth Mental Health Foundation - http://www.headspace.org.au.Page currency, Latest update: 17 August, 2011