Located on Main Street in Proserpine, this critical service will provide young people in the Whitsundays region access to mental health support three days a week, removing the need for families to have to travel to Mackay or Townsville.
headspace Mackay Centre Manager, Carmen Davey said the service could not have come at a better time.
“2021 was a tough year for everyone, with young people the hardest hit by the mental health impacts of COVID-19. The Whitsundays communities are extremely excited to have access to support locally, knowing that they now have the services they need to best support their young people,” Ms Davey said.
“We have found some incredibly talented clinicians to support the service, all of whom have spent time in our Mackay office, working with the Mackay and Whitsundays community in preparation for the opening”.
headspace provides free, confidential health services to young people aged 12-25 with key focus areas of mental health, alcohol and other drugs, education and employment support and physical and sexual health.
headspace Mackay will act as the parent centre to headspace Whitsundays, overseeing its operational management. Northern Australia Primary Health Limited (NAPHL) operates all three services in the region – Mackay, Sarina and now Whitsundays - and is funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) through the Australian Governments PHN Program.
NQPHN CEO Robin Whyte is confident that the new Whitsundays satellite service will have a great impact on the local community.
“Mental health is the single biggest health issue facing young Australians and the Whitsundays region is no different. It’s well documented that early and effective intervention can make all the difference. The effectiveness of the headspace model has been proven around the country, and we are proud to work with both NAPHL and headspace to improve mental health outcomes for our young people.”
headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan said the new satellite will provide young people with a safe, youth-friendly place to seek help.
“Young people living in regional and remote parts of Australia are a priority for headspace and we are excited to expand the headspace network to the Whitsundays,” Mr Trethowan said.
“headspace Whitsundays will make available to young people a wide range of mental health supports and other wellbeing services – when and where they need it most.
“The challenges of the last two years mean it has never been more important to support the mental health of young Australians.”
The headspace Whitsundays service model and building have been developed in consultation with the Whitsundays community, the Steering Committee and the headspace Whitsundays Youth Reference Group, which consisted of young people from Collinsville, Bowen, Proserpine, Cannonvale and Hamilton Island.
The headspace Whitsundays will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Walk-ins are encouraged but, due to the ever-evolving situation with Covid-19, headspace asks that anyone in the community wishing to use the service should call prior to arrival to ensure the most appropriate delivery mode for them. Please call the service on (07) 4842 6760 for more information.
