Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that Headspace was established by the Howard Government in 2006;

(2) notes that:

(a) there are currently 113 Headspace services operating nationally, including 54 services located in rural and regional Australia; and

(b) in 2018-19, the Government provided $95.7 million to commission Headspace services in rural areas;

(3) further acknowledges that in the 2019-20 Budget, the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan was outlined with funding of $509 million; and

(4) congratulates the Government for announcing a further $64 million to provide suicide prevention and mental health initiatives.

More than 75 per cent of mental health issues develop before the age of 25. However, many traditional services aren't equipped to address the unique barriers that young people face in accessing mental health support. Headspace began in 2006 to address this critical gap by providing tailored and holistic mental health support for 12- to 25-year-olds. We know that youth mental health is especially important and that early intervention is the key to minimising lifelong impact. Most ongoing health conditions begin before the age of 25, and there are also many life pressures for young people as they make the transition to adulthood. Today, more than ever, these formative years can be confusing and difficult, and many young people find it hard to cope. Though mental health challenges do not always progress to suicidal thoughts or suicide, Tasmania has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the country. That is something that so many in our community across public, private and community sectors are working hard to address.

In northern Tasmania, headspace in Launceston has been a constant and extremely necessary service since it opened its doors. I am a long-time advocate for increased mental health services for our region, and I'm proud of the government's record in supporting this much-needed service. With a focus on early intervention, headspace works with young people to provide health care and advice at a crucial time in their lives to help get them back on track and to build resilience for the future. At the heart of headspace centres is ensuring that young people can access expert health workers in a safe, confidential and youth-friendly environment.

Like all headspace centres across the country, my local headspace offers young northern Tasmanians support for mental health, with clinical professionals that provide support and treatment plans for a variety of mental health concerns, physical and sexual health. Many centres have on-site GPs who provide judgement-free medical advice and treatment. Headspace has alcohol and drug counsellors who work to address the complexities of alcohol and drug issues. Counsellors and vocational workers are also available to assist with a range of life skills such as managing workloads, dealing with stress, preparing job applications and career planning. Many of these services are funded via Medicare. In addition, headspace also offers eheadspace services; work and study programs; and headspace schools, a national workforce that supports, engages, and partners with education and health sectors across Australia to build mental health literacy.

Over the last decade, the federal government has provided significant funding for headspace Launceston to assist with the facilities and staff needed to meet the ever-increasing demand for mental health services. I appreciate the government's willingness to listen to the needs on the ground in my electorate and to respond accordingly. Just last year, we committed $630,000 to headspace Launceston to meet that growing demand from young people through the provision of extra clinical services such as structured psychological interventions, group interventions, family counselling and clinics. Specifically, the funding allowed for an additional clinical psychologist and a project officer—much-needed roles within the organisation. Just yesterday, Minister Hunt and Minister Colbeck announced that headspace Launceston will receive $1.567 million to undertake major refurbishments and expansion of the current site. This will create five additional consulting rooms, two family rooms, a group room, a lift for improved access to the second floor, increased group therapy and brief intervention clinic services, as well as extra student and GP registrar places.

From my regular discussions with headspace, I know this funding is needed more than ever. Between 1 April last year and 31 May this year, headspace Launceston provided services for over 1,100 young Tasmanians. For 485 of these visitors, it was their first time engaging with the organisation. As mentioned previously, the demand for services is ever-increasing, and I understand the pre-COVID wait times were lengthy. While there has been a drop, headspace Launceston is predicting its waitlist will increase again. I am committed to working with them and our government to continue to provide the funding needed to ensure our young people have access to the support that they need.

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