Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today on the motion put forward by the member for Bass regarding the government's expansion of the headspace network. The headspace network, established in 2006 by the Howard government, has continued to be a central component of the government's vision for youth mental health services. There are currently 114 headspace services nationally, including 54 headspace services located across regional Australia. Headspace centres act as a one-stop-shop for young people, providing mental health support as well as focused services for physical and sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, and work and study counsellors.

Last year, as the Liberal candidate for Reid, I had the pleasure of visiting our electorate's closest headspace service, in the suburb of Ashfield, in the inner west of Sydney, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mrs Morrison. There, in person, I witnessed the vision first established in 2006 now working in practice: a place that offers early intervention and support for young people in one of the most formative periods of their lives.

The Morrison government is the committed to expanding the network so that it can continue to reach young people across the nation. We've provided Primary Health Networks with $122.3 million of federal funding to commission headspace services within their regions.

Prior to entering parliament, I worked for many years as an educational and developmental psychologist and worked closely with young people and their families. During this time, I saw firsthand how improving the mental health of young people by giving them the tools, resources and support they need is essential to their future success and resilience. I often used to tell my clients, 'Life is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with problems, and so coping skills are very important to building resilience.'

I'm proud to be part of a government now that has made mental health a key priority, to bring this vision to fruition. In 2018, we committed $50.8 million to headspace to ensure its sustainability going into the future, and to help the headspace network support the demands for its services. More than three-quarters of ongoing mental health conditions begin before the age of 25; one in five Australians face a mental health challenge every year in Australia. It is very important that we prioritise a strategy of not only prevention but also early intervention to give young people the support they need to look after their mental health. The government's $509 million Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan places the wellbeing of Australians front and centre. From this funding, new headspace sites will be expanded, focusing on regional and rural areas, and will bring the number of services nationally to 153 by 2022.

At the start of this year, the Australian government announced a further $64 million in suicide prevention and mental health initiatives directed to youth mental health and suicide prevention. One initiative is the headspace Schools Suicide Prevention Activities Program. This complements the important work being done through headspace, schools and the national workforce with education and health initiatives that also support partners across Australia to build mental health literacy. Their work covers a variety of initiatives, including education programs aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in youth, as well as provides support for schools to prepare for, respond to and recover together where there has been a death by suicide.

In order to reduce youth suicide, headspace also delivers face-to-face training and education sessions to staff, students, parents and carers to help schools support the mental health needs of young people and their families. Headspace work and study programs provide support for 15- to 25-year-olds to plan a career, find employment or work towards further education. From one-on-one support with a career specialist to linking in with industry specific mentors, the work and study programs provide free expert and tailored support for those looking beyond their studies.

I commend the Morrison government for its continual focus on evidence-based mental health policy, for creating expansive services that promote mental health literacy to young people. Early intervention and prevention are the keys to good mental health, and the headspace network is equipped now, more than ever, in delivering these services.

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