headspace outreach service for Ararat

Ararat will receive one of 20 headspace outreach services planned for rural and remote communities with a more than $27 million Australian Government investment. 

This major investment in headspace outreach services will deliver real change through earlier intervention and improved mental health support for young people living in rural Australia.

These services will be brought closer to where young people live and the outreach network will help break down barriers such as distance, travel time and cost, making it easier to access support when needed most.

With young people in rural and remote Australia often facing unique challenges associated with isolation and limited access to services, this can contribute to higher rates of psychological distress, self-harm and suicide.

Member for Wannon Dan Tehan visited East Grampians Health Service this week to discuss the announcement and met with EGHS Chief Executive Nick Bush, Board Chair Cam Evans, and Director of Community Services Sarah Woodburn as well as Acting Chief Executive of Grampians Community Health Kate Astbury.

Mr Bush said the health service had been working and advocating with One Red Tree Resource Centre, Ararat Rural City Council, Federation University, Grampians Community Health, the community and Dan Tehan to try to get this funding to provide services that are much needed in the community.

“We are really pleased with today’s announcement that we will get an outreach for headspace, it’s a start of getting more services for this community,” Mr Bush said.

“The service will be run by Ballarat Community Health Services, and we’ll form a  partnership with local providers to ensure that  there’s local responsiveness about the services and that they meet the needs of the local community, so we’ll be advocating for community members who need these services with the Ballarat based services.”

Mr Bush said at this stage there is no information on the amount of funding to be received or a site for the headspace service.

“We hope we have a dedicated site, we hope that we have a presence and that we have a site in the community and we’ll work with local service providers to work out where the best site is for consumers and people with needs,” he said.

A headspace service for Ararat has been on Member for Wannon Dan Tehan’s agenda for some time.

“There is a real community need for these services, and the community has been very vocal about these needs, we have headspace in Colac, Portland, Warrnambool and Hamilton and Ararat is the missing piece, and this is a great first step,” Mr Tehan said.

“Like we did in Portland, where we got an outreach service to start with and then got a standalone, that’s exactly the same  model we want to achieve here, so it’s a great first step and we’ll continue to demonstrate the need.

“I’d like to thank the community, One Red Tree Resource Centre and EGHS for their advocacy because it’s only through this strong advocacy that we have been able to achieve this important and necessary first step.

“I’m always a firm believer that if there’s a need and if you’re passionate about it then you can achieve and I think we’ve demonstrated that here.”

Mr Tehan said headspace had demonstrated good outcomes from its services in other towns.

“For young people in those communities these types of services change lives, that is why it is so important and why I’m so passionate about it,” he said.

Grampians Community Health Acting Chief Executive Officer Kate Astbury was also pleased with the announcement.

“It’s terrific that it’s here because our kids need to have ready access to early intervention strategies, it’s not reasonable to expect them to travel distances to seek help when they need help, this is a good thing for us,” she said.