Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm sure all in this place can agree on the importance and need to ensure that capacity for mental health services is there to assist the young people in our community who are struggling with that. I speak on this from a firsthand basis, seeing the effect of poor mental health on my nieces and nephews. We know that it is critical for their personal wellbeing—and, as I said, I've seen that firsthand—and we see the effects on their education, their employment, their relationships, their families and even their physical health. That is why, going back to 2006, the Howard government first established headspace, and it's why this government is investing even more in mental health and, importantly, headspace services, right across Australia.

I'm pleased to say that, locally, we're delivering over $1.6 million to establish a new headspace service in Upper Coomera, which is set to open in July this year. This was a commitment that I made to the people of Forde during the 2019 election after speaking with many young people and families who call the northern Gold Coast home. This region is one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia, and I know this new headspace service will be a welcome addition to the area. The new centre will be a one-stop shop for young people who need help with mental health, physical health, alcohol and other drug addictions, and work or study support.

This addition to the national headspace network comes at a critical junction in our nation's history as we respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The disruption caused and the increasing isolation felt by many have, no doubt, led to more Australians requiring mental health support. I'd like to share the experience of an existing local headspace in my electorate, at Meadowbrook, and how they have continued to support young people in Forde during this challenging time. Headspace Meadowbrook has supported over 700 young people and provided over 1,600 occasions of service since the beginning of March. This represents a 10 per cent increase in the number of young people accessing services and a five per cent increase in occasions of service over the same period last year. While they've seen an increasing number of walk-ins or young people with complex issues coming in without a prearranged appointment, the main presentation at their service in recent months has been anxiety which has been compounded by the impact of coronavirus on their lives.

Fortunately, headspace services were able to continue online as young people moved from face-to-face services to telehealth appointments, which have been well-received by the community. Johanna, the operations manager at headspace Meadowbrook told me that the new MBS telehealth codes have enabled headspace to continue to provide a safe service for their staff and young people during what has been a difficult time for everyone. In fact, moving to telehealth has actually resulted in increased attendance, especially for the young people who previously might have had difficulties in getting to the centre for face-to-face appointments.

This is why we're building more headspace services across Australia. We're investing some $375 million to strengthen the headspace network and establish an additional 30 new services across the country to bring services closer to those who need them most. We're also delivering more funding to expand and extend the very successful programs that support young people to overcome their mental health challenges—programs like the individual placement and support trial and the Youth Early Psychosis Program at headspace Meadowbrook. We're delivering over $2.2 million to deliver these early-intervention programs that are critical to ending the systemic welfare dependency issues in my electorate of Forde that result from the mental health issues that many, sadly, face. Again, we do this because we want these young people to be healthy and be engaged in education and employment. That will enable them to be the best that they can be, lead the best lives they can lead and be positive contributors to our community, which I know they can be.

I want to thank all of the wonderful counsellors, psychologists, social workers and many others in the sector for the amazing support they provide to the youth in Forde. Your work now is more important than ever. Thank you.

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