Young people experiencing mental health and drug problems in communities across Australia will have better access to the help they need as a result of $15 million in grants announced today.
The Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne, said grants of up to $1.5 million each would be provided to 10 communities to establish local headspace youth mental health services. The funds have been provided through the Australian Government?s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, headspace.
Another 21 community consortia will receive smaller grants totalling $700,000, to enable them to develop headspace models for their regions so that they can apply for future funding.
Mr Pyne said the 10 communities had committed to a major reorientation of their existing health services to benefit young people with mental health and associated drug and alcohol problems.
?Mental health is the number one health issue affecting young Australians today,? he said.
?One in four young people aged 12 to 25 will experience a mental health problem in any
12-month period.
?The headspace youth services will bring together local GPs, mental health, drug and alcohol and vocational support services to provide holistic care to young people with mental health and drug and alcohol problems.
?This is a new concept in mental health care which will go a long way towards ensuring that young people with complex problems get all the help they need, as early as possible,? he said.
The chairman of the headspace advisory board, Mr Ryan Stokes, said through enhancing community-based services, this initiative would contribute to making a great difference to the mental health and wellbeing of Australia?s young people.
?Through these services, headspace will deliver upon our commitment to establish a network of youth mental health service providers that will enhance services available to youth and build a national approach to tackle mental illness in young Australians,? Mr Stokes said.
The chief executive officer of headspace, Mr Chris Tanti, said the organisation would also provide training and support to health professionals working with young people with mental health problems.
?These community services for youth mental health represent a major step forward in the way our health system relates to young people with mental illness,? Mr Tanti said.
Mr Pyne said the headspace initiative was part of the Australian Government?s strong commitment to improving mental health care. The headspace foundation, which was launched in July 2006, has also received wide support from state and territory governments.
?The grants announced today are the first round of a total of $37 million which headspace will distribute to communities across Australia this year, to improve youth mental health services,? Mr Pyne said.
?A second round of funding will be advertised shortly by headspace, and I encourage all interested communities to apply,? he said.