Headspace day a success
On Tuesday October 11 thousands of people across the country generously threw their support behind the inaugural Headspace day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This national day is to ensure that every young person has access to youth friendly mental health services, no matter where they live.
Headspace day celebrated 10 years of innovation in youth mental health and was also triggered by alarming new research from Orygen and headspace that revealed over 50 per cent of young people were waiting six or more months before seeking help for mental health issues.
This period of waiting and worrying can have detrimental effects.
From social isolation to relationship breakdowns, drug and alcohol abuse and in severe cases, incidents of self-harm or suicide. The research also uncovered that close to 50 per cent of young people said financial cost was a barrier in preventing them from getting treatment.
Nearly half said they believed they could not be helped and more than half said they were afraid of what others would think.
We need to change these perceptions.
Every year, a quarter of all young people in this country will experience mental health issues and we want them all to know Headspace is here to help.
With 95 centres across Australia, integrated with a phone and online chat service eheadspace, over the past decade Headspace has enabled over 270,000 young people to access mental health care.
We will soon expand to 110 Headspace centres thanks to the Government’s election commitment and a ringing endorsement of Headspace as its model for youth mental health care for the future.
Headspace has made outstanding progress over the past ten years but we still have a way to go.
Access is crucial and help seeking is the first step that every young person must make and we need to continue to provide effective and easy pathways to make sure this can happen for everyone.
If you who would like to support Headspace visit headspaceday.org.au to see how you and your local community can get involved or give a donation.
Thanks to all who took part in the first Headspace day, we look forward to you joining us again next year.
Professor Patrick McGorry AO
Headspace Founding Board member
Thanks Mount Isa from Redkite
Thanks to the generosity of Mount Isa Coles customers, Redkite can now assist more families with children affected by cancer. Coles’ Mount Isa store raised over $3600 from customer and team donations, contributing to the $20 million Coles has raised nationwide since 2013.
Also five cents from the sale of every loaf of Coles Brand and Traditional High Top Bread sold in Mount Isa is donated directly to Redkite. This support is helping to transform cancer care in Australia.
Every six hours in Australia, a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer. Redkite is the national children’s cancer charity providing social workers and music therapists in hospitals, information and counselling, financial assistance, and education and career support.
We couldn’t do it without the incredibly generous support of Coles, the amazing fundraising efforts of its team and the big-hearted community of Mount Isa that supports Coles’ activities.
When a child or young person has cancer, families face increased expenses at a time where they may need to stop work to be at their child’s beside. They may need counselling and information, and kids miss school. Coles’ fundraising has ensured families were helped by Redkite on 80,000 occasions.
I’d like to offer enormous thanks to Coles, its charity champions, team and generous customers in Mount Isa.
Jenni Seton, CEO Redkite