United Synergies and CCQ welcome the announcement of the location of Gympie’s upcoming headspace centre.
The new centre is set to open in early July, providing youth-specific mental health and early intervention services out of premises at 2-4 Horseshoe Bend.
United Synergies General Manager, Karen Phillips said the visible presence of a headspace in Gympie would encourage young people to get help early.
“We know that providing early access to mental health services is one of the best ways to address mental health concerns.
“This will be a place where young people from Gympie and the surrounding regions can come to get help with a range of issues from mental health through to social support.
“You might be finding you’re having trouble at school or relying on substances like alcohol and drugs, whatever it is we’ll be here to offer the support you need, free from any judgement.
“We have been thrilled with the support we have received from the community and are looking forward to delivering the services the community has asked for,” Ms Phillips said.
PHN CEO, Pattie Hudson said that the Federal Government funding to establish the service was a huge win for local mental health services with less travel required to access face-to-face support.
“When you look at rural and regional communities there are often concerns about how difficult it can be to make it to a physical service. Being able to reduce the barriers of both cost and time is a huge step forward when helping at risk young people.
“There are a number of factors that increase your risk of developing a mental illness, from individual circumstances through to family history.
“We know that the Gympie region faces some significant challenges when it comes to issues like unemployment, psychological distress and suicide.”
Data shows that in Australia, one in every four young people between the ages of 16 and 24 lives with a mental illness and one in three experience significant psychological distress.
With over 5,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 living in the Gympie region, Mrs Hudson said the new centre would have a big impact.
“This has been a long time coming and we are delighted to be working with you all to improve mental health support for the people in Gympie and surrounding areas,” Mrs Hudson said.