A RIVERLAND mental health centre providing support for local young people is set to receive more than $400,000 in grants, the Federal Government announced last week.
headspace Berri will receive $421,974 for additional staffing and training, which will help allow the centre to provide additional brief interventions, walk-in clinic times and outreach activities.
headspace Berri director of services Kerril Vowles said the funding would allow the service to better serve local young people.
“Member for Barker Tony Pasin has talked specifically about this money being for early intervention and trying to create a space for young people to access the service when they are first feeling concerned about something,” Ms Vowles said.
“The walk-in clinics will allow us to provide specific times where we have staff who are able to talk to a young person whenever they present in a centre.
“We try really hard to make that happen now, but sometimes because we are a small service and our team is really busy, someone might come to our centre and our staff are already seeing other young people.
“This funding allows us to set aside special times for people to come in and access a worker straight away.”
Mr Pasin said the funding would ensure young Australians could get information, advice, understanding, counselling and treatment when and where they need it.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on young Australians,” he said.
“One in four young Australians is affected by a mental health illness every year, and as we battle COVID-19 it’s more important than ever that we prioritise mental health.
“headspace is somewhere young people can get professional help, peer support and feel comfortable enough to tackle their challenges in a way that is right for them.”
Ms Vowles said during a time “with so much change in the world” it was important to provide easily-accessible mental health services for young people.
“Young people are going through some really difficult times and lots of change very rapidly during a time in their life when they are already experiencing a number of changes,” she said.
“It is always important for young people to access mental health services if they need to, but I do think that coming out of COVID-19 there are certainly additional pressures for young people.”
The funding is part of a $24.2 million investment in headspace centres around the country by the Federal Government.
“We are very grateful to the Country South Australia PHN who has made this money available and our federal member Tony Pasin who has been very passionate about making sure this money gets to our centre as quickly as possible,” Ms Vowles said.