Federal Member for Blaxland, Jason Clare MP, today met with youth workers from Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service to announce that Bankstown will be home to a new Headspace youth mental health service.
Headspace provides support in areas ranging from mental health issues, substance abuse, depression and social and vocational support.
Mr Clare said that the new Headspace service in the Bankstown region will provide young people with a comprehensive health service where they feel welcome and comfortable.
“We know that 1 in 4 young people will experience a mental health issue this year, making it the single biggest issue facing young Australians,” Mr Clare said.
“However, three-quarters of these people aren’t receiving the professional help they need because of a lack of access to youth-specific mental health services or because they don’t know who to turn to.
“With the right early interventions we can give young people a better future and help them fully participate in the social and economic life of our community.
“In the past young people in our local community had to travel all the way to Parramatta or Campbelltown to access mental health services. Now they can get the help they need right at home in Bankstown.”
As part of the Government’s record $2.2 billion mental health package, additional funding of almost $200 million is being invested to establish 90 Headspace sites across the country.
An astonishing 92 per cent of young people have reported improvements in their mental health after using the Headspace service.
For more information about the national Headspace program, see www.headspace.org.au.
Media contact: Chris Zogopoulos 9790 2466
