Headspace Midland will be among the first 10 centres in Australia to be upgraded under a new model designed to expand free mental health support for young people, while a new headspace service is set to open in Wanneroo.
The Midland centre will become a headspace Plus facility, with larger premises, more mental health professionals and greater capacity to support young people and their families. Both services are expected to open in the next financial year.
The upgrade comes after strong demand for mental health care in Perth’s north-east. Headspace Midland has already provided about 9,000 free appointments to young people, while the area’s Medicare Mental Health Centre has delivered more than 25,000 sessions since opening.
Figures released in June showed the Midland Medicare centre had provided more free appointments than the four other operating Medicare Mental Health Centres in Western Australia combined. Across centres in Armadale, Gosnells, Midland, Mirrabooka and Northam, 48,140 sessions had been delivered.
Tania Lawrence, the Member for Hasluck, said the headspace Plus expansion would make it easier for young people to seek help locally.
“I think most of us know a young person who, at some point, has struggled and needed someone to talk to,” she said. “It’s about making sure a young person who is doing it tough can walk through the door and know someone is here to help.”
New headspace centre planned for Wanneroo
The new headspace Wanneroo service will provide free support for people aged between 12 and 25 experiencing anxiety, depression, psychological distress and other mental health challenges.
The centre will serve the City of Wanneroo, one of Perth’s fastest-growing communities, and is intended to reduce the need for families in the federal seat of Pearce to travel to headspace Joondalup.
Tracey Roberts, the Member for Pearce, said the service would give young people and their families a more accessible option close to home.
“For years, families in Pearce have had to travel to headspace Joondalup, one of the busiest centres in WA, just to access this kind of support,” she said. “This new centre means young people and families in Pearce will finally have somewhere local to turn to.”
Assistant Mental Health Minister Emma McBride said around two in five young Australians experienced mental health challenges each year.
“The upgrade of headspace Midland and the establishment of a new headspace centre in Wanneroo will help more young people access free mental health care in their local community,” she said.
