NOTE the name headspace!
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It may mean "help" and "hope" for young people in St George and Sutherland Shire who are dealing with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, bullying and other problems.
Miranda and Hurstville are the newest locations in a network of more than 100 federal government funded headspace centres, which are being rolled out across Australia by the national Youth Mental Health Foundation.
They are designed as "one- stop shops", where 12- 25-year-olds can obtain free general and mental health support, assistance with alcohol and other drug problems, sexual health, employment and social support.
The Miranda centre, which is on the floor above Fitness First on the corner of Kingsway and Jackson Avenue, was officially opened on March 28.
Headspace Hurstville, at 41 Dora Street, was to begin operating at the end of this month, but the opening has been put back to the end of June.
Operations manager for the Miranda service, Lesley Pullen, said the centre made it easier for young people "who are going through a tough time" to access support.
She said the centre's physical presentation and the enthusiasm of its team provided a "youth friendly environment".
"We focus on seeking early help which leads to early intervention through a range of services," she said.
Director of mental health services at St George and Sutherland Hospitals, Evelyn Chandler, said the headspace concept was "excellent".
"It's very youth-friendly and the space is conducive to people just dropping in and accessing all the services in a 'one-stop shop', " she said.
"Young people don't even have to feel there is something wrong with them — they can just drop in to have a talk.
"If they do want to seek help, whether it be from a physical or mental health perspective, sexual health, drugs and alcohol, all of those things, it's all available.
"Headspace works in partnership with existing agencies in the area.
"Appointments are made for practitioners from the various fields to see the young people at the headspace centre."
Ms Chandler said new centres added to a wide range of services available to people who were experiencing mental health problems.
Suicide in focus
Psychiatrist, Professor Patrick McGorry, who sits on the board of the National Youth mental Health Foundation, is a champion of headspace.
As 2010 Australia of the Year, he raised the profile of youth suicide, pointing out it was the leading cause of death among young Australians.
However, not everyone in the mental health sector is convinced about the model.
Senior Fairfax Media journalist Jill Stark revealed questions were being asked about its long-term efficacy, cost-effectiveness and potential to ’’medicalise’’ the normal fluctuations of adolescence.
‘‘While many in the sector, including headspace chief executive Chris Tanti, have fiercely defended the model, insisting critics misunderstand how it works and that the majority of young people are not given a clinical diagnosis or prescribed drugs when visiting a centre, even he concedes they don’t have data on long-term outcomes or how many young people are being medicated,’’ she wrote.
‘‘Complicating the debate is a backdrop of bitter infighting, coloured by claims of professional envy and divisive personalities, as an under-funded sector goes to war over who should get the biggest slice of a pitifully small pie.’’
'Beacon of hope and continuity welcomed'
HEADSPACE Miranda, the first government-funded youth specific health service in south-eastern Sydney, was officially opened by Dr Wayne Cooper, chairman of the board at South Eastern Sydney Medicare Local, the lead agency for the service.
One person who is happy to have a branch in Sutherland Shire is 19-year-old Scott Jones [not his real name].
When he lived in the shire last year, he travelled to Camperdown’s headspace office to seek support.
“I was getting support from headspace for my anxiety and depression,’’ he said.
‘‘Headspace was pretty much a beacon of hope and continuity for me, as I don’t have much family around me in Australia.
‘‘A wide variety of professionals helped me to understand more about myself and how to keep going.
“I was moving to different refuges and dealing with the HSC and various other personal conundrums. Basically, headspace was really good at helping me to stabilise when times got tough.”
Mr Jones is now studying psychology at university and hopes to one day work for headspace.
For headspace Miranda: 9575 1500 or visit
Do you think headspace will help, and what more might be done to tackle the problem?
