Everyone is welcome at headspace Adelaide.

The general mental health program offers short-term services for young people experiencing mild to moderate difficulties. There is no cost to access our services. 

Many things can contribute to someone’s mental health. That’s why at headspace Adelaide, we provide information, support and services across key areas which may affect a young person’s health and wellbeing.

Our counselling team can help with:

• Mental health (such as depression, anxiety etc)
• Situational support (such as stress, relationship issues, bullying etc)
• Physical and sexual health
• Work, school and study support
• Drug and alcohol issues

We also provide group support/programs in addition to individual support. 

To arrange a first appointment with our general mental health program, please call the centre on 1800 063 267, or you can complete our online referral form via the link below. 

Online Referral form 

• • If you would prefer to print a paper based Community Referral Form, you can access a copy here
    
  • You can arrange a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your local doctor. 
    

Anyone can make a referral on behalf of a young person including a friend or family member, health worker or community agency, or a doctor. It is important to note that attendance with the general mental health program is on a voluntary basis, if you are making a referral on a young person’s behalf we encourage you to speak with them prior to making a referral.

Please note that depending on the support required, headspace Adelaide may recommend or need to provide a referral to other agencies best suited to the situation. We will support the young person and/or the referrer whenever this is the case.

"What is good mental health? Good mental health is a state of wellbeing where you feel able to work and study, feel connected to others are involved in activities in your community and ‘bounce back’ when life’s changes and challenges come along."

Medicare information

If a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) referral is arranged through a local doctor, a Medicare card will be required. This is so that Medicare will cover some or all of the cost of care planning provided by the local doctor. The doctor should outline what costs (if any) are involved when a MHCP is arranged. Services provided at headspace Adelaide via a MHCP are bulk-billed, with no gap to pay. Our team will provide a reminder to bring the Medicare card when an appointment is booked in with a service through a MHCP.

We can help to work out how to apply for a Medicare card or access Medicare details. You can also get further information about Medicare, or how to get a Medicare card, by visiting Services Australia or a nearby Medicare branch. Our headspace website also has additional information on how to get a Medicare card.

headspace Adelaide values your feedback and welcomes compliments, suggestions and complaints to help us to improve our services.

Feedback can be submitted via our online form

Did you enjoy your experience with us? Let us know by leaving a review on Google

Welcome! Marni Ninna Pudni

headspace Adelaide is located on Kaurna Country, within the central business district at 173 Wakefield Street, Adelaide. 

We have compiled this downloadable 'where to find us' factsheet that includes information around parking, building accessibility, buses, trains, trams, scooters and bikes. 

Our full range of Welcome Pack documents can be downloaded from the list below: 

Welcome pack booklet

Our commitment

Your privacy and consent

Rights and responsibilities

Feedback

Crisis services card

Your online resources and our online resources booklet

Toolkit and action plan 

You will also be provided with hard copies of the above documents at your first visit to the centre.

If you are a family member or friend supporting a young person at headspace Adelaide, we have created this Family and Friends Welcome Pack booklet for you to download. You can also request a hard copy of this at the centre. 

Your family and friends also have an opportunity to talk with a Family Peer Support Worker who will offer support based on their own experiences of supporting someone in their life with mental health challenges. If you would like to arrange a meeting with our Family Peer Support Worker, please call the centre on 1800 063 267.

Centre tour at headspace Adelaide

Accessibility

The headpace Adelaide centre has been designed and developed by young people to ensure it is a welcoming space - you can listen to music, charge your phone, grab yourself a hot/cold drink or a snack, read a book from our book swap and chill out before your appointment. 

Enter the centre off of Wakefield Street via automatic doors. Our toilets are accessible and gender neutral. Counselling rooms are laid out over two levels, accessible via a lift or stairs. Our sensory room 'senspace' is available on request through your headspace clinician.  

What if English is my second language?

Our services are provided in English. In some cases interpreters can be arranged in advance to support you or your family and friends to communicate with a headspace worker during a session.

For more information, please speak to one of our headspace team members or visit Embrace Multicultural Mental Health embracementalhealth.org.au

headspace has a range of factsheets available in other languages that can be found here. 

Youth Ambassador centre ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions

Young people attending the centre for the first appointment in-person may be offered a time to come in directly beforehand to meet with one of our centre’s Youth Ambassador volunteers. Our Youth Ambassadors are young people studying at university and have an interest in mental health, some have experienced their own struggles but overcome them to become advocates of youth mental health. They generally facilitate mental health workshops at schools and sports clubs, but also provide these ‘meet and greet’ sessions at the centre.

Youth Ambassadors welcome young people to the service by providing an overview of what to expect at headspace, a tour of the centre, introduction to key headspace team members, an overview and promotion of our group programs available and provide helpful tips and resources to use in between appointments.

Just before each appointment, young people are also provided with a survey that you can complete on one of our iPads - the survey is important as it allows us give us some background information, keeps track of wellbeing and allows young people to provide us with some feedback.

If your headspace clinician has recommended you to have one of our meet and greet appointments, one of our Youth Ambassador team members will give you a call around one week prior to arrange.

Peer Support Workers

headspace Adelaide has Peer Support Workers available for young people to work with at the centre. Peer support provides an opportunity for young people to connect with others who have experienced similar challenges. Peer Support Workers listen and provide support in a non-judgemental manner to help young people navigate life’s challenges.

Peer support is a mutual relationship, but is also more than sharing lived experience: peer workers bring life, communication, and empathy skills to the work they do. Discussions with Peer Support Workers can focus on challenges or goals relating to relationships, school, university, work, managing symptoms, general health and alcohol and other drugs.

Our Peer Support Workers facilitate some of our groups, but may also arrange to see you one-on-one.

Your family and friends also have an opportunity to talk with a Family Peer Support Worker who will offer support based on their own experiences of supporting someone in their life with mental health challenges. 

What to expect at your appointment?

Your first visit may be in person, or on the phone.

At the first visit you will:

• Check in at the front counter and provide our staff with any extra registration information that may need.
• If one have been booked in, you will have your personalised ‘meet and greet’ session with one of our Youth Ambassador volunteers.
• You will be asked to complete our hAPI survey, this is brief and forms a part of a series of surveys that you complete each time you visit the centre.
• Talk to a headspace worker
• Be given an opportunity to:
  - Share what’s been impacting your wellbeing
  - Talk together about what goals you might want to work on

If you feel comfortable, family members are encouraged to attend your appointment with you.

After the first visit

If you choose to continue at headspace Adelaide, together we might work on goals you’ve identified as important to you. We would work together to plan the next steps which may include:

> Access to a doctor for physical or mental health difficulties

> Study or vocational assistance with a work and study specialist

> Sexual health information and support

> Alcohol and other drug assistance from an Alcohol and other Drug Support Worker

> Referral to other agencies best suited to you and your family’s needs. If you need a referral from a doctor to access a particular service, we can arrange this

> Mental health support, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), problem solving, supportive counselling and group sessions (such as Mind Your Mind).

> Access to one of our Peer Support Workers and/or sessions though our Brief Interventions Clinic (Fast Track).

At headspace Adelaide we also offer what we call ‘Single Session Therapy’ sessions. This is when you may just need to see us for a once-off appointment instead of something ongoing with us. If this is something we feel is best suited to your current situation, we will advise you when booking your appointment.

How long will an appointment take?

Appointments usually take around 45-50 minutes, sometimes a little longer for the first time you visit us. We advise that your arrive around 15 minutes prior to your booked appointment time to allow you to settle in, complete your regular hAPI survey and any other check-in requirements at the time.

If you have been booked for a ‘meet and greet’ appointment with one of our Youth Ambassadors, these are booked in for 30 minutes prior to your appointment with your clinician. You will be advised what time to arrive at the centre at the time of booking your ‘meet and greet’.

You can confirm the length of your appointment by calling the centre on 1800 063 267.

How much will an appointment cost?

Services at headspace are offered for free, with no gaps to pay.

You may need a Medicare card to access some of our services, depending on the clinician you have been allocated to. We can help you work out how to apply for a Medicare card or access your Medicare details.

We may recommend you see a doctor to get a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). To work out what this might mean for you, talk with one of our headspace team members.

Join our community

Our safe and supportive online community provides a great way to connect with others, and share resources that are helpful to you.

Our regular group chats bring young people together and explore topics that are important to the community. Our peer-led chats are held four nights a week, where you can share tips and experiences with others. There are also chats run by our professional clinicians who explore topics and provide resources, strategies and advice to help build your skills.

You can also create your own personal space at Online Communities where you can curate your own personalised content, and have one space to keep all of the information, tips and advice that’s relevant to you.

headspace Sessions Podcast

Our headspace Sessions Podcast is about all things mental health. Each episode features topical content that is handpicked by the young creative team as well as special guests, experts and practical advice delivered in an educational, engaging and inspirational format.

Recorded right here in South Australia at the headspace Adelaide podcast and PodBooth studios. 

Visit our Soundcloud profile or search for us on any of your preferred podcast platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Our crisis services card:

In response to COVID-19: If you are experiencing cold/flu like symptoms, or currently testing for COVID-19, or currently in isolation - we may be able to offer a telehealth appointment during lockdown and stay at home directives. 

download our telehealth factsheet

What is telehealth?

Telehealth allows you to talk to a headspace clinician, privately through a phone or video call rather than seeing them in person. The headspace clinician will listen and help you with strategies to get through tough times. You will be able to see, hear and talk to your clinician, exactly as if you were talking to them in person.

headspace uses systems that meet recommended standards to protect the privacy and security of Telehealth appointments and are in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles.

Why is headspace offering Telehealth?

We’ve taken this step to ensure the safety of young people, their family and friends, and staff working in our headspace Centres due to COVID-19.

How does an appointment via Telehealth work?

A telehealth appointment is just like a normal appointment; only you will be seeing and speaking to your clinician on a phone or computer/smartphone screen. Your worker will already have relevant information about you to support your telehealth session.

If you are unsure about using telehealth you can also have a family member, carer or friend with you if you wish with the consent of your clinician. You will sit in front of a computer or smart device and you'll be able to see yourself and your clinician on our Telehealth platform screen.

At the time of your video Telehealth session, your device will ring and the connection is made with your clinician and the sessions begins. The clinician will speak with you about your needs the same as if you were in the face-to-face consultation.

What equipment do I need for my appointment?

You’ll need a laptop, tablet or mobile and internet connection for online video appointments. If you prefer chatting over the phone, then just a mobile or landline is required. It’s a good idea to test your equipment 15 minutes prior to your appointment to prevent any delays.

Please ensure your device is plugged in or at least has enough charge for the duration of the required appointment.

It is important for you to use a secure internet connection rather than public/free Wi-Fi. This will provide greater security reducing the risk of unauthorized access to your session

What is required of me?

• You will need to inform us of your location (address) at the start of each telehealth session.
• You will need to inform us if anyone else if as home (we will record this on your file so we can contact someone else at your home in an emergency).
• Try to ensure any interruptions are minimised. Where possible, you will need to be in a quiet and private room. If you can’t find a space inside, maybe try your backyard. If you’re comfortable, let your family know you are on a call and ask for some space. If this feels too much, please let your clinician know so that they can support you to figure out how best to manage this. Please inform your clinician if the privacy or confidentiality of the room is compromised/breached at any stage of the appointment.
• Other devices which could interrupt the telehealth session should be muted/switched off.
• You are not permitted to record the Telehealth appointment without advance written permission of headspace.
• It is important to be on time for your Telehealth appointment. If you need to cancel or change your appointment, you must notify us in advance by phone.
• During video Telehealth appointments, look at the video camera on your monitor/smart device so you have good eye contact with your clinician.
• Speak clearly so your voice can be picked up by the microphone.
• If you have a question or want more information during the appointment, just ask your clinician.
• If you are not an adult, we need the permission of your parent or legal guardian (and their contact information) for you to participate in Telehealth appointments.

What will happen if the audio/video technology fails?

There may be delays or lags in video Telehealth on occasions due to failures of the video platform and internet connection.

When we commence Telehealth appointments, we will develop a Safety Plan with you. This plan includes a phone number where you can be reached. We need this information to restart the session or to reschedule it, in the event of technical problems.

Your Safety Plan will include at least one emergency contact and crisis supports for you, in the event of a crisis situation.

If the video Telehealth connection drops out, your Worker will contact you on your personal phone number to continue the session.

If you do not answer, we will contact your nominated parent/guardian/support person via phone as a safety measure.

If we have serious concerns for your welfare, we will consider whether we need to involve emergency or crisis services to check in and support you.

What are the benefits of a Telehealth appointment?

Telehealth appointments allow for a reduced waiting time to see our service. It also means you don't have to travel to our service and can engage in physical distancing and stay at home, self-isolating. Telehealth assists us to better look after you ‘remotely’ in what we realise can be a difficult time for many.

What are the risks of a Telehealth appointment?

A phone or video consultation may not be exactly the same, and may not be as complete as a face-to-face service. You could also run into some technical problems that affect phone/video sessions on occasions. headspace uses systems that meet recommended standards to protect the privacy and security of Telehealth visits and are in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles. Any internet based service carries an inherent risk from unauthorised access. The security measures in place mitigate this risk, but it does exist.

What costs are involved?

Calls via phone will be free unless we inform you otherwise. A typical ‘data’ cost to you for a video Telehealth session will be approximately 1 GB per 60 minutes.

Please ensure you have enough data on your device or desktop for a video Telehealth based session to be conducted for the duration of the required appointment. If this will cause difficulties for you please let your worker know.

If you do not have enough data for a video Telehealth session, will be provided with the option of a phone based appointment or a face to face appointment.

Telehealth sounds strange, what if I'm not comfortable with it?

For some people, it can be strange at first, however your Worker will help you feel comfortable and become familiar with the process. Phone and video services can be a positive experience, as people may feel less self-conscious. If you’re not comfortable, let your clinician know. Once they understand your challenges they’re much better placed to address them and support you to access sessions in a way that works for you. This could include a follow up face-to-face visit, a Telephone appointment (without video) or trying a second video Telehealth visit after some problem solving or adjustments to suit you.

You may change your mind and stop using Telehealth appointments at any time. This will not make any difference to your right to ask for and receive alternative health care services from headspace.

What about confidentiality and privacy?

We will not record or store Telehealth appointments.

Your rights to confidentiality and privacy will always respected. headspace will not disclose your private information unless we have your consent to do so, or are authorised or required to by law. 

If we have concerns there is a risk to the safety of you or others, we will need to act on this, and this may involves sharing your details with others.

Please refer to the Privacy Collection Notice and Privacy Policy on our website for more details.

If you have any concerns about our policies and procedures relating to Telehealth or would like to lodge a complaint or concern you may do so at any stage by contacting us at headspace Adelaide on 1800 063 267 or info@headspaceadelaide.org.au

 If you have any questions or concerns about using Telehealth, please contact us at headspace Adelaide on 1800 063 267 or info@headspaceadelaide.org.auau

Please note

The latest medical information is changing on a daily basis. If you suspect you are at risk, or would simply like to understand COVID-19 more, please visit the Department of Health’s website health.gov.au

When should I get help?

If you ever feel unable to cope because of overwhelming or intense emotions, or if you have any thoughts of harming yourself, then ask for help immediately.

National 24/7 crisis services

Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au

Additional youth support services 

headspace: Find your nearest centre or call eheadspace on 1800 650 890

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au

ReachOut: reachout.com.au

SANE Australia: 1800 187 263 or sane.org

 
Talk with a trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher, school counsellor or find out if there is a headspace centre near you.

Speak to your local doctor or General Practitioner (GP) and help make a plan for your recovery. Or you can search for a health service and GP on healthdirect.