Thandi Wiltshire

As we come to the end of the year, headspace Albany took time out to celebrate the work our team has done as well as the contribution our Youth Reference Group – which we call headspace Albany Advisory Committee or hAC – young people have had input on how we work with and provide services to young people. One of our hAC members went on to become a member of hYNRG and even speaking in parliament. 

Through input from our hAC we renovated and expanded our centre. The end result was influenced by the opinions of our young people and resulted in changes such as blinds in our counselling room windows. This way we aimed to create a centre that is comfortable and welcoming to all of those who walk through our doors. 

After this we had an open day to make sure that all those in the community knew more about accessing our services and that there were more services for young people and their families to have a safe, inclusive and confidential space to go to.

headspace Albany continued to show it’s support for the LGBTIQA+ community through the celebration of the Albany Pride Festival, the Transgender Day of Visibility, Trans Awareness Week,  the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia.

Our country faced many difficult periods this year, we took the time to acknowledge and reflect during National Reconciliation Week. We aimed to learn from others through going to the Great Southern Aboriginal Conference and the NAIDOC Ball. This year taught us the power of listening and having our actions be led by those who will be recipients of our services.

This year was one where we put our aim of collaboration and connection with other organisations into action. Through this, we made new connections with organisations and strengthened the connections that we had already created through listening to, learning from and working with groups within our community.

Learning more also came in the form of training. Members of the headspace Albany team attended and took part in many different training sessions relating to fire safety, professional boundaries and child protection. Other topics included eating disorder training and case management, rights at work training, single session training and single session family consult training.

Through doing Acknowledge This! How to give an authentic Acknowledgement of Country as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid, Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid.

As we want to be able to help as many young people as possible and do so from a place of knowledge, the team also learnt about how to support neurodivergent young people and suicide risk assessment training.

Brief solutions focused, gender and sexuality, de-escalation and narrative therapy, supporting young people and their options, positionality workshops and building capacity in providing career advice to students with disabilities. Dilemma training as well as how to help youth in destress as well as learning how to get around our centre were also part of expanding our knowledge.

Building our knowledge through training sessions and courses is something that is a continuous process. So is building relationships with others we did this through attending events such as the Deadly Jobs and Careers Forum, Albany Basketball Carnival 2023, ASHS and NASHS Career Expo 2023, R U OK?Day 2023 and Great Southern Aboriginal Leadership Conference.

As always, October brought with it the Mad Hatter Tea Party – headspace Albany’s 8^th one to date. Kicking off WA Mental Health Week, the event on the 6^th of October was bigger and better than ever. With a welcome to country by Menang-Noongar elder Vernice Gillies, the day ran from 10am to 1pm.

The celebration and recognition of the importance of mental wellness in the Albany community and the services available in the area. This year 20 other incredible Albany organisations and service providers were part of the day which was supported by 8 sponsors.

With hAC members being part of musical performances as well as MCing, the event VIP’s were Albany’s mayor Dennis Wellington and MLA Rebecca Stephens. Topped off with a hat competition, the day was one to remember.

Working with other organisations in Albany allowed for collaboration in areas that are a focus for services in the community such as suicide and homelessness.

The work that we do and the work of some individual members of staff were recognised too.  

headspace Albany was a semi-finalist in the Western Australian Community Achievement Awards nominated by an anonymous community member for Awards Australia Charitable Foundation Mental Health and Wellbeing Award.

For the 3^rd time in a row our IPS team achieved an exemplary fidelity score as they continuously produce good employment outcomes for young people.

Our centre manager Dr Andrew Wenzel was one of the 4 finalists for the Western Australian Association for Mental Health 2023 Employee or Volunteer Excellence Award Category. This was recognised across the Albany community as an article about his achievement was published in the Albany Advertiser.

Our councillors Zachary Tonkin, Dimitie Cook and access clinician Ella Pincus took their counselling skills outside of the centre and into schools heading to NASHS, Mt Barker, Denmark and Albany Senior High Schools and Denmark Agricultural College.

Clinical Lead Carl Heslop worked with the Kadadjiny Aboriginal Corporation taking part in Bush Classrooms as well as attending Monday training with the Great Southern Storm AFL Development Program.

At the end of the year both headspace staff and our hAC group took time out to celebrate 2023. On a sunny Friday the team had an end of year party, along with a competitive game of Secret Santa. Our hAC’s celebration was without those high stakes rather opting for a dinner evening.

Although unfortunately we lost some wonderful staff members along the way, headspace Albany has had a busy and productive year. We wish them well and know that wherever they go, they’ll make an impact on so many people’s lives.

But now it’s time for us to take a break for a while, giving ourselves time to relax and have time for ourselves before our doors open again at 9 am on the 2^nd of January 2024.

We’ll see you next year! 

headspace Albany