headspace
Ballarat

At headspace Ballarat, accessing support is simple. You can make a referral for:

• Yourself (if you’re a young person aged 12–25)
• A young person you care for (as a parent, carer, teacher, coach, or friend)
• A young person you support professionally (as a GP, school counsellor, or community worker)
• Parent & Carer Peer Support (for parents and carers of young people)

How Referrals Work

Referrals help us understand what support a young person or their family might need and get them connected to the right services quickly. Our team will contact you after the referral to discuss next steps and answer any questions.

What Happens After a Referral?

1. Our team reviews the referral details.
2. We contact the young person (and parent/carer if appropriate) to explain options.
3. We organise an initial appointment — this could be:
   • Single Session Support
   • Intake Assessment leading to up to 6 Youth Work sessions
   • Group programs or peer support
   • Parent & Carer Peer Support

Learn how to make a referral — whether for yourself or someone you care about, we’ll guide you through the process.

How We Can Support You

Single Session Support

Need to talk to someone soon?

Single Session Support is a one-off appointment where you can:

• Talk through what’s going on
• Get practical strategies you can use straight away
• Explore your options
• Decide on next steps (if any)

This is a great option if:

• You’re not sure what kind of support you need
• You want help with a specific issue
• You’d like support while waiting for ongoing services
  
  

Intake Assessment & Youth Work Support

If you’d like ongoing support, we can book you in for an Intake Assessment.

What is an Intake Assessment?

This is a longer appointment where we:

• Get to know you and what’s been happening
• Talk about your goals
• Explore what support would work best for you

After your intake, you may be offered:

• Up to 6 sessions with a Youth Worker

Youth Work Sessions Can Help With:

• Managing stress and anxiety
• Low mood
• School, study or work challenges
• Relationships and family issues
• Building confidence and life skills
• Connecting you with other services

Youth Work support is practical, strengths-based and focused on your goals.

Mental Health Clinicians (MBS)

If you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP, we may be able to refer you to one of our Medicare-funded clinicians.

Our clinicians can provide:

• Psychological therapy
• Support for anxiety, depression, trauma and other mental health concerns
• Structured, evidence-based interventions

If you don’t already have a Mental Health Care Plan, we can:

• Talk you through how to get one
• Help you decide whether this is the right option for you
  
  

Important Information

Cost

• Our core services (Intake & Youth Work) are free.
• Medicare-funded clinician sessions require a valid Mental Health Care Plan.

Confidentiality

Your privacy matters. What you share is confidential unless:

• We’re worried about your safety or someone else’s safety
• We’re required by law to share information

We’ll always explain this clearly.

When to Seek Urgent Help

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.
For urgent mental health support:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

Peer Support Workers use their own lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery to support others.

Peer support is based on understanding, connection and hope. It’s about walking alongside you — not assessing or diagnosing you.

Peer Support for Young People

Our Youth Peer Support Worker supports young people aged 12–25 who may be experiencing mental health challenges or going through a tough time.

A Peer Support Worker can:

• Share lived experience in a safe and appropriate way
• Help you feel less alone in what you’re going through
• Support you to identify and work towards your goals
• Help you build confidence and self-advocacy skills
• Provide practical strategies for navigating services or supports
• Walk alongside you in your recovery journey

Peer sessions are:

• Relaxed and conversational
• Strengths-based
• Focused on your goals
• Free and confidential

If you’re not sure whether peer support is right for you, our team can help you decide.

Peer Support for Parents & Carers

Supporting a young person experiencing mental health challenges can feel overwhelming at times. You don’t have to do it alone.

Our Parent & Carer Peer Support Program connects you with a Peer Worker who has lived experience supporting a young person with mental health challenges.

This support is:

• Non-judgemental
• Confidential
• Understanding and practical
• Focused on your wellbeing as well as your young person’s

Parent & Carer Peer Support Can Help With:

• Feeling heard and understood
• Navigating services and systems
• Managing stress and overwhelm
• Building confidence in supporting your young person
• Connecting with helpful strategies and resources

Our Sexual Health Clinic provides free, confidential and non-judgemental support for young people aged 12–25.

We understand that talking about sexual health can sometimes feel awkward — but our team is here to make it comfortable, respectful and safe.

Clinic Times

Every Wednesday
Fortnightly Thursdays
9:00am – 4:00pm

You can come to the clinic for:

• Sexual health check-ups
• STI testing and information
• Contraception information
• Pregnancy testing
• Advice about relationships and sexual wellbeing
• General sexual health questions

If you're not sure whether you should book an appointment — that's okay. You can still reach out and have a chat.

What to Expect

• Appointments are confidential and private
• Our staff are friendly, respectful and non-judgemental
• You can ask any questions — nothing is “too small” or “too embarrassing”
• You’re welcome to attend on your own or bring someone you trust

Make an Appointment

You can:

• Book online
• Call us on 5304 4777
• Or drop in during clinic hours

If you’re feeling nervous about attending, let us know — we can talk you through what to expect.

Our dietitian provides evidence-based, practical and non-judgemental support around food, eating and nutrition for young people aged 12–25.

We know that food can feel confusing, stressful or overwhelming at times. Whether you’re struggling with eating patterns, body image, energy levels, or just want clearer information, our dietitian is here to help in a supportive and respectful way.

You can see our dietitian for support with:

• Developing balanced and sustainable eating habits
• Understanding nutrition and how it supports mental health
• Managing low energy, fatigue and changes in appetite
• Disordered eating or concerns about eating patterns
• Nutrition support for study, sport or busy lifestyles
• Building confidence around food choices

All advice is tailored to you — your goals, your lifestyle and your needs.

What to Expect

• A safe, supportive and judgement-free space
• Individualised advice that is realistic and achievable
• Practical strategies you can use in everyday life
• Collaborative goal-setting at your pace

You don’t need to have everything figured out before booking — we can work it out together.

Make an Appointment

To book an appointment, please complete an Intake Assessment referral form. Click here to make a referral

If you’re unsure whether dietetics is right for you, our team can talk you through your options.

Not sure what’s next?
Feeling stuck with job searching?
Thinking about study but don’t know where to start?

We’re here to help you explore your options and build a plan that works for you.

YEP – Youth Employment Program

Our Youth Employment Program (YEP) uses the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model — an evidence-based approach that supports young people experiencing mental health challenges to achieve their employment and education goals.

What is YEP?

YEP supports young people to find jobs or study pathways they are genuinely interested in.

Our focus is on helping you:

• Find meaningful work you enjoy
• Study in an area that interests you
• Connect with employers who respect your mental health and recovery
• Build confidence and independence

We work alongside you every step of the way.

Who Can Access YEP?

Young people aged 15–25 who:

• Are looking for work or education opportunities
• Are currently receiving clinical support at headspace Ballarat

To make sure we’re supporting you holistically, you’ll need to speak with one of our headspace clinicians first.

If personal challenges are impacting your work or study, we can help you problem-solve those too.

Not sure what you want to do yet? That’s completely okay. We can help you uncover your strengths, interests and hidden talents.

How Do I Get Started?

To access YEP:

1. Speak with your headspace Ballarat clinician and let them know you’re interested in work and study support.
2. Your clinician will link you with a Youth Vocational Specialist.

You can also call headspace Ballarat to ask about the program.

headspace National Work & Study Specialists (Online Support)

headspace National Work & Study Specialists provide free one-on-one support online via webchat, video, email or phone.

They can help with:

• Job search skills and applications
• Resume and cover letter preparation
• Career planning and goal setting
• Study and enrolment support
• Transitioning from school to work or further study
• Navigating Centrelink or government supports
• Balancing your mental health and wellbeing with work or study

This service is flexible and can support you wherever you are.

Learn about headspace Work and Study Online

Community Enquiries

Would you like headspace Ballarat to:

• Attend or present at a community event?
• Partner on a local initiative?
• Provide information about youth mental health?
• Collaborate on a campaign or project?

We’d love to hear from you.

Youth Reference Group (YRG)

Making sure we do the best we can is incredibly important to our team — and that’s where our Youth Reference Group (YRG) comes in.

YRG members meet regularly to:

• Create ideas
• Plan projects and events
• Provide feedback
• Help shape the direction of headspace Ballarat

They ensure we are delivering services that truly reflect the needs of local young people.

Why Join YRG?

Being involved gives you the opportunity to:

• Lead projects, campaigns and events
• Provide feedback on headspace programs and initiatives
• Share ideas about our website, social media and promotional materials
• Develop skills in event management and public speaking
• Represent youth voice in the local mental health space
• Spread the headspace message across Ballarat
• Make a genuine difference in youth health

YRG is a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for young people who are passionate about mental health and community change.

Interested in joining?
Call us on 5304 4777 or send an email to info@headspaceballarat.org.au

Family & Friends Reference Group (F&FRG)

Supporting a young person experiencing mental health challenges can feel overwhelming. The Family & Friends Reference Group (F&FRG) ensures that the voices of parents, carers and supporters are included in shaping our services.

This group provides feedback, ideas and lived experience insight to help improve how we support families in Ballarat.

Click here for more information about joining out Family & Friends Reference Group.

We Value Your Feedback

At headspace Ballarat, your experience matters.

Whether you’ve accessed our services as a young person, parent, carer or community member, your feedback helps us improve and make sure we’re providing safe, inclusive and high-quality support.

You might like to share:

• What worked well for you
• What we could improve
• Suggestions for new programs or services
• A compliment for a staff member
• A concern about your experience

All feedback is taken seriously and helps guide how we grow and strengthen our services for the Ballarat community.

Click here to provide feedback

If you would prefer to speak with someone directly, you can also call us on (03) 5304 4777.