headspace
Cowra

If you would like to refer a young person to our service you can:

Call us on (02) 6941 9022 or email hs.cowra@marathonhealth.com.au to begin speaking to a member of our team or for further information. You can also choose to drop in to our centre at 118A Kendal Street and begin speaking to someone directly.

Other services can refer a suitable young person by filling out our external referral form here and emailing it to the address shown above

Self referral: If you are a young person between the ages of 12-25 and wish to make an appointment for yourself you can call or email  us as well as drop into the centre by following the contact details shown above. A family member or friend is welcome to support you when making a referral as well.

If you'd prefer to make contact online or by phone then eheadspace might be for you. eheadspace is a confidential, free and secure space where young people 12 - 25 or their family can chat, email or speak on the phone with a qualified youth mental health professional. 

If you have not received a reply from your email within 3-5 business days please call our office on 6941 9021 to follow up your request

What is the Youth Reference Group?

headspace Cowra's YRG is a group of young people aged 12-25 who volunteer their time to guide headspace on where we should focus our attention, youth input on how we can improve the experience of young people who walk through our door and ideas on how we might reach young people in our community who need us most. We need to know what's working, and importantly, what isn't for the young people of our community, and that's where you come in.

In short, we're always looking for new ways to celebrate the skills and knowledge young people have, and we believe youthmatters is a great way of utilising the strengths, abilities and capabilities of our youth community.

What will my role in the YRG involve?

By being a member of headspace Cowra's Youth Reference Group, you're signing up to be involved in the planning, decision making and direction of headspace Cowra.

Your voice will help -

• guide headspace Cowra in the development and review of programs, groups and resources.
• ensure young people in Cowra have the opportunity to initiate and be involved in community awareness raising activities and events.
• create positive youth media that promotes young people, their experiences and stories.
• make sure headspace Cowra continues to be a youth friendly centre that meets the needs of local young people.

What's in it for you?

This is your chance to:

• Link in with other inspired young people and have a positive impact on your community.
• Build your skill set! You can focus your attention on the skills you most want to develop. This could range from lending a helping hand at community events, project management, or increasing your knowledge of mental health.
• Advocate on behalf of your peers and community.
• Get some experience in marketing and promotion.
• Participate in training opportunities.
• Tick up a whole heap of experience for your resume.

What am I committing to?

If you're a member of headspace Bathurst's youthmatters Group you'll be ready to;

• Attend meetings on a regular basis. You'll also need to acknowledge that there will be times you won't be able to make it, so being prepared to keep in touch when you're not around will be important. The dates and times of these meetings will be decided by members.
• Volunteer your time to develop projects and attend events.
• Be involved in online groups or contactable between meetings so that we can progress your ideas and keep the momentum going!

How do I get involved?

• To get you application rolling we just need a few details from you. You'll find an application form here or you can pick up one from our office at 118A Kendal Street.
• if you're under 16 years of age you'll need the approval of your guardian to get involved. If you think this is going to be a problem please let us know.
• Once completed, simply return the application form to headspace Cowra, by email hs.cowra@marathonhealth.com.au by or drop in to 118A Kendal Street.

Are you aged 25 years or older?

Do you have a passion for being an adult advocate for young people?

Would you like to see improved youth mental health outcomes in the local community?

The headspace regional Family and Friends Reference Group wants you!

Meeting every two months, the Family and Friends Reference Group is made up of a group of community members [25 years and older] who are passionate about mental health and wellbeing.

The group aims to:

1. Provide you with the opportunity to have input into the strategic direction of headspace services, and local mental health services.
2. Allow a way for the voice of young people to be heard and acted upon.
3. Provide opportunities for skills and leadership development and provide experience in; media, marketing, communication and advocacy skills.
4. Support you to lead projects locally
5. Assist in allowing young people to direct youth mental health policy development
6. Demonstrate good practice by assisting young people in the youth, welfare and health sector

To express interest, visit https://forms.office.com/r/tp1xpJYqz3 

For more information, contact 6941 9022 or email hs.Cowra@marathonhealth.com.au

Disclosure of personal information
Personal information gathered as part of this service will remain confidential except when:

• it is subpoenaed by a court; or
• failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or
• your prior approval has been obtained to:

1. provide a written report to another professional or agency. e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or
2. discuss the material with another person, eg. a parent, employer or health provider; or
3. disclose the information in another way; or

• you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected; or
• disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.

How and why we collect personal information
As part of providing a psychological service to you, headspace Bathurst needs to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation; such as your name, contact information, medical history and other relevant information. This collection of personal information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment that is conducted. We use personal information that you give us to provide you with the best service we can. How much you tell us is up to you. The more information we have the more we can be clear about the help we can offer. When we collect personal information or ask you questions, we will whenever practical, let you know why this information is being collected. 

Each time you have an appointment at headspace Bathurst, you will be asked to complete a hAPI survey, which will be texted or emailed to you. The information collected will be used by headspace Bathurst staff to assist in providing you with the best support possible. This information is then de-identified to help us to evaluate and develop our services and learn about the health needs of young people. We are also required to report unidentifiable information about you (eg. age, amount of sessions, gender) to our funding body.

Your email address will not be added to any mailing lists without your permission.

Provision of a telehealth service
headspace Bathurst currently provides telephone or videoconferencing appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To access telehealth appointments you will need access to a quiet, private space; and the appropriate device, i.e. smartphone, laptop, iPad, computer, with a camera, microphone and speakers; and a reliable broadband internet connection. At the beginning of every telehealth session, your clinician will ask where you are currently located.

Limitations of telehealth
A telehealth consultation may be subject to limitations such as an unstable network connection which may affect the quality of the psychology session. In addition, there may be some services for which telehealth is not appropriate or effective. Your headspace Bathurst worker will consider and discuss with you the appropriateness of ongoing telehealth sessions.

Protecting your privacy
headspace Bathurst is committed to protecting your privacy. As part of providing a service to you, headspace Bathurst will need to collect and record personal information about you. However, you do not have to give all your personal information, but if you don’t, this may mean there is a limit to the services we can provide. Your details and session notes are stored electronically on a database called MasterCare. Access to this is protected by a password and organisation systems to ensure your information is kept confidential.

We take all reasonable steps to securely store your information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. We will not record calls or video chats, unless agreed upon by you. Every effort has been made to ensure that all contact with the headspace Bathurst service is secure and confidential. Unfortunately, we do not know if headspace Bathurst phone numbers will show up on mobile/home phone bills. It depends on the type of phone bill you receive. headspace Bathurst uses systems that meet recommended standards to protect the privacy and security of the video sessions. However, headspace Bathurst cannot guarantee total protection against hacking or tapping into the video visits by outsiders. This risk is small, but it does exist.

Informed consent
Informed consent is a procedure that entails providing you with comprehensive information about the psychological service and gaining your agreement to take part in the service. At your first appointment your clinician will talk you though the above information and you are welcome to ask any questions. Your clinician will then ask if the following has been explained and you have understood that:

• I consent to telehealth services
• There are some instances where my headspace Bathurst clinician may have to break confidentiality to keep me safe.
• This is a voluntary service and I can choose to leave and not come back at any time.
• If I have any worries about the service I receive; I can talk to my clinician or contact the manager of headspace Bathurst.
• I have received a Welcome Pack which includes my Rights and Responsibilities for care and treatment at headspace Bathurst, and these have been explained to me.
• I may choose to nominate and involve family/carers/friends/others in my care, and I’ve been offered a Family and Friends pack with information about the services.

At headspace Cowra we are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve our services, and your feedback is the key to our improvement. If you have any compliments, complaints, or suggestions about our services, then our team would love to hear from you.

To provide feedback, please click this Link, which will take you to our digital, completely anonymous, feedback form.