headspace Katoomba has a ‘no wrong door policy’, which means no young person is turned away without connection to appropriate internal or external services. If you feel you need additional support whilst connecting with an external service or following our recommendations, please let us know.

We do our best to support you on your journey, be it with headspace or onward with an appropriate external referral; however, we always welcome feedback on how we can do better - please see the feedback section below for info on how to do this.

Mental Health Services: 
Mental health workers, which can include psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and mental health nurses (to name a few), are available to talk if you are not feeling like yourself. The mental health workers will spend some time getting to know and understand your story and your goals before working with you (and your friends/family) to find the right way to get you back on track!

The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is what we call our Youth Reference Group (YRG) at our headspace site.

The YAC ensure that our headspace services are kept up to date and youth friendly! They also have two ongoing subcommittees- one of them being the "FAB (For All Bodies) Committee", which is an LGBTQIA+ specific subcommittee.

We recruit new YAC members periodically to help with events, activities and to have input into how headspace works with the community - if you'd like to know more about this, you can email: headspacemtdruitt@uniting.org.   

If you are a service provider and you wish to refer a young person to headspace, simply download the Referral Form and return it via email to: headspacekatoomba@uniting.org. Please ensure to be as specific as possible when filling out this referral.

Please ensure that the young person whom you refer is willing to engage with headspace and is able to attend appointments.

We recommend that you follow up the emailed referral with a phone call, just to make sure we've received it.

Our intake phone number is: 1800 478 626

If you are looking to self refer, you can call us on the provided number, send us an email (as stated above), or, simply walk into our centre, and one of our friendly staff will be on hand to assist you.

Is headspace Katoomba open? 

Answer: We remain open if you need to walk in to our centre between 10.00AM - 6.00PM Monday to Friday. In addition, we are continuing to operate our services via telehealth (phone and online).  

Can I have a face-to-face appointment?

Answer: Yes, and you can also choose to attend your appointment online.

How long will a first intake session take and how soon will I be able to have a face-to-face or phone intake session? 

Answer: Both face-to-face and phone intake sessions take roughly 30 minutes to complete. A face-to-face or telephone intake can be completed when you contact the headspace service. If our intake team isn't available to take your call they will call back between two to five business days. If you have not heard from us in a week, give us a call.

Can I bring my parent/carer/support person to a face-to-face intake session? 

Answer: Yes, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, where possible, we request that this be limited to one person.

Can a parent/carer bring a younger child with their older child who is completing a face-to-face intake session? 

Answer: Yes. We appreciate all efforts to reduce the number of people on-site and understand if you need to bring someone who is under your care and cannot be left with someone else. We ask that parents/carers make sure that younger children are supervised at all times.

Do I need to book for my intake session? 

Answer: No. An intake can be completed Monday-Friday during operating hours. 

Do I need to wear a mask? 

Answer: We ask that you consider wearing a mask for on-site appointments. We ask that you follow all public health precautions such as staying home if you are sick (you can call us instead!), maintaining physical distancing and using hand sanitiser. We encourage everyone to wear a mask, if you have any concerns, please speak to the team. There are masks available on-site if you'd like to use one of those.

Do I need to be vaccinated to have a face-to-face appointment?

Answer: No, we do not require that you are vaccinated to attend appointments face to face. If you are vaccinated and would like us to know, you can speak to your clinician, and they can add it to your file if you'd like them to.

What should I do if I test positive and have attended a face-to-face appointment within the last week?

Answer: We would ask that you let your clinician know as soon as possible, please note you will still be able to access services while unwell via Telehealth/phone.

What are headspace staff doing to ensure the safety of young people attending face-to-face?

Answer: All Uniting staff have been vaccinated for Covid-19 other than those with medical exemptions. Staff check their temperature every day they are on-site and will not attend work face-to-face when showing symptoms. When unable to maintain a 1.5m distance, staff will wear a mask. All staff regularly wash their hands and/or use hand sanitiser.

If you still have any questions or are unsure if a pre-organised appointment with your headspace worker is going ahead face-to-face or online - please give us a call. 

Your feedback is valuable to us - it lets us know what we are doing well and how we can improve our service.

if you are a young person accessing our service – we really appreciate your feedback. From how our service looks and your experience in the waiting room to how you found your sessions and our team – we welcome anything you’d like to tell us. Any feedback won’t have an impact on the service you are currently being given. You can provide that feedback here - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UR_YES_hPCKatoomba

Supporting a family member or friend? Please tell us what you think about headspace and the service you have received. Your feedback will help us improve the service for others. Complete the survey.

Uniting NSW.ACT provides care and support for people through all ages and stages of life, with a focus on people experiencing vulnerability and exclusion. As one of the largest not-for-profit (NFP) organisations in Australia we offer services across NSW and the ACT in the areas of aged care, retirement and independent living, early learning, disability, community, and mental health services. With our values: Compassionate, Respectful, Bold, and Imaginative we work to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice.

The Community Development Team are available to assist with a range of community activities and events.

• Mental health events: The Community Development Team can participate in community events and engage in health and service promotion. We can provide a pop-up stall to distribute a range of information about what mental health is, how to increase positive mental health, and how to link into our services whilst also including some engaging activities for the community. 

headspace Katoomba's services can be accessed free of charge. Some of our services may require you to have a Medicare card, however our primary care services do not.

Young people 15+ years old can get their own Medicare card by visiting a Medicare office or by calling Medicare on 13 20 11.

The below fact sheet and road map explain why young people may need their own Medicare card, and which option and pathway to take for getting their own Medicare card that will suit their needs under difference circumstances.

NSW Government Fact sheet (PDF)