We understand that asking for help when you're not feeling yourself takes strength and can feel uncomfortable. Because of this, we have made our referral process as easy as possible. 

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-25, there are a number of ways in which you can access our services at headspace Southport.

• You can make an appointment yourself
• You can have a friend or family member make an appointment for you
• You can make an appointment with your GP and ask them to complete the referral form for you 
• A trusted professional from your school, TAFE, University or any other health or community service provider can complete the referral form or call on your behalf.

If you are under the age of 16 years of age, we encourage you to bring along a parent, care giver or support person for your first appointment. 

Making an appointment

To make an appointment at headspace Southport: 

• You can call us on 07 5509 5900
• You can email us at reception@headspacesouthport.or.au
• You can drop into the centre at Level 1 h20 Broadwater, 1/2 Nind Street, Southport, during our opening hours.

Please see the Early Psychosis section on this page for more information about referring yourself or someone else to this service.

When you call to make an appointment our friendly and helpful reception staff will take some details like your name, contact information and any Medicare information and then book you in to our next available time to see a clinician. You will then get a welcome pack explaining more.

While you can just walk-in to the centre to see someone, you may have to wait until a clinician is free so we prefer if you make an appointment. 

Our phone and email accounts are only checked during our opening hours. If you require immediate support, please contact:

• MH Call on 1300 642 255
• Kids Helpline on 18100 551 800
• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Emergency Services 000

Cost 

Services are free. 

You don't need to have a Mental Health TreatmentPlan (also known as a mental health CarePlan) before contacting headspace and coming in for your first appointment. If after your appointment, you and the clinician feel that this would be the best way to support you, then we can help you through getting a Mental Health Treatment Plan after you attend. 

Bulk Billing is where headspace, instead of charging you, can bill Medicare (or the Australian government) for the health services that you receive. You can find more information at this government website Bulk billing and Medicare. 

Wondering what happens when you come to an appointment at headspace Southport?

If you are referred to the headspace Early Psychosis Program, see the section further down for information about this service.

When you walk in the doors, our friendly team at reception will greet you and help you with a few bits of essential paperwork, then you can make yourself comfortable in our waiting room, with tea and coffee available and your clinician will come to meet you.

If you are coming with family, friends or other support people, some helpful info can be found in this Welcome Pack for Family and Friends

headSTART is what we call our pathway into services provided at headspace Southport, it is based on a very well researched model called "single session framework" . This research found that more often than not, between 1 and 3 sessions is enough to support someone with their current situation and difficulties. 

The clinician will work with you to keep the questions and assessment to a minimum and focus on providing strategies and tools straight away. 

This pathway helps us to keep the wait time for an appointment with a clinician to two weeks and under so you can get support when you need it. 

Should you and the clinician agree that you need additional support, they’ll work with you to map the best pathway and link you to services that will best meet your needs. This could be with Practitioners or programs within headspace Southport, or with other local services and specialists. Should we think another service would be more suitable, we will make that referral and paperwork for you, and if you think it would be helpful we can support you as you move across and meet new people”  

While we are best known for our mental health support, we also offer services to support overall well being:

GP for your physical health, this service is available for young people registered with headspace and our GP can support you with physical health issues, with accessing a Mental Health Care Plan, medication reviews and anything else you would see a GP for. 

True Clinic for sexual health 

YODA for alcohol other drugs 

Busy Ability and headspace Work and Study for support with employment

hAPI survery - what are they and why are they important?

To be able to continue providing a completely free service it is important that we collect some basic (de identified) information for every appointment. It is also important that we collect information about how you are going to best be able to support you, and if you come to see us more than once we can see how you are going and whether what we are doing is helping so we can respond and change where needed. The way we do this at headspace is through a centralised platform called hAPI. 

Before any appointment at headspace Southport, you will be asked to complete a "hAPI survey", you will be unable to complete it on your phone so we have access to an iPad in the centre and staff will be able to assist you to complete them. 

In addition, some of the information you provide is used in an unidentified way to show the government, the headspace network and our funders what services are needed here on the Gold Coast. 

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete the first time but is quicker for any subsequent appointment. 

headspace Southport is not a crisis service and we cannot guarantee that we can respond in an emergency.

For urgent assistance, please contact;

Emergency services 000
If you need immediate help or are at risk of harm to yourself or others, call 000 now

Lifeline 13 11 14
Confidential service providing support to anyone in Australia who is feeling overwhelmed, having difficulty coping or thinking about suicide

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Australia's only free support service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years, offering confidential and private counselling and mental health and wellbeing information and referrals

13YARN  13 92 76
The first national crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. Confidential one-on-one with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis supporter. 

1300 MH CALL – 1300 64 22 55
A free, 24/7 service offering advice and information in a mental health emergency or crisis.
Further information about this service can be found here

Other Services and Resources

Head to Health
Head to Health is a free, confidential service that helps all Australians access the mental health and wellbeing services that are right for them.
Whether you are looking for mental health support for yourself, someone you care about, or just trying to improve your wellbeing – Head to Health is a good place to start.
They can help you navigate and choose the most suitable care options, whether that’s face-to-face, via phone, or online.

Find out more about Head to Health here 
Please note; Head to Health is not an emergency or crisis service.

headspace online services
headspace has developed online resources that can be accessed by setting up your own free and confidential account 

Through this account you can access: 

• 1:1 support with a mental health clinician online or on the phone (9am – midnight, NOT a crisis service)
• Weekly online clinician led community chats on specific topics
• Peer chats to connect with others experiencing similar issues
• Online tools and resources to build your own personalised toolkit
• Work and Study specialist support

Sign up for your headspace account here 

Taplink
Taplink is a list of online, phone and face to face support and services covering mental health, housing, drug and alcohol support and much more.

Check out Taplink here

headspace Early Psychosis supports young people aged 12-25 who are experiencing, or at risk of developing a first episode of psychosis. 

We are an early intervention service providing wrap-around support for young people and their families/carers. This includes;

• Assessment, case management and specialty support from mental health professionals
• Support to help get back to study or work
• Support with everyday life skills, e.g. shopping, travelling
• Support from Psychiatrists and Medical Doctors 
• Support for family & carers 
• Fun, helpful groups like cooking, surfing, art and bushwalking with other young people who have had similar experiences
• Peer support from people with lived experience

Referrals

Young people can be referred to headspace Early Psychosis by any source including doctors, schools, family, friends or self-referral. 

You can learn more about the early signs and experiences of psychosis here and watch this excellent animation Lucy’s Story to hear about a real life experience of psychosis.

Health professionals/other services may find this checklist helpful to guide appropriate referrals.

Referrals can be made using this form.

Completed forms and supporting documents can be returned to

Email: earlypsychosis@headspacesouthport.org.au
Fax: 07 5527 1251

If you have any questions about the Early Psychosis Program or referrals please contact us on 0423 614 781

The Mobile Assessment and Treatment Team (MATT) will review this referral and if suitable, complete an assessment with the young person.

MATT will then provide referrers with feedback and recommendations for this young person.

If the assessment determines that the headspace Early Psychosis program is a suitable service to provide ongoing intervention, they will be offered case management by the continuing care team based at either headspace Meadowbrook or headspace Southport depending on where they live.

Our team are experts in their field, with a specific interest in the unique experiences and needs of young people. 

Our staff come from a range of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences. This includes;

• Psychologists
• Clinical Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Occupational Therapists
• Counsellors
• General Practitioner (GP)
• Psychiatrists (Early Psychosis Program)
• Vocation/Education Specialist/Services
• Family Peer Support Workers
• Youth Peer Support Workers
• Community Engagement 
• Youth Advisory Council
• Reception/Administration

headspace Southport's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of passionate young people who work with our centre to give guidance and feedback, collaborate on events and campaigns, create social media and help make sure young people’s voices are being heard. 

If you are keen to find out more about our YAC and how to apply click here. 
You can also email Emily at emily.allan@headspacesouthport.org.au or call/text 0455 185 128

We are a small team of dedicated Community Engagement workers who work part-time hours.

An important part of our role in community is to promote headspace services to young people, parents/carers, schools and other key stakeholders. We are keen to collaborate with services and community groups based on the Gold Coast by offering presentations about headspace services, hosting stalls and partnering on activities/events/something cool! We are particularly interested in working with our priority groups which include young people who identify as First Nations, Culturally & Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQAP+ and young men.

To keep up with the fun we are having at our Southport centre or in the community head over to our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Our Community Engagement team also runs our Youth Advisory Council which is a group of passionate young people who work with our centre to give guidance and feedback, collaborate on events and campaigns, create social media and help make sure young people’s voices are being heard. 

Request to collaborate with our Community Engagement Team  

There are a number of ways our Community Engagement team can work with local stakeholders. Use the below links to send us a request or to find out more about how we can collaborate:

• Community Engagement Request Form for Schools/Unis/Tafes
• Community Engagement Request Form for Services/Community Groups

At headspace Southport we take your privacy very seriously and anything shared with us is confidential. We keep all your information on a secure database which is only available to headspace Southport staff. The law stops us from sharing your information outside these people unless we have your permission. 

Sometimes you do not want us to share your information and we respect that, however there may be times when we need to talk to someone without your permission, such as: if you or someone else is at significant risk of harm or if the law requires us to do so. We will always let you know if this needs to happen. 

At headspace Southport we want to work together with you to ensure that you receive all the support you need to reach your goals. We believe that to achieve this is necessary to tell you what you can expect from us and what we may expect from you. 

You have the right to:

• be treated with respect at all times
• receive a high-quality, professional and non-judgemental service
• feel safe and supported to voice your thoughts, feelings and opinions and have them listened to
• work together with your thoughts, feelings and opinions and have them listened to
• work together with your team at headspace Upper Coomera on goals and care plans with which you have agreed 
• be involved in making decisions that affect your life 
• provide feedback to us or to headspace National about the treatment you receive here
• ask for access to information we may have collected about you 
• ask to receive support from a different worker if you are not satisfied or comfortable with the worker who is allocated to you 
• expect that no information about you will be given to anyone that isn't involved in your support or treatment unless you choose to allow that information to be shared or unless the law requires us to disclose that information 
• give us as much or as little information as you want

Your responsibility is to:

• Treat the headspace Southport team with respect and recognise that we are here to help
• not attend headspace Southport when under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other substances.
• make every effort to contact us should you not be able to make your appointment
• respect the privacy of other people accessing the service
• respect the property and premise of headspace Southport

We believe that family and friends play an important role in the path to better wellbeing. We understand that there may be many different types of family and friends that are important. Research shows that involving family and friends in a young person’s care can lead to better health outcomes.  

Wherever possible, we support and create meaningful opportunities for family and friends to directly participate in our services, in ways that the young person is comfortable with, and that are likely to be beneficial to the young person's wellbeing.  

All involvement of family and friends at headspace is done with the young person's privacy and confidentiality in mind. 

Please see this Family and Friends Welcome Pack for more information and headspace National also offer online support services for family and friends.

headspace Southport welcomes feedback, complaints and compliments from young people, their friends and family.   
Sharing your experience and ideas helps us to know what we’re doing well, and how we can make improvements. 
 
You can do this by; 

• Filling in the Tell Us About It form in the waiting room, and drop it in the box 
• Speaking to a team member in the centre 
• Phoning us on 07 5600 1999 
• Emailing us at reception@headspacesouthport.org.au

• Sharing online via Care Opinion
• or via headspace national office feedback  

Providing feedback or making a complaint will not impact your care or access to services. 
We appreciate your willingness to provide this valuable feedback so that we can provide the best possible care and experience to young people and their families. 

Accessibility
headspace Southport is accessible for people who use a wheelchair and/or have restricted movement. Our centre has lift access from Nind street, which has a loading zone outside that can be used for drop-off and collection or metered parking (standard size).

Toilet Facilities
headspace Southport has an adapted toilet available for people who use a wheelchair and/or have restricted movement. All toilets are gender neutral.

Transport Options
headspace Southport can be reached via the Gold Coast public transport network (Translink). Most buses stop at the near-by Australia Fair Shopping Complex which is an approx. 800m walk (15mins) to the centre. The closest tram spot is at Southport Station (outside of the Southport District Courthouse) which is roughly a 500m walk (8mins). Click here.to plan your journey with Translink.

Free Parking
headspace Southport is able to offer free parking for up to four hours. Enter via Welch Street (as pictured below) into the H2O Building circular entrance. Turn left into the underground parking and drive up the first ramp to the next level. Please only use the allocated bays marked Visitor's Parking Only. Please note: if you park in other bays, you will be at risk of being towed by H2O Building Personnel.

Do my parents need to come with me?

Although we feel it's great if parents can come and support you, we also understand this may be difficult for many reasons. Therefore, your parents don't have to attend appointments with you. You can attend by yourself or you may want to bring someone else that you feel comfortable with to join the session. If you’re 16 years or under we will require consent from a family member or guardian to attend. 

What happens when I call to make an appointment?

You will talk to one of our friendly staff who will:

• Chat with you about what you are wanting help with
• Explain to you the services we can provide
• Work with you to develop a plan around how we can work with you

We will use this information to match you with a worker who will contact you to book a face-to-face or phone appointment. You can also ask a friend, teacher, parent, other family member, health worker or community agency to contact headspace Southport for you; however we will still reach out to you to get your consent. 

Do you tell people what I say?

At headspace Southport, we take your privacy very seriously and anything you say to us is confidential. If your information needs to be given to other people or organisations we will ask you first for your permission. The only time we would talk to someone else without your permission is if you tell us that you are going to hurt yourself or someone else, or if we are required to by law. Keeping you and other people safe is our main priority.

What if I'm not ready to speak to someone face-to-face?

It's totally normal to feel nervous about getting help for the first time. If you're going through a tough time and you're not ready to chat to someone face-to-face, eheadspace provides confidential online web-chat and telephone mental health support 7 days a week, 9am- 1am. To access eheadspace for the first time all you need to do is register at Online and phone support or phone 1800 650 890. 

headspace Southport is proud to support the training and development of the future workforce, and to assist in mental health and wellbeing research initiatives.

Research Requests
All requests to promote research projects/initiatives at headspace Southport or collaborate with us on a research initiative must be submitted via this EOI to Conduct Research Request Form. Completed forms are to be emailed to research@liveslivedwell.org.au

If approved by Lives Lived Well, we will then determine if we have capacity in our centre to support your project. This can depend on the level of staff participation/support required and what other research projects are already taking place.

We will contact you via email to advise of the outcome of your request.

Student Placements
headspace Southport offers several student placements each year, and the demand for placements is always high. To assist students in deciding whether headspace Southport may be an appropriate and suitable placement option, please review the placement information below.

All applications for placements must be requested and coordinated through the Clinical Educator at your University.

What type of activities do students get to participate in whilst on placement?

• Conducting psychosocial assessment and providing single-session intervention
• Participating in Clinical MDT Review meetings.
• Making referrals to external and internal service providers.
• Provide case coordination.
• Co-facilitating therapeutic groups.
• Provide brief intervention counselling sessions.
• Participate in community awareness activities.

What type of students can complete a placement at headspace Southport?
Students that headspace Southport usually works with are;

• Social Work Bachelor or masters, final placement.
• Psychology internships- will require an external supervisor.
• Bachelor or masters of Occupational Therapy, final placement.

For Student Placement Coordinators 
Coordinators who wish to broker student placements at headspace Southport can contact the headspace Clinical Educator, Chloe Thomas by email on chloe.thomas@headspacesouthport.org.au