headspace
Whyalla

headspace has developed an Welcome Pack for young people & family and friends to read and better understand headspace.

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our full range of welcome pack documents can be downloaded from the list below:

Welcome pack booklet 

Right and responsibilities 

Feedback 

Toolkit and action plan

If you are a family member or friend supporting a young person at headspace Whyalla, we have created this Family and Friends Welcome Pack booklet for you to download. You can also request a hard copy of this at the centre. 

Everyone is welcome at headspace Whyalla. 

The general mental health program offers short-term services for young people experiencing mild to moderate difficulties. There is no cost to access our services.

Anyone can make a referral on behalf of a young person including a friend or family member, health worker or community agency, or a doctor. It is important to note that attendance with the general mental health program is on a voluntary basis, if you are making a referral on a young person’s behalf we encourage you to speak with them prior to making a referral.

Please note that depending on the support required, headspace Whyalla may recommend or need to provide a referral to other agencies best suited to the situation. We will support the young person and/or the referrer whenever this is the case.

Medicare information

First: what is Medicare?

Medicare is Australia’s public health system. It gives people cheaper (and often free!) doctor’s visits, in person and via telehealth, medicines, and lets you go to public hospitals as a public patient. It also provides up to 10 sessions each year with a mental health professional if you get a mental health treatment plan referral from your GP.

If a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) referral is arranged through a local doctor, a Medicare card will be required. This is so that Medicare will cover some or all of the cost of care planning provided by the local doctor. The doctor should outline what costs (if any) are involved when a MHCP is arranged. Services provided at headspace Whyalla via a MHCP are bulk-billed, with no gap to pay. Our team will provide a reminder to bring the Medicare card when an appointment is booked in with a service through a MHCP.

What is bulk-billing?

Bulk billing is when your doctor lets you use your Medicare card to cover the cost of your appointment, so you don’t have to pay for anything. Keep in mind not all doctors bulk bill, so if that’s the case they’ll charge you directly and you’ll get money back from Medicare later. You can find a list of doctors and clinics that bulk bill in Australia.

What is a gap?

If Medicare doesn’t cover all of the cost of your appointment, this is the amount that’s left that you must pay. It’s good to ask if you’ll have to pay a gap when you book your appointment, so you know what to expect.

Why should I get a Medicare card?

There are a bunch of advantages to getting your own Medicare card:

• You’ll be able to get support for your own wellbeing – like going to a psychologist or getting a sexual health check up – with less worry about who can see that you've had the appointment.
• You’ll get a sense of independence having a card of your own.
• The government only issues up to three copies of the one card, so if there are four or more people in your family, getting your own card will be more convenient.
• A Medicare card can also count as ID evidence for all sorts of things, like applying for a passport.

How do I get my own Medicare card?

It’s pretty simple to get your Medicare card. Just follow these steps:

• Complete a Medicare enrolment form.
• Send your completed form and supporting documents to Services Australia via post (address is on the form) or via email. Supporting documents could include copies of your birth certificate, driver’s licence, learner’s permit or passport as well as residency documents such as lease agreements and evidence of employment.
• Wait for Services Australia to mail you your card. You can also download the Express Plus Medicare mobile app to access a digital copy of your Medicare card.

If you’re already on your family’s Medicare card and want your own, it is even easier.

You can do this online through your Medicare online account (this is linked through your myGov account), or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app Services Australia has put together a helpful step-by-step guide on how to request a new card.

What if I'm Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and don't have standard identity documents?

No worries, you can still get a Medicare card by using a referee instead. You and your referee will need to fill in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medicare enrolment and amendment form. Then take your form to your local agent, access point or service centre. If you need help, you can call the Indigenous Access Line. 

Who can be a referee?

A community elder, medical/health service manager, nurse, school principal, any permanent Commonwealth employee with 5 or more years of continuous service, council chairperson, minister of religion and a welfare organisation worker.

If you don’t have one already, it’s also worth checking if you’re eligible for a healthcare card or low-income healthcare card. These cards are for anyone who earns under a certain amount or is on a Centrelink benefit. They count as concession for things like public transport and mean the government will pay more of your health services. 

What if I'm a culturally diverse young person who has recently moved from overseas and don't have a Medicare card?

You are able to access our general mental health program for free and without a Medicare card. 

If you are coming by car there is plenty of FREE parking space.

The local bus service has stops at Westlands then it’s a short walk to Ekblom Street

Timetable

There is also local taxi services that can get you to the centre.

Des’s Taxi – 131 008

eheadspace is an online and over the telephone service that supports young people and their families going through a tough time.

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

Young people may contact eheadspace if they need advice, are worried about their mental health or are feeling isolated or alone. eheadspace can help with a broad range of issues like bullying, drug and alcohol issues, depression and anxiety, relationships, concerns about friends, fitting in and isolation.

You can check out eheadspace by visiting Online and phone support.

If you're 15 - 24 and worried about work or study, get free and confidential support from the headspace Work and Study Online specialists at headspace.

The Team can assist you with creating a winning resume, career planning, job searching, interview preparation, contact and collaboration with employers and social firms.

To find out more, visit Work and study support.

The headspace Whyalla Youth Reference Group is made up of youth leaders  who have a passion for mental health and supporting other young people in our community. 

The group meets on a monthly basis to have their say on activities and events that our centre participate in.

Youth Reference Group positions are paid, voluntary positions and you will also have opportunities to build skills and access formal training opportunities. 

Are you 16-25 years old? 

Are you passionate about youth issues? 

Would you like to contribute to your community? 

Contact us! 

Feedback is important to headspace Whyalla. It allows us to develop and maintain quality services to young people that access our centre.

Feedback can be submitted via our online form

Did you enjoy your experience with us? Let us know by leaving a review on Google

Accessing headspace services is easy.

Anyone can refer into headspace Whyalla. You can refer yourself or you can be referred by a friend, family member, health professional or school.

You can make a referral online here or you can refer into the service by calling 8641 4330

Referrer’s please remember that we are a voluntary service, so the young person that is being referred to us must know about and consent to the referral.

Our fax number is (08) 8186 8686

Our email is info@headspacewhyalla.org.au

Our postal address is 24-26 Ekblom Street Whyalla Norrie SA 5608