headspace Warrnambool celebrates a decade of helping young Australians

This month marks 10 years since headspace Warrnambool first opened its doors, changing the face of mental health support for young Australians and their families in the Warrnambool community.

Now one of 107 centres across Australia, headspace Warrnambool has welcomed almost 6,000 young Australians since inception.

These young Australians are part of the more than 450,000 who have visited a headspace centre across Australia in the last 12 years.

headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said each headspace centre is created with, and for, young people; ensuring all services, programs and facilities are welcoming and youth-friendly.

“Seeking help for any concerns troubling a young person takes a lot of courage, and headspace has made it easier for young people to come to the one place with all the support they need,” Mr Trethowan said.

“With 75 per cent of mental health problems emerging before the age of 25, we are managing issues early which helps prevent them from becoming more serious and longer lasting.”

To celebrate the 10 year milestone, headspace Warrnambool’s lead agency Brophy Family and Youth Services have their Annual General meeting for the year which will highlight youth mental health and headspace services.

headspace Warrnambool Centre Manager Anne Waters said staff and supporters are proud to celebrate this significant achievement.

“We have established specific programmes through partnerships with lead agency Brophy Family & Youth Services, to deliver on the 4 pillars of the headspace model,” she said.

“The team is thrilled have these programmes in place which are all designed to help meet the growing needs of the young people in the South-West”.

Youth Reference Group member Alisha Densley said she had been volunteering at headspace Warrnambool for 6 years now and that it has been a wonderful experience.

“Having a place to go where I feel like I’m making a difference has boosted my self-esteem and self-confidence quite a bit”, she said

“The staff are understanding of my mental health issues and have been there for me to talk to when I’ve needed it. They were also very supportive of me when my father died last year.

“headspace has helped me gain skills for my future and helped me grow as a person. I am incredibly thankful for them and very proud to be here for headspace Warrnambool’s 10th anniversary”.

For media enquiries please contact: Stephanie Fonti, headspace Communications Coordinator on 0413 025 385 or sfonti@headspace.org.au