headspace Wyong officially opened by the Hon Emma McBride MP

A vital service for young people has been officially opened today with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride MP, cutting the ribbon at headspace Wyong.

The official opening coincides with headspace Wyong’s first anniversary, having been postponed due to COVID restrictions.

Speaking at the official opening, Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network CEO Richard Nankervis said there has been an increased awareness and investment in youth mental health.

“The opening of headspace Wyong is the culmination of effective collaboration between all levels of government, the local community, and stakeholders.

“We're thrilled to see the service open and providing mental health support for young people in Wyong and the surrounding areas.

“Investment into early intervention is crucial to supporting young people experiencing depression, substance abuse and other mental health issues. Particularly in regional areas where access to services can be difficult, headspace Wyong will provide young people with a safe and welcoming space to connect with youth health professionals to support their mental health needs.”

headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said all young people deserved access to youth-friendly mental health services – no matter where they live. “headspace Wyong will give young people in the local community a safe and welcoming place to get support for their mental health and wellbeing.

“With two in five young Australians experiencing mental illness, the work of headspace has never been more important.

Young people have experienced several additional challenges over the past two years, including COVID-19, natural disaster and the rising cost of living.

“We are committed to supporting young people in Wyong and the greater Central Coast region to get get through tough times, and live happy and healthy lives.”

About the Centre
headspace Wyong began operations on 14/12/21 and is a three day/week satellite service running from the headspace Lake Haven parent centre.

On the Central Coast, we now have three headspace locations and a headspace service platform that headspace Wyong is part of – the platform consists of the following services:

• headspace Gosford (PHN funded)
• headspace Lake Haven (PHN funded)
• headspace Wyong Satellite (PHN funded)
• Youth Complex – Connected Recovery Service (PHN funded)
• Disaster Resilience Program (PHN funded)
• headspace Work and Study Program (Department of Social Serviced funded)

Since opening, headspace Wyong Satellite (which operates three days/week) has achieved the following:

• Received almost 200 referrals
• Completed over 400 occasions of service
• Serviced over 250 young people
• On average, 15 per cent of the young people attending headspace Wyong identify as First Nations people
• Over 30 per cent of those attending identify as being part of the LGBTIQA+ community

Other achievements include:

• The employment of our first Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer at headspace Wyong – Lily Hodgson.
• An integrated service platform across the Coast for young people aged 12-25 years that now also includes Telepsychiatry.
• The funding enhancement for headspace Lake Haven to the status of fully funded centre.

headspace on the Central Coast:
The three headspace centres on the Central Coast (Gosford, Lake Haven and Wyong) have achieved the following over the last 12 months:

• Received almost 1,500 referrals
• Completed over 7,500 occasions of service
• Serviced over 1,800 young people
• The Lead agency for the headspace Platform on the Central Coast is The Central Coast Local Health District.

For more information about headspace Wyong visit www.headspace.org.au or stop by the centre.

For more information about headspace visit: www.headspace.org.au

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For more information:
Rebecca Brennan, Communications and Public Relations Manager rbrennan@thephn.com.au 0437 478 138The Primary Health Network works with health care providers across the Hunter, New England and Central Coast. Through our innovative programs our communities benefit from greater coordination, better systems and improved access to health care.