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South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) staff including CEO, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, joined stakeholders and community for the official launch of headspace Edmondson Park at Ed Square on Wednesday, 16 October.
The gathering of about 100 people was excited to welcome the opening of the 163rd headspace.
headspace provides young people aged 12 to 25 and their families and friends with support for their mental health, physical and sexual health, work and study goals, as well as assistance with alcohol and other drugs.
SWSPHN has commissioned Grand Pacific Health as the Lead Agency to operate headspace Edmondson Park. All headspace centres are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride (pictured second from left) and Werriwa MP Anne Stanley (pictured second from right) joined the day’s celebration.
In addressing the gathering, Minister McBride acknowledged and thanked those with lived or living experience of mental ill-health for their generous contribution to improving services like headspace and systems of care for people around the country.
She also acknowledged her friend and colleague, Anne Stanley.
“It’s [Anne Stanley’s] advocacy and working alongside the young people of your community and service providers which has made today possible,” she said.
“Our government has invested close to $1.5 million for the establishment of your local headspace in Ed Park and I can’t think of a better location – right across from the train station, very close to local high schools. It’s really convenient and accessible for young people to visit.”
Dr McDonald (pictured back right) congratulated headspace National and Grand Pacific Health on the opening of the centre saying it was a pleasure to be commissioning services like headspace Edmondson Park in such a busy area.
“Location of services like headspace at a central point for the youth of this region is critical to supporting their development, in areas from wellness and social advice, through to issues like mental health, sexual health, alcohol and other drug concerns,” he said.
“South Western Sydney is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, and we know that 21 per cent of the population of Edmondson Park are in the age range for this service. This is a critical service at the right time.”
The gathering also heard from headspace National Clinical Manager, Multicultural Practice, Ali Rahman, Grand Pacific Health, Executive Manager, Primary Health, Jenny Valdivia and Youth Reference Group (YRG) member, Leo (pictured centre), who made a passionate presentation about how headspace had supported him in his recovery from mental ill-health.
“I was once nothing more than a struggling teenager who couldn’t see a future,” Leo told the gathering.
“With the help of headspace, I’ve become a healthy young adult. Having a safe space like headspace is a something that redefined my teenage years and made me become the best version of myself. It has allowed me and others to have a place away from the many pressures of being a young person.”
Leo said young people should have easy access to mental health services because it helped shape the young minds of our future.
“Mental health help is something that makes all the difference,” he said.
“I became a member of the YRG because I wanted to give back to a place that had helped me so much. My hope for our new Edmondson Park location is that we can help as many young people as we can and provide a safe space for those who are struggling.”
The launch also included Raymond’s Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, the official ribbon cutting ceremony, service tours and a barbecue lunch manned by headspace staff.
headspace Edmondson Park is at Shop AG02 Edmondson Square, 52 Soldiers Parade, Edmondson Park.
The site complements other SWSPHN-funded youth specific mental health services in our region including headspace Campbelltown, Liverpool and Bankstown, and ReFrame in the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee Shires.
To access the service, young people can drop into their local headspace centre, or phone to make an appointment, without a doctor’s referral.
Find out more about headspace on SWSPHN’s website.