$1.6M for Mayo to have full service headspace centre

The Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island will have their own headspace youth mental health centre headquartered in Mount Barker thanks to $1.6 million in federal funding secured by local Federal MP Rebekha Sharkie.

The funding was announced in the Federal Budget today.

At present, the headspace services and outreach programs currently operating in the region are co-ordinated from the Murray Bridge headspace centre.

“This announcement is positive news for our young people who are doing it really tough at the moment,” Rebekha said.

“It is also the fulfilment of a campaign started by our young people not long after I was first elected in 2016 and I was working with my new Young Mayo consultative group.

“They wanted a fully-fledged, stand-alone headspace service in our region and after some lobbying, we were able to secure a satellite service in Mt Barker and then a shopfront service for the South Coast with outreach to Kangaroo Island.

“Now, finally, we have our own headspace and we need it.

“Not only are stakeholders telling us it is not practical for Murray Bridge to oversee the growing demand in our region in addition to their own commitments, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic has sent anxiety rates soaring, especially in our young people, and demand for mental health support is growing everywhere.

“Our local headspace in Mount Barker has expanded its satellite services again, and yet they are already full.

“There is an unmet need in our community which is only natural in a growing region and while our young people are dealing with a world that has been turned upside down thanks to COVID-19.”