Headspace Emerald to be officially opened as part of Youth Week 2022
Young people between the ages of 12 and 25 who live at Emerald and surrounding areas will have access to free and confidential mental health services when headspace Emerald officially opens on Friday.
Central Queensland
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Headspace Emerald will have a grand opening on Friday as the region’s mental health services for youth receive a boost.
The opening, part of Youth Week 2022, will happen at 65 Hospital Road from 3pm to 6pm (April 8).
Headspace Emerald has been operating since January and in that time it has helped 53 people - 60.4 per cent were female, 34 per cent were male and 5.7 per cent identified as other.
The majority of those helped were aged between 15 and 17.
The main mental health issues experienced by young people at Emerald were depression and self-harm.
Headspace provides customised and integrated mental health help and support for people aged 12 to 25.
Headspace is free and confidential.
It also works alongside sexual health services, alcohol and other drug services, vocational educational services and general practitioners to assist young people with social, alcohol and other drug use, career guidance, and physical health in relation to their mental health.
Centre manager for Headspace Emerald and manager of Children, Youth and Families AnglicareCQ, Hayley Mattson-Finger, believes that mental health should be considered part of a young person’s wellbeing.
“Mental health in young people, even just around wellbeing for young people, is really important because from the get-go it sets up their journeys through into adulthood,” Ms Mattson-Finger said.
“And being able to have the tools and resources that are required to be able to be well and have good wellbeing.
“Well we talk about mental health; it’s really around a young person’s wellbeing.
“And I think that’s really important being able to give a young person tools and resources to, and allow them to navigate through their journey with wellbeing at their own pace, and within their own time.
“But having those really supportive environments, like headspace Emerald to be able to guide, and support, and help them navigate through that journey of their mental health and wellbeing.”
Headspace Emerald is open Monday to Friday and can be contacted by emailing headspace.emerald@anglicarecq.org.au or by phoning 1800 950 722.
Headspace Emerald is funded by Commonwealth primary healthcare agency (PHN) Central Queensland, Sunshine, and Wide Bay and is headed up Anglicare Central Queensland.
PHN’s CEO Pattie Hudson said she was extremely pleased that this much needed service would officially be launched in the Central Highlands region.
“By working together, we can build better healthcare services for young people living in Emerald and surrounds and we look forward to the headspace service in Emerald leading the way for headspace services across rural and remote regions in Australia,” she said.
At the Headspace Emerald opening
There will be live music from local youth groups, food, stalls, face paintings and other activities.
Annie the working dog and Frank Finger who won ABC’s “Muster Dog” TV series will be available for photos at 3pm.
The event will end with a free screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore at the Emerald Cinemas.
Youth Week 2022 activities
- Monday, April 11 at 12:30pm: a free screening of Sonic 2 will be held at Emerald Cinemas.
- Tuesday, April 12: a Uno tournament will be held at 10am at Springsure Library for 10 – 17 year olds.
- Wednesday, April 13: For 8 – 17 year olds who like boot camps one will take place at 10am at Emerald Indoor Sports Complex PCYC Emerald.
- A screening of Sonic 2 will take place at Capella Cultural Centre at 7pm at Capella Cultural Centre will take place the same day.
- Also on Wednesday, April 13, Henchmen will be screening at Blackwater International Coal Centre at 1pm.
- Thursday, April 14: The week will conclude with board games for 10-17 year olds at PCYC Blackwater at 10am.
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