$4 million boost makes Gympie mental health centre full time

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and others were on hand at headspace Gympie to welcome the announcement of more funds on Tuesday afternoon, with Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien calling mental health care “critically important”.

Cheyne Taylor cuts the ribbon while Jessica Velford (left) and Wide Bay MP Llew O'Brien look on at the opening of Headspace Gympie in 2018. Mr O‘Brien this week announced a new $4 million investment to upgrade headspace Gympie to a full-service centre, increasing staff and tripling the number of available appointments every month.

Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy House Speaker Llew O‘Brien has announced $4 million in funding to upgrade the headspace Gympie youth mental health facility to a full-service centre.

The Gympie centre opened as a satellite service from headspace Maroochydore in July 2018, with the Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network set to receive an extra $4 million over four years from 2021-22 for the upgrade.

Mr O’Brien said the funding reinforced the Federal Government’s “strong commitment to achieving better mental health for all Australians” and would complement an existing investment of $6.5 billion in mental health services in 2021-22.

Mr O’Brien said the funds would go towards increasing staff and tripling the number of available appointments every month.

“Improving mental health outcomes is critically important and we need local services to meet local demand, so this expansion means more young people will be able to access more support and assistance,” Mr O’Brien said.

“In 2018 I worked with (Health Minister Greg) Hunt and the Primary Health Network to bring headspace to Gympie and since that time the demand for the service has grown.

“When meeting with Youturn Youth Services Clinical General Manager Nick Fawcett in June 2020, he informed me that demand for Gympie’s headspace satellite was growing beyond its contract to deliver 100 appointments a month, so I wrote to Minister Hunt to ask that funding be provided to expand the service.

“I wrote to Minister Hunt again in September, sharing concerns that more young people are seeking help in Gympie and presenting to the headspace service with greater needs, and in February this year, I spoke in parliament to highlight the need for Gympie to become a stand-alone headspace operation.

“In the May Budget there was a funding allocation to expand five satellite headspace services into full headspace centres. I again lobbied Minister Hunt on behalf of our community, he listened and acted, and now Gympie has its own full headspace centre offering the range of services.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett and Member for Wide Bay Llew O'Brien the opening of Headspace Gympie in August 2018.

“This additional $4 million in funding will allow Gympie headspace to expand from having two clinical staff working four days a week, to now being able to engage up to six clinical staff, a centre manager and a community engagement officer, which will allow the centre to open five days, provide about 300 appointments a month, and also do community outreach such as school visits.”

Mr Fawcett said the expanded headspace service would ensure more young people were able to access support locally, in a comfortable environment.

The Gympie headspace service is funded through the Australian Government commissioning agency Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN, and PHN CEO Pattie Hudson welcomed the increased support for the service.

Ms Hudson was on hand with Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and others at headspace Gympie on Tuesday to celebrate the announcement, with the latter calling the funding “a huge win” for the Gympie community.

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“Hardworking Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien continues to deliver for infrastructure and services for the communities he serves, and today’s announcement is another example of this record of delivery in action,” Mr Joyce said.

“Our Government’s support for regional communities is rock solid, whether it’s investing in mental health services and facilities, ensuring people get home sooner safer by upgrading the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra, or delivering millions of dollars for local community infrastructure under initiatives like the Building Better Regions Fund.”

Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through headspace (https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), Lifeline (13 11 14), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health (www.headtohealth.gov.au).