An unlikely combo celebrate a decade together after helping more than 13,000 people

As psychologist wait times balloon and mental health support is increasingly under strain, an unlikely pairing has celebrated 10 years of offering free and comprehensive help. Have you had trouble getting help? Take our survey.

Cairns Headspace manager Helen Isenhour and youth reference group member Ella Diola celebrate the 10-year partnership with the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Picture: Tim Little

As psychologist wait times balloon and mental health support becomes unreachable for many, an unlikely pairing has celebrated 10 years of offering free and comprehensive help.

Royal Flying Doctors Service and Cairns Headspace have marked a decade of critical mental health and youth support services across the Far North.

Cairns Headspace manager Helen Isenhour said since 2015, the organisation’s services have been accessed 60,000 times by about 13,500 young people.

“Our young people have been affected by many things in recent years,” Ms Isenhour said.

“A lot of young people are finding it hard to afford the sort of help that they need and therefore coming into a free service and being able to access psychological support, a doctor, without a gap fee or without any fees at all is really what young people need.”

The Royal Flying Doctor Service in Queensland has provided key training and resources in Cairns since 2015 to plug the gap in services across the Far North.

The Grafton Street hub provides free counseling, youth groups and psychology appointments to youth across Cairns and hinterland, with key training and resources provided by the RFDS.

Ms Isenhour said the partnership didn’t mean flying across Australia, but rather having the support to carry out their critical work.

“Unfortunately, none of us get a plane ride, however, Royal Flying Doctors is our key support so they underpin a lot of the work that we do here,” she said.

“They’re very passionate about regional and rural and remote mental health, and they’re our support so while we’re running the Headspace model, the RFDS come underneath us and support all the work we do and make sure that we get the job done in Cairns.”

Despite the critical work, many in the community are not aware of what services are available.

Headspace youth reference group member Ella Diola said she wanted to shatter the stigma of seeking aid and make sure young people understood that free help was there.

“I think the biggest thing is that there’s a lot of stigma...they don’t feel like they can reach out or maybe they don’t see the services enough in Cairns, but we’re really trying to make Headspace more seen,” she said.

“They (young people) do speak on how influential it has been, especially on the social aspect of their lives.

“Just having free services, doctors, counsellors, as well as employment services, it’s been integral to a lot of young people’s well-being in Cairns.”

Originally published as An unlikely combo celebrate a decade together after helping more than 13,000 people