Today marked the official launch of headspace Ocean Grove with young people, community health organisations, healthcare providers, and members of both local and Federal Government coming together to formally open the site.
The opening event was marked with a Welcome to Country from Wadawurrung Elder, Corrina Eccles, stories from young people in the headspace Youth Futures Crew about what it means to have a headspace in the community, and a special visit from The Honorable Greg Hunt MP, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care.
Since headspace Ocean Grove opened its doors in August 2021 it has received a steady stream of referrals with close to 1,300 appointments already made for young people, their families and their friends.
The official opening of headspace Ocean Grove means more young people across the Bellarine Peninsula will now be able to access services to support mental health, physical health (including sexual health) and alcohol and other drugs.
In a true community collaboration to ensure the service is safe and appropriate for local young people and their families and friends, headspace Ocean Grove comes together with the support of Barwon Child, Youth & Family (BCYF), Bellarine Community Health (BCH), transitioning provider of its parent centre headspace Geelong, Stride Mental Health Limited and commissioning body, Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN).
Young people can access support by contacting headspace Ocean Grove direct or via referral from a GP, a family member or a friend.
headspace is available to young people aged 12 to 25 years along with their families and friends to provide face-to-face information, support and services. These services are generally free of charge.
WVPHN CEO Rowena Clift said: “WVPHN is proud to collaborate with BCYF, BCH, Stride and headspace National to provide young people greater access to appropriate mental health care with the official launch of headspace Ocean Grove. Breaking down barriers for young people seeking support is central to nurturing the health and wellbeing of our youth. The new headspace service in Ocean Grove offers a safe and non-judgmental place for
young people in the Bellarine Peninsula and their families to seek professional mental health support, information and advice close to home.”
headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan said: We know the past couple of years have been particularly tough for this region, and further compounded by the impacts of the global pandemic. Never has it been more important to ensure we have appropriate, safe and youthfriendly services available to support young people in the community. I’m proud to be here today to see headspace Ocean Grove officially launch. The establishment of this site has
been a true community collaboration and I want to thank all those involved, particularly the young people who provided direction about how this service could be most appropriate for them. I also want to make special thanks to The Honorable Greg Hunt, Minister for Health and Aged Care for all his support over the years and of course the Federal Government for recognising and addressing the needs of young people.
Emilie, 24, Member of the Youth Futures Crew said: It’s really exciting to welcome headspace Ocean Grove to the community. It means a lot to know there’s a service like headspace in the community for young people who see headspace as somewhere they can go for help.
Barwon Child, Youth & Family CEO, Sandy Morrison said: “BCYF is proud to partner with Bellarine Community Health in the establishment of the headspace Ocean Grove service. We are pleased that we have been able to support them in delivering the new satellite service and which will, importantly, help further improve the mental health and wellbeing outcomes for our community’s young people.”
Bellarine Community Health CEO, Garry Ellis said: “This is an exciting time for Bellarine Community Health. We have been given the opportunity to provide support and services to many young people on the Bellarine Peninsula. I am sure we all recognise the need for a facility such as this to provide easy access and support for those who need it.