Additional federal government funding boosts headspace Port Macquarie

Cowper MP Pat Conaghan described the extra $841,714 over three years for headspace Port Macquarie as absolutely crucial.

The operations manager for headspace Port Macquarie, Jenny Sinclair, said the funding was very exciting and she was thrilled for the young people in our community.

"It helps us build our capacity," she said.

The funding will provide training around single-session family therapy, support for allied health professionals, access to software to provide ongoing online support and employ additional staff.

Headspace Port Macquarie quickly moved to telehealth services as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its clinicians started working from home.

Young people and their families took up that support.

"As we start to reawaken, we don't want to lose that flexibility," Mrs Sinclair said.

The way of the future is online support, coupled with face to face support.

"Then young people can access whatever they want," Mrs Sinclair said.

She said as restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic eased, they had seen an increase in calls for support from young people and families.

Mrs Sinclair said this funding would help ensure they reduced the wait lists, so more young people got the mental health services they needed in an appropriate timeframe.

Mr Conaghan said one in four young Australians were affected by a mental health illness every year, and as we recovered from COVID-19, it was more important than ever to assist young people to have good mental health.

Headspace Port Macquarie provides early intervention services for young people aged 12 to 25.

"I visited headspace here in Port late last year and learned the waiting list for young people to have an initial intake assessment was up to six weeks - far too long for a young person in need of help," Mr Conaghan said.

"Since that time I advocated strongly for additional funding for this centre to reduce its wait-time and provide young people with the support they deserve."

The $841,714 funding grant is in addition to the $797,664 headspace Port Macquarie received from the federal government for the 2019-20 financial year.

A total of 45 headspace clinics across Australia have received funding through the $24.2 million grant round.

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