A newly expanded headspace centre in the heart of Hobart should help more young Tasmanians to get support from the youth mental health service provider.
The centrally-located Liverpool Street site now has a revamped reception area and three new consulting rooms. The expansion has effectively doubled the area available, increasing the service’s counselling capacity and giving staff more flexibility in how support can be delivered.
The Link Youth Health Service, which operates headspace Hobart, says there is now more room for family members or friends to attend appointments with a young person, and for group sessions to be held.
Observational windows in some of the new counselling rooms will help staff train youth mental workers at the newly expanded site, which can now also display artwork created by young clients to passers-by in the larger front windows.
Volunteers on headspace Hobart’s Youth Reference Group informed every part of the refurbishment process, such as a decluttered reception area, warm lighting, and a neutral yet welcoming colour palette.
University student Eliza McGovern is one of those volunteers, and said she relished the chance to have a say about the ‘nitty gritty’ of how the updated centre would look and function.
“It was fascinating to think about the role of the environment on a particular demographic — in this instance, young people — and make sure it was a really welcoming space,” the 23-year-old said.
“I also think it’s great that there’s now space to run group sessions in some rooms, when it’s appropriate, because young people don’t exist in silos.
“If you can connect up the care they’re getting from headspace with their network, and the rest of their life, it can be really powerful.”
McGovern said access to mental health support is vital for today’s young people given considerable stressors around insecure employment and housing, as well as global issues such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of climate change.
“It does feel like there’s an undercurrent of anxiety in our generation, but I think this shared experience lends itself to young people being open to and supportive of one another’s lived experiences and challenges,” she said. McGovern has lived experience of mental ill-health.
Given The Link’s Hobart site is located behind the Liverpool Street-facing headspace Hobart centre, the whole area can now function like a youth mental health ‘precinct’ in the CBD, headspace Hobart centre manager Angela Waite said.
“The expansion of the centre means we’ve doubled the shopfront, boosting its visibility among young people who come into the Hobart CBD,” Waite said.
headspace CEO Jason Trethowan says the expanded headspace Hobart site will help young Tasmanians get the youth-friendly mental health support they need.
“We know one in four young Australians will experience a mental health issue, and that 75% of these mental health disorders develop before the age of 25,” he said.
“It’s important that any young person going through a challenging period can get support so, it’s great to see headspace Hobart expand their service for more young people to access help when they need it.”
headspace services are for people aged 12 to 25 years. As well as early intervention support for young people with mild to moderate mental ill-health, headspace Hobart offers alcohol and other drug, sexual health, GP and work and study services.
