WIMMERA young people looking for help with mental health issues will have more support by the end of the year.
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Headspace Horsham is set to open in the former Dick Smith building in Hamilton Street, Horsham.
Refurbishment works will start next month and the centre will be open by Christmas.
Wimmera Uniting Care is the lead agency for the project, in a consortium that includes Ballarat Health Services, Barwon Centre Against Sexual Assault, Grampians Community Health, Skillinvest, Tristar Medical Group, Wimmera Health Care Group, Goolum Goolum and Wimmera Southern Mallee LLEN.
Wimmera Uniting Care chief executive Wendy Sturgess said one in four young people had mental health issues in the past year.
“This is a higher prevalence than all other age groups,” she said. Ms Sturgess said the centre was needed in the region.
“We know the further out you get from a city, the harder it is to access services,” she said.
“Headspace is a national initiative for youth and it will mean we have services here on the ground.”
Ms Sturgess said headspace was specifically marketed to young people.
“It will also help galvanise practitioners who can offer support to young people in a youth-friendly environment,” she said.
Headspace is part of National Youth Mental Health Foundation’s approach to providing early intervention mental health services for 12 to 25-year-olds, as well as promoting young people’s wellbeing.
This covers four core areas – mental health, physical health, work and study support and alcohol and other drug services.
The centre will provide information and services for young people, their families and friends, along with access to health professionals, online counselling services and a postvention suicide support program.
Ms Sturgess said the location was also perfect for the centre.
“It’s a little off the main street, so there is some ambiguity there and it’s near other provides such as Tristar Medical Group,” she said.
“The lighting in the building will also lend itself very well to headspace.”
Ms Sturgess said research showed 75 per cent of mental health issues emerged before the age of 25.
“Treating these issues early greatly reduces the risk of mental health issues developing into more serious problems later,” she said.
“I would also like to think that this early intervention approach will go a long way to addressing other problems in our region including youth homelessness, unemployment and teenage pregnancies.”