Today the headspace national office has announced that Uniting Communities will be the lead agency for the headspace centre in Mount Gambier.

The centre will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ to meet the mental health, as well as general health, needs of young people from 12 to 25 years of age living in the Limestone Coast region. It will be a youth friendly, confidential and free service.

Uniting Communities has developed a consortium of other local services to operate from the centre to assist young people with general health, mental health, education and employment, and alcohol and other drug issues.

“Young people in the region have said that they are willing to travel as far as they need to go to access supports that are confidential, understanding, safe and welcoming,” says Project Manager, Tom Steeples. “The new headspace Mount Gambier will be all of these things, as well as a service that actively addresses young people’s health needs.

“Uniting Communities has worked closely with young people, service providers and the community to find a central space where a vibrant, dynamic and holistic youth service will be developed.”

Currently, young people wanting to access a headspace centre must travel to either Warrnambool or Murray Bridge, so the Mount Gambier centre will address a real need in the immediate region.

headspace Mount Gambier will be one of over 80 centres throughout Australia which have been funded by the Commonwealth Government since 2006.

The establishment of headspace in Mount Gambier follows several years of lobbying by the community and Limestone Coast Community Services Roundtable for a centre to support young people in area.

The centre is expected to open in the coming months.