FEDERAL MPs Chris Crewther and Greg Hunt visited headspace Frankston on 8 January to announce a $47 million funding boost to head space’s national program.
Dunkley MP Chris Crewther said the funding was for “headspace Frankston and all other headspace services to support youth mental health.”
Headspace Chair Lisa Paul said “headspace will help approximately 110,000 young people across Australia this year who are experiencing a tough time.”
“With one in three young people experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, this investment will help to strengthen our core services to ensure more young people can access support tailored to their needs.”
Headspace said in a statement that the funding would be used to “ensure that the headspace network supporting young people has access to ongoing professional development specific to the needs of young people, raise community awareness that promotes help seeking, increased mental health literacy, and reduced stigma, and undertake research and build the evidence base that supports continuous improvement and best practice for youth mental health.”
Local MPs Greg Hunt and Chris Crewther released identical statements on the funding saying “it’s well known that mental health is an issue that is very close to my heart. I am committed to ensuring that Australians can get information, advice, understanding, counselling and treatment, when and where they need it.
“I want our young people to know they are not alone on their journey, and that headspace is there to deliver quality frontline support and coordinate the right interventions for people who are at risk.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in October $52 million in extra funding for the organisation for their 2019/20 budget.Liberal government funding cuts and restructuring were cited as the reason for former Headspace CEO Chris Tanti’s departure in 2016.f