THE region's mental health workforce is getting a much-needed boost after the pandemic saw more people accessing mental health support causing wait lists to blow out.
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Warrnambool's Headspace service received $1.79 million from the federal government which it will put towards expanding its outreach across the region.
Anne Waters, regional manager of headspace Warrnambool and Portland said the investment boost into youth mental health in the region was much needed and very welcomed.
It has serviced more than 3400 young people in the south-west since last July, and wait times to access mental health support have increased significantly since the start of the year.
"The funding will support expanding our mental health workforce to improve access to high quality care, development of a peer workforce model and evaluation of models in reducing wait times," Ms Waters said.
A proposal to further expand headspace services across the region has been developed and is awaiting further funding.
"The key thing is it's a really good boost of funding to help support and reduce our wait list," Ms Waters said.
"The funds will help us employ more mental health workforce to provide services to young people sitting on wait list.
"We're seeing wait lists increase across all services; just to get in it's up to two to three weeks just to get an intake.
"Then it can be up to three months to actually get allocated to a clinician.
"We want to try and reduce those wait times by recruiting both in Warrnambool and Portland."
The problem, however, is qualified mental health staff "don't hang off trees" in regional areas, which was one of the key pressure points identified by Victoria's Royal Commission into Mental Health findings handed down earlier this year.
READ MORE:
Young people highly impacted by COVID-19
There was a high demand for mental health services before the pandemic, with one in four young people experiencing a mental health challenge during adolescence.
The impact of COVID-19 has further compounded those issues for young people.
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has shown that experiences of severe psychological distress among young people aged 18-24 increased from 14 per cent in February 2017 to 22 per cent in April 2020, and of the 592,000 Australians who lost employment in April 2020, more than one in three - 38 per cent - were aged 15-24.
"It's really been escalated by the impact of COVID-19," Ms Waters said. "Particularly for young people really disappointed about the impact on their goals around study and schooling, uni, jobs and income, as well as the isolation from friendships."
Latest data by the institute shows suicide was the 14th leading cause of death in 2019 with 24 people dying by suicide.
Headspace provides free or low-cost youth-friendly support in four key areas: mental health, related physical health, substance misuse, and social and vocational support.
It offers a safe, welcoming place where young people can get non-judgmental professional help so they can tackle their challenges in a way that is right for them.
"The only criteria is you have to be between 12 and 25," Ms Waters said. "People can talk through anything they may need.
"We have GPs, youth workers, mental health staff and can even help those experiencing drug and alcohol problems."
Member for Wannon Dan Tehan welcomed the grant, which will ensure better social and health outcomes for young people around Warrnambool.
"Headspace Warrnambool has been experiencing high demand for services and this funding delivered through the Western Victoria Primary Health Network will help them expand their services and improve access to high quality, youth friendly and mental health support," Mr Tehan said.
It is one of 40 headspaces centres nationally to receive grant funding.
WVPHN chief executive Rowena Clift said long or any wait times could be the difference between a young person in the community seeking the intervention they needed and reaching a crisis point.
"This funding boost will allow these headspace centres to not only reduce these wait times, but also develop new ways to offer high-quality support to our young community members as deemed necessary. This could range from the development of online support tools to physical enhancements to the building itself."
Ms Clift believes the improvements combined with improved awareness and education will also provide greater peace of mind to the families of those suffering from mental illness.
"Continually improving the community's education about mental illness will only serve to reduce the stigma around mental illness and those who struggle with it, both the individual and their families," Ms Clift said.
"Supporting our communities to learn in addition to supporting the individual's mental health needs will enable young people to participate meaningfully in their community."
Support to catch those on the edge
The network has also allocated $485,000 of Commonwealth funding to disability, ageing and community service organisation, genU, to help those living with or at risk of mild mental illness in the region.
The aim of the funding is to design a support service that will be an easy-to-access option for those in the community who are at risk of mental ill-health and do not require more intensive support.
"The net of mental health support has again been cast wider as this low-intensity support will catch those individuals who perhaps are only just starting to struggle, or have been dealing with persistent, mental illness such as mild depression," Ms Clift said.
"For such members of our community, we wanted to provide a service that can be accessed quickly, without the need for a formal referral, easily, and efficiently. This will provide relief for our mental health workforce and look to curb the progression of mild mental illnesses into something more severe in need of more intensive care."
Services include mental health support via a variety of flexible service options including telehealth, digital and face-to-face sessions.
Chief executive of genU Clare Aimes said the past year had been a challenge, and the mental health of the community was more important than ever.
"We are pleased to be working with Western Victoria Primary Health Network to offer low intensity mental health support as a complement to our existing services in disability, aged care and employment services. This new service will allow genU to support more people across western Victoria to live their best lives," she said.
"These services are available to people in the local community looking for entry level mental health support and are suitable for adults of all ages and abilities."
New teen mental health first aid instructors roll out across region
The south-west welcomed a team of newly trained teen mental health first aid instructors to the region this week.
It comes as part of the Great South Coast Suicide Prevention Place-Based Trial, seeing 12 local community members now trained in youth mental health.
READ MORE: Local groups working to tackle suicide rate
Among them is Leanne Mitchell from Warrnambool's Brauer College.
"I see the true value of getting in early and teaching our young people how to look after themselves and to recognise the difference between a 'bad day' and what may be an emerging mental health problem," she said.
"As a mental health instructor, I'm now able to teach young people the skills they need to look after their own mental health needs and how to support their mates and peers."
The course teaches secondary school students how to provide important mental health first aid to their friends and was developed in response to research indicating that young people prefer sharing problems with their peers.
The newly accredited instructors will head into schools later this year to deliver evidence-based, mental health training to students from years 8 and 10-11 across the region including Warrnambool, Moyne, Corangamite, Glenelg and Southern Grampians Shires.
If you, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000, visit your nearest hospital emergency department or use any of these helplines:
- Lifeline - 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
- Beyond Blue Support Service - 1300 22 4636
- Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467 | www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
- Kids Helpline - 1800 551 800 | www.kidshelpline.com.au
- MensLine Australia - 1300 789 978 | www.mensline.org.au
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