By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
SEVEN months after opening, Holt MP Anthony Byrne visited the Narre Warren headspace this week.
Mr Byrne was joined by Senator and Shadow Minister for Mental Health Katy Gallagher when he met with staff from the new Casey facility for a special briefing on Monday.
At the Casey Youth Mental Health briefing, the group discussed how the new headspace service was progressing, while local young people were able to raise concerns and ideas about what else needs to be done to support young people suffering from mental illness.
Mr Byrne, along with 18-year-old Jake Downward, and former Monash Berwick Union president Dani Rothwell, has been instrumental in pushing for the Narre Warren facility to be set up, a push which increased after a community summit on youth suicide was held at the City of Casey chambers and covered by the ABC’s Four Corners in 2012.
Jake Downward previously told Star News it was integral for others to have another place they could go for help.
“It’s important for people to have another place to go and headspace is so unique, it offers a different type of support,” he said.
“Their programs are based upon youth.”
The set-up of a headspace facility at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre was confirmed last year following concerns aired by Federal Labor that the Narre Warren rollout may be in jeopardy due to the Federal Government’s removal of Medicare Locals.
But to ensure the next round of headspace centres were established within the original timeframes, Medicare Locals selected to operate new centres were able to do so under an interim agreement.
For more information, visit headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/narre-warren/
