Headspace arrives to Swan Hill

LOCAL young people will be able to access a range of health services all under the one roof with the recent opening of the Swan Hill chapter of Headspace.

Anyone aged between 12 and 25 years can seek free and confidential assistance at Swan Hill Headspace around general health, mental health, drug and alcohol services and education and employment issues.

Swan Hill Headspace manager Ian Johansen said the holistic health service, for which young people could refer themselves, would “start small and build”.

“Headspace national office have told us to focus our attention for the first two years on getting ourselves established and making sure the systems and process at the service are working really well,” he said. 

“After that there might be the opportunity to explore what it looks like to provide support to communities around Swan Hill.”

Funding was allocated for a Swan Hill Headspace in 2014 following years of lobbying and its opening marks the first of two youth orientated services to set up in Swan Hill this year.

Last November Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) announced their intention to also set up in a hub in town.

For more on this story pick up Monday’s Guardian (February 15, 2016).