Healthy North Coast and the Samaritans are delighted to open the doors on a dedicated headspace Kempsey offering free or low-cost, holistic and youth-friendly health care and advice.
Located at 65 Smith Street, Kempsey, on the traditional homelands of the Dunghutti nation, the new headspace Kempsey service has been funded by Healthy North Coast through the Australian Government’s PHN Program to meet the needs of young people in the community.
“As well as the usual challenges of growing up and finding your place, young people in our region have also had to deal with the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of natural disasters over the past two years,” said Healthy North Coast Chief Executive Officer, Julie Sturgess.
“Now, thanks to Samaritans’ community partnerships, strong advocacy from our Federal Nationals Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan, and the support of Kempsey Shire Council, young people in Kempsey now have a dedicated centre purpose-built to meet their needs,” said Ms Sturgess.
Liz Knight, Executive Director of Education and Child Development in the Samaritans Foundation based in Newcastle, said that the last few years have been uncertain times for all.
“The Samaritans Foundation is strongly committed to providing high-quality, early intervention youth services that empower young people to overcome challenges and engage with their community to find their purpose and flourish.
“We know that youth mental health continues to be a leading cause of concern for our region, and one that needs to be addressed with a person-centred, compassionate and inclusive approach. Our work in this regard is a true reflection of the Anglican Church’s commitment to ensuring that no person feels alone on their mental health journey,” said Ms Knight.
headspace offers early intervention services across four key areas—mental health, related physical health, social and vocational support, and alcohol and other drug use. Services are co-designed with young people to ensure they are relevant, accessible and highly effective, including input from Samaritan’s Youth Representative Group (YRG).
While Kempsey’s young people can now access the headspace service, which is receiving referrals by phone or email, more details will be released soon about a community launch event planned for the coming weeks.
For more information or to access headspace Kempsey:
- phone (02) 6539 3450
- email [email protected]
- visit the headspace kempsey website.
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