Lead Story – Sep ’16

Northern Sydney PHN commissions headspace for local youth mental health services

Northern Sydney PHN (operated by Sydney North Health Network, SNPHN) is pleased to announce that the first youth and mental health service to be commissioned in Sydney’s north will be headspace, the early intervention mental health service for 12-25 year olds.

The arrangement will see SNPHN fund existing headspace centres in Chatswood and Brookvale and work in collaboration with Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD), headspace consortia partners and general practice to strengthen and support youth mental health in the region.

An estimated 176,522 people aged 12-25 years live in the Northern Sydney area and national statistics show as many as one in four young people can experience mental health illness.

“Sydney North Health Network is delighted to be working with headspace. As a key focus for our region, we are committed to delivering a best practice youth mental health service,” said SNPHN Chair, Dr Magdalen Campbell.

“We look forward to working in collaboration with headspace, our general practitioner workforce and other health services to continue to strengthen and support youth mental health services in the Northern Sydney region,” said Dr Campbell.

In addition to the work being undertaken with headspace, SNPHN will undertake a youth mental health services’ review and evaluation this year. The review will determine the number and type of service by geographic region and where service gaps exist. The findings will assist in the planning and development of new programs and additional services to support young people aged 12-25 years in Northern Sydney and the design of best-practice youth mental health services for young people by 2018.