ACT expands free children's mental health care as demand for support continues to grow | Region Canberra
Six dedicated mental health beds make up part of the refurbished adolescent mental health ward at Centenary Women and Children’s Hospital. Photo: Claire Fenwicke. More than 4. 15 million Australian children are. . .
Six dedicated mental health beds make up part of the refurbished adolescent mental health ward at Centenary Women and Children’s Hospital. Photo: Claire Fenwicke. More than 4. 15 million Australian children are under the age of 12, accounting for just over 16 per cent of the country’s population. Increasingly, health experts say investing in their mental health is one of the most effective ways to improve lifelong wellbeing – not just for children, but for entire families. That growing focus on early intervention is behind the ACT’s newest investment in mental health care, with a dedicated Medicare Mental Health Kids Hub to open in Tuggeranong later this year. The free service will support children aged 12 and under, along with their parents and carers, providing assessment, counselling and other mental health support closer to home. Outreach services are expected to begin in July while the purpose-built centre is being completed. The announcement comes as demand for free mental health care continues to grow in Canberra. The ACT’s two Medicare Mental Health Centres have now delivered more than 20,000 free walk-in sessions, including about 18,000 at the Canberra City centre and more than 1800 at Tuggeranong since it opened less than a year ago. ACT Senator Katy Gallagher said the milestone demonstrated the importance of making mental health care easier to access. “Whether it’s someone in crisis, a young person looking for support, or a family member seeking advice, these centres are helping Canberrans get the care they need without worrying about cost,” Ms Gallagher said. The need for earlier support has increasingly become the focus of mental health policy nationwide. In a recent paper, International Perspectives on Implementation of System Change in Family Mental Health, Dr Melinda Goodyear, chief advisor of policy and impact at Emerging Minds, joined more than 100 researchers and practitioners from 17 countries in arguing that mental health services needed to become far more family-focused. The paper found that when a parent experiences mental illness, the effects are often felt throughout the family and can extend across generations. While effective interventions already exist, the authors argue they are not consistently embedded across Australia’s health and social care systems, meaning many families miss out on support when they need it most. The new Kids Hub reflects that shift towards intervening earlier – before mental health challenges become more complex. ACT Mental Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said providing support during childhood could change the course of a young person’s life. “Reducing barriers to access by providing free drop-in and appointment-based services will make a world of difference for children, parents and carers, enabling them to access support when they need it most,” she said. The Tuggeranong hub will be operated by a consortium comprising Marymead CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn, Grand Pacific Health and Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation. It forms part of the Commonwealth Government’s broader rollout of 92 Medicare Mental Health Centres nationwide, backed by $267. 3 million in additional funding, alongside a national network of Medicare Mental Health Kids Hubs to be established over the next five years. For Canberra families, the new centre is intended to fill an important gap – offering free, community-based support at a time when access to timely and affordable mental health care remains a challenge for many. Residents can access free and confidential support through Medicare Mental Health by calling 1800 595 212.