{"id":12832,"date":"2021-09-06T20:38:53","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T20:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=12832"},"modified":"2021-09-06T20:38:53","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T20:38:53","slug":"head-to-health-pop-up-clinics-to-open-this-week-across-greater-sydney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2021\/09\/06\/head-to-health-pop-up-clinics-to-open-this-week-across-greater-sydney\/","title":{"rendered":"Head to Health pop up clinics to open this week across Greater Sydney"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 Head to Health pop up clinics will today open across Sydney and in the Central Coast and Illawarra providing additional mental health support for people living in New South Wales who have been substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
\nThe Morrison Government has invested $10.6 million to rapidly establish\u00a0<\/a>the clinics in Lakemba, Hurstville, Tuggerah, Kingswood, Thornleigh, Shellharbour, Blacktown, Parramatta, Bankstown and Liverpool\u00a0to support those living in areas most affected by the NSW lockdown.
\nThe clinics will include teams of mental health support workers, including psychologists, mental health nurses, mental health occupational therapists, social workers, and peer workers. They will offer video and phone supported mental health and assessment services, as well as COVID-safe face-to-face support where recommended by a clinician.
\nThe pop up clinics will be further supported by a state-wide intake and assessment phone service, which will be staffed by clinicians and will provide a single entry point for people living across NSW to access a range of mental health services.
\nMinister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt MP said mental health is a key part of Australia\u2019s pandemic response and the current restrictions across the country were taking a toll on the mental health and wellbeing of Australians.
\n\u201cWe know people, particularly our young, are doing it really tough and the current outbreak is putting incredible stress and mental health pressure on many Australians. That is why we are prioritising mental health support and increase the availability of mental health services in some of those harder hit areas,\u201d Minister Hunt said.
\n\u201cThe current lockdown is also having a huge impact on students preparing for their HSC. The clinics will provide vital access for year 11 and 12 students who are facing their final years of schooling and may need additional mental health support.\u201d
\nAssistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman MP, said the Government was doing everything possible to support Australians whose mental wellbeing was under stress.
\n\u201cWe recognise that support for people\u2019s emotional wellbeing is critical in these extraordinary times, with loss of freedom, lack of personal contact, and work-related issues causing major distress and despair,\u201d Assistant Minister Coleman said.
\n\u201cThese pop up clinics, established in record time, will be readily accessible and free and I am confident they will make a real difference for people impacted by the pandemic.\u201d
\nThe pop up clinics are using the same model of care as the 15 Head to Help clinics that were established in Victoria during their extended lockdown in 2020. These clinics have helped thousands of people, with more than 11,000 phone calls from people seeking support and more than 5,000 referrals to a clinic.
\nWhile the immediate focus of the NSW pop up clinics is on people in extended lockdown in Greater Sydney, they complement the Government\u2019s plan to establish a national network of mental health treatment centres for adults, youth and children through the Head to Health and headspace programs.
\nAs part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Government provided $487.2 million to establish 8 new Head to Health adult mental health centres and 24 satellite centres and provide ongoing funding for 8 existing centres.
\nThe Morrison Government has also provided funding, in partnership with the NSW Government, for the $17.35 million \u2018Lockdown Lifeline\u2019 package for NSW, which is assisting mental health services like Lifeline, Kids Helpline, headspace and the Butterfly Foundation to increase their support.
\nThe Government continues to make mental health a national priority, investing a record $2.3 billion in the 2021-22 Budget for the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to lead landmark reform of the mental health system. This includes a record $6.5 billion in mental health and suicide prevention services and supports in 2021-22, doubling since 2012-13.
\nThe \u2018Head to Health Pop Up\u2019 clinics are located in existing primary care or community settings and will operate until 30 June 2022.
\nPeople seeking help will be able to call the dedicated number (1800 595 212), talk to a mental health professional and be triaged through this service and directed to the most appropriate care according to their individual needs.
\nMore information on the NSW-wide phone service and clinic locations can be found at headtohealth.gov.au.
\nAustralians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can also access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service anytime via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
\nAnyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government\u2019s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health (www.headtohealth.gov.au<\/a>).
\nIf you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or\u00a0www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10 Head to Health pop up clinics will today open across Sydney and in the Central Coast and Illawarra providing additional mental health support for people living in New South Wales who have been substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Morrison Government has invested $10.6 million to rapidly establish\u00a0the clinics in Lakemba, Hurstville, Tuggerah, … Continue reading “Head to Health pop up clinics to open this week across Greater Sydney”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12832\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}