By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
JOHN Jakupi is no stranger to Casey.
The 41-year-old clinical psychologist grew up in Endeavour Hills and went to school across the tracks at the long demolished Doveton High School.
He is also responsible for setting up four bulk-billing mental health facilities in Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston within the past 24 months which are specifically aimed at children and adults who cannot afford private practice counselling.
The facilities, under the banner of South Eastern Counselling and Psychology, were inundated with patients from all throughout Casey and Cardinia and had a waiting list within three months.
Two and a half years ago John watched as the ABC broadcast a heartbreaking Four Corners special detailing the severity of youth mental health problems and teenage suicide in the City of Casey.
Entitled There is No 3G in Heaven, the Four Corners episode focused on a community summit held at the Casey Council chambers to address the issue, convened by Holt MP Anthony Byrne.
It served as John’s inspiration.
“It was actually that TV show that prompted me because that show raised a lot of problems and a lot of questions,” he said.
“After seeing that program, within a month I’d leased a place and I said let’s get the ball rolling.
“I felt I had been a little bit cocooned. I was working in Berwick, a fairly affluent area, and so it was an eye-opener for me and it was sort of a slap in the face.”
After watching Four Corners, John viewed mental health problems in Casey and Cardinia as being at crisis point.
“It was a problem, it’s always been a problem and it always will be a problem but I didn’t yet see it as a crisis,” he said.
“It wasn’t until the numbers escalated and I’ve gone ‘wait a minute, the schools in Berwick are now being affected by this’.
“I said OK, this is in our lap right now, what the hell are we doing?”
The South Eastern Counselling and Psychology service now has a team of 26 staff working across its four facilities.
Without knowing exact statistics, John feels the service must be having an impact on improving mental health throughout the municipality judging by the waiting lists and he said he would like to consider sending staff into local schools to verify the progress.
But John also stressed that the service catered for all age groups, including adults, seniors and those children younger than 13.
“I know it sounds a bit cliched but I like to think that if one of my kids were struggling, they could find help pretty easily and not have to worry about their income,” John said.
For more information, visit www.secounselling.com.au.
Those in need of immediate assistance, or who need to talk to someone they can trust, can phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.
