Young people struggling with mental health may soon see a dedicated headspace erected in the region.
Mental health affects every aspect of our lives, and early intervention is essential for young people, for whom mental illness can have profound, long-term consequences.
The difficulty in accessing mental health support in the electorate of Holt has constantly resurfaced since the beginning of MP Cassandra Fernando’s campaign as the Labor candidate.
“As the representative of an incredibly young, diverse and fast-growing federal electorate, I am focused on ensuring every young person in Holt can access the mental health care they need and deserve,” Ms Fernando said.
Similarly, The Salvation Army’s recent Social Justice Stocktake observed that 60 per cent of respondents in Holt reported mental health as their primary issue of concern.
Following discussions with community and government stakeholders since the MP’s election in May 2022, Ms Fernando hosted a Holt Mental Health Roundtable with the Assistant Minister for Mental Health, MP Emma McBride.
“The evidence gathered from discussions with the City of Casey, the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) and headspace, and from Census 2021, highlight the necessity of improving mental health support in Holt,” said Ms Fernando.
The roundtable included representatives from many important stakeholders from the mental health, education and community support sectors, including several local schools, headspace Narre Warren, EACH, Community Information and Support Cranbourne (CISC), Hampton Park Uniting Church, Multicultural Youth Support Service (MYSS) and the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN).
In addition, the roundtable was attended by Pauline Richards and Gary Maas, State MPs for Cranbourne and Narre Warren South, respectively.
Minister McBride outlined the Federal Government’s priorities in the mental health space, particularly addressing mental health concerns among people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, as well as reducing drivers of distress.
She emphasised the roundtable was only the beginning of the conversation to deliver more mental health support for this region.
Cassandra Fernando MP expressed her gratitude for the Minister’s attendance, and spoke to the stakeholders about her ongoing advocacy to Minister McBride for a dedicated headspace in the suburb of Cranbourne.
Holt is the third youngest and among the most diverse electorates in Victoria, with 24.4 per cent of residents aged between 0 and 14 (the second largest cohort in the state) and 44.8 per cent of households speaking a language other than English at home.
The region has a high demand for mental health support, especially for those who are young and/or from a CALD background.
However, lack of affordable medical services, poor transport connectivity and shortage of allied health services leads to difficulties in accessing them.
“Establishing a new headspace centre in the suburb of Cranbourne in my electorate will go a long way in delivering more mental health support by providing an integrated service tailored to address the difficulties young people in Holt face during their adolescence and young adulthood.”
