Is headspace making a difference to young people’s lives?

5. Service Delivery Model
and they’ll send that person to headspace because I can get them in quicker or because
I can choose the clinician that they’ll see or for whatever reason. But that kid may not be
suitable to come here. That 12 year-old may be better suited and better serviced by going to
CAMHS. So that’s not being triaged anywhere, that’s not actually being done. There needs
to be some sort of clinical liaison between the two services that sorts these issues out on a
case-by-case basis and that’s not happening (Psychiatrist)
The Professional Stakeholders Survey collected information on collaboration between headspace
and other organisations – an activity that supports referral making. Survey respondents were asked
to identify the form and extent of collaboration that their organisation had with headspace. Twentytwo
per cent of respondents were from headspace lead agencies (n=46), and another 35% were
representatives from consortium partners (n=72) – organisations that collaborate with headspace
centres in the delivery of services.
Of the respondent organisations that were not lead agencies or consortium partners (n=89), only
25% stated that they collaborated with headspace. This is significant and suggests that headspace
connects mainly to organisations that make up centre consortiums rather than independent service
providers within the community.
Eighteen percent of all survey respondents stated that their organisation had not collaborated
with headspace. Of the 35 organisations that had not collaborated with headspace, 16 (or 46%)
responded that they would like to collaborate with headspace. Representatives from another 16
organisations (46%) were not sure if they wanted to collaborate, and another 3 organisations (9%) did
not want to collaborate with headspace. The primary reason given for no collaboration was distance
to the headspace centre and the existence of other local services that provided similar services.
However, a number of respondents commented that they did not collaborate with headspace because
they did not know how to engage. Some respondents had made attempts to collaborate but had
received no response:
I have never been approached by headspace nor have I received any information re it’s role
or services. As a practicing GP with an interest in mental health I, like other do not have
a knowledge of all the resources or agencies in the community. There really needs to be
some sort of coordinating service to direct referrals to the most appropriate agency (Survey
Response No. 148)
The one time I did make a referral, I never heard back (Survey Response No. 190)
I have had minimal exposure to services headspace provides. Information has been via
local Medicare Local newsletters. I am unaware of details of referral process. I am unsure of
benefits of headspace compared to other services (Survey Response No. 137)
We refer patients there but no collaboration (Survey Response No. 108)
How do we connect? (Survey Response No. 126)
5.9 How effective is the service model in providing an entry point into and
connection to other services within the broader system?
The analysis of evaluation data presented above suggests that the headspace service model is
effective in providing young people an entry into the youth mental health care service system. In
the 2013/14 financial year, 73.6% of young people accessed headspace services without a formal
referral. As shown in Table 5.3, mental health services are the main service type provided at centres;
however, young people also receive physical health, sexual health, drug and alcohol, and vocational
services at centres, as well as general assistance, dietary counselling and other forms of support.
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