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

1. Introduction
people in Australia (headspace, 2012).
headspace receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health (DoH), under the
Youth Mental Health Initiative Program, to deliver four clinical programs. These comprise:
1. a growing national network of headspace centres that operate in metropolitan, regional and
rural locations around Australia (formerly known as Communities of Youth Services)
2. a national online and telephone support service staffed by youth mental health professionals
(eheadspace)
3. headspace School Support, which provides assistance to secondary school communities
impacted by the suicide of a student
4. headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program (hYEPP): a specialist support service delivered
through headspace centres to young people experiencing, or at risk of developing, their first
episode of psychosis.
This evaluation focuses on only the first program: the effectiveness of the headspace centres.
However, it should be noted that headspace administers and coordinates a number of programs and
complementary activities that may have influenced some of the evaluation findings (e.g. community
awareness campaigns that seek to encourage early help-seeking and improve the outcomes of
young people with mental health concerns).
headspace centres are a network of enhanced primary care services where young people (12-25
years) with mild to moderate mental health problems are able to access a broad range of in-house
services or be connected to complementary services within the community. This age range is
targeted because the onset of mental illness is most likely to occur in adolescence and early
adulthood (de Girolamo et al, 2012). It is a time when young people need continuity in support and
services, rather than the interruption manifested in the traditional service delivery division between
adolescent and adult mental health care (Rickwood et al., 2014).
Unlike traditional mental health service options, headspace centres also provide integrated care
across four key domains: mental health, physical health, drug and alcohol use, and social and
vocational participation. The holistic care of young people is facilitated by the centre model that
draws on the expertise of a lead agency and a number of local partner organisations, each with
expertise in different areas (such as primary health care, mental health care and vocational training).
In recognition of the increased need for mental health services for young people in Australia, the
program continues to expand and has bi-partisan Federal Government support. headspace centres
have been opened in progressive rounds since 2006. Approximately 80 centres are currently fully
operational nationally; however, more are due to open each year until 2016. Most recently, the federal
government announced additional funding to expand the centre total to 100 by the end of 2016.
1.2 Evaluation background
headspace was first evaluated by researchers at the Social Policy Research Centre in 2008/2009 12 .
This independent evaluation adopted a longitudinal, mixed methods approach to examine the
achievements, limitations and future directions of the program, with a focus on the original 30
headspace centres (formerly known as Communities of Youth Services). The evaluation found
that headspace had made significant progress towards improving availability, appropriateness and
accessibility of mental health support for young people (Muir et al, 2009).
Limited outcomes data were available at the time of the first evaluation; however, the analysis
conducted suggested that headspace promoted and facilitated improvements in young people’s
mental health, social wellbeing and participation in education, training and employment (Muir et al,
2009).
12
The evaluations have had continuity in leadership, with Ilan Katz and Kristy Muir leading both evaluations. This
has ensured that the second evaluation has built on the processes, methods and knowledge gained through the first
evaluation.
Social Policy Research Centre 2015
headspace Evaluation Final Report
9