Is headspace making a difference to young people’s lives?
Evaluation-of-headspace-program Evaluation-of-headspace-program
5. Service Delivery Model accessed through headspace as well as the types they would like to access. The results, shown in Figure 5.1, indicate that very few participant parents had received support from headspace. Further, it is clear that the provision of written information is not the type of support that parents desire. Instead, parents overwhelmingly wanted to participate in family counselling. A significant number of parents also indicated that they would like to receive advice and support about how to better manage mental health and related concerns. Figure 5.1 Access to supports/services for parents/carers at headspace Source: The Parents and Carers Survey The Parents and Carers Study showed that many parents were struggling to cope with their young person’s acute issues: My second daughter has had severe depression for eight years. So we’ve been through the [private hospital] system, back and forward. We’ve been hospitalised, suicidal many times over the years, heavily medicated... The suffering that she has been through is unbelievable. [My daughter] actually overdosed on Panadol and tried to commit suicide and then had a period of depression and then that has kind of evolved now… Now she is just quite anxious… She had been having some problems and seeing the school counsellor but then when she took an overdose and we were in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital she saw a psychiatrist there who basically said that she is not in any harm and so then we came home. But of course we were quite traumatised as a family. I lay in bed in the morning and burst into tears because I know that I have got to try and get two children out of bed… My son is failing year 11 because he just can’t get to school because he’s up until 3am or 4am in the morning and then just can’t get there. Further, it was clear that many of the problems that the young people were seeking help to cope with were family problems. Examples included family members that had suicided, violence within the family, family breakdown and divorce, and dealing with grief following the death of a family member. Social Policy Research Centre 2015 headspace Evaluation Final Report 82
5. Service Delivery Model Further, in some interviews, it was clear that young people and parents were struggling with similar mental health problems: The first time somebody actually noticed would have been in year seven when I refused to go to school because people were picking on me, and I vomited out of anxiety, and I couldn’t breathe at all. Then mum drove me to the doctors and she’s like – she just threw up and couldn’t breathe, and she just explained everything that I was feeling, and the doctor was like you should really go somewhere, you should go somewhere to find help. Then mum looked online and found headspace (Male, 15 years) The gap in services for parents was identified by a number of headspace staff who wanted to offer family counselling: It would be useful if there was more of a focus on parents… If there was more of a focus on being able to do family work (Clinical Psychologist) Often you can do more work with the family than you might with the young person, but it can have an effect for the young person. And I also think that [the headspace model] just doesn’t encourage a lot of inclusive family practice, working with families, which I think makes a huge difference (Clinical Leader) If I’m working with a family and I can see that there’s no point just working with a young person in isolation, we need to work with the family as well, then I will try to access adult counselling for the parents. So I’ll refer them because we can’t do that here (Youth Worker) The evaluation therefore identified a need among some families for family counselling and a desire by some staff to offer this service. 5.6 How and to what extent are additional components of headspace (such as eheadspace, headspace National Office and Centre of Excellence) perceived as supporting headspace to meet its objectives? While the evaluation is focused on examining the effectiveness of the centre-based program in improving outcomes for young people, it is acknowledged that centres are supported by additional components that help headspace to meet its strategic objectives. The additional components include eheadspace, headspace National Office and the Centre of Excellence. The contribution of each of these additional components to headspace achieving its objectives is examined below. eheadspace eheadspace is a clinical health service that provides online and telephone support and counselling to young people aged 12-25 years and their families. The service began in 2011 through funding from the Australian Government. The aim of eheadspace is to increase the reach of headspace services around Australia by operating like a virtual headspace centre. The online chat and direct phone service is free, confidential and available seven days a week from 9am to 1pm (AEDST). Services are provided by qualified youth mental health professionals, including specialist family counsellors who are available on particular days. As shown in Figure 5.2, about 30% of clients that had accessed headspace services in the 2013/14 financial year reported that they had also used eheadspace in the past week, month and/or year. This is a significant proportion of the client group and shows that eheadspace is an important component of the service model. Patterns of eheadspace usage are relatively consistent across states and territories; however, clients in South Australia, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have lower rates of eheadspace use. Social Policy Research Centre 2015 headspace Evaluation Final Report 83
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5. Service Delivery Model<br />
accessed through <strong>headspace</strong> as well as the types they would like <strong>to</strong> access. The results, shown in<br />
Figure 5.1, indicate that very few participant parents had received support from <strong>headspace</strong>. Further, it<br />
is clear that the provision of written information is not the type of support that parents desire. Instead,<br />
parents overwhelmingly wanted <strong>to</strong> participate in family counselling. A significant number of parents<br />
also indicated that they would like <strong>to</strong> receive advice and support about how <strong>to</strong> better manage mental<br />
health and related concerns.<br />
Figure 5.1 Access <strong>to</strong> supports/services for parents/carers at <strong>headspace</strong><br />
Source: The Parents and Carers Survey<br />
The Parents and Carers Study showed that many parents were struggling <strong>to</strong> cope with their <strong>young</strong><br />
person’s acute issues:<br />
My second daughter has had severe depression for eight years. So we’ve been through the<br />
[private hospital] system, back and forward. We’ve been hospitalised, suicidal many times<br />
over the years, heavily medicated... The suffering that she has been through is unbelievable.<br />
[My daughter] actually overdosed on Panadol and tried <strong>to</strong> commit suicide and then had a<br />
period of depression and then that has kind of evolved now… Now she is just quite anxious…<br />
She had been having some problems and seeing the school counsellor but then when she<br />
<strong>to</strong>ok an overdose and we were in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital she saw a psychiatrist<br />
there who basically said that she is not in any harm and so then we came home. But of<br />
course we were quite traumatised as a family.<br />
I lay in bed in the morning and burst in<strong>to</strong> tears because I know that I have got <strong>to</strong> try and get<br />
two children out of bed… My son is failing year 11 because he just can’t get <strong>to</strong> school<br />
because he’s up until 3am or 4am in the morning and then just can’t get there.<br />
Further, it was clear that many of the problems that the <strong>young</strong> people were seeking help <strong>to</strong> cope<br />
with were family problems. Examples included family members that had suicided, violence within the<br />
family, family breakdown and divorce, and dealing with grief following the death of a family member.<br />
Social Policy Research Centre 2015<br />
<strong>headspace</strong> Evaluation Final Report<br />
82
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