A Head to Health Kids Hub to provide mental health care for young children will soon be located on the Central Coast.
It will be one of four Kids Hubs across NSW to be rolled out progressively and all four will be operational by 2027.
The Kids Hubs are a $35.8M joint investment by the Australian and NSW Governments to provide comprehensive, multi-disciplinary mental health and wellbeing care for children aged under 12 and their families.
Services will be fully government-funded and offer a range of specialist medical and allied health services provided by teams which could include psychiatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, nurses, social workers, peer workers and Aboriginal Health Workers.
Federal Member for Dobell and Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, said the Australian Government was partnering with NSW to fund Head to Health Kids Hubs so children and families could get the help they needed when and where they needed it.
“The Kids Hubs will provide a welcoming environment to help children and their families discuss the concerns they have and give them the tools they need to deal with any issues,”
Emma McBride
“It’s about providing an accessible place and the right mental health and wellbeing services that will support them now and lay the groundwork for the future.”
NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said the increase in children experiencing mental health challenges was a serious call to action for the government.
“We want to make sure that vulnerable families are receiving the support they need and the Head to Health Kids Hubs are one way we are aiming to support children and their families to lead happier and healthier lives,” she said.
“The Kids Hubs will make it easier to access holistic, wrap-around mental health and wellbeing care for our youngest community members.
“They are free services which are embedded in communities, available when and where people need them.
“There is a lot of work to do to ensure we are providing the mental health support people need but this is a strong step in the right direction.”.
Other Kids Hubs will be located in Penrith, Wollongong with outreach to the Shoalhaven region, and Orange with outreach to Bathurst.
Source:
Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health Emma McBride
NSW Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson