A director of youth mental health service Headspace has quelled fears for the centre’s immediate future, just days out from a funding shake-up.
Come July 1, the federal government will relinquish control of funding Headspace’s 94 centres to the federal Department of Health’s newly created 31 Primary Health Networks (PHN).
Last week, outgoing Headspace chief executive Chris Tanti said the change would signal his organisation’s demise.
But Liz Burgat, director of clinical programs at the Sunshine, Glenroy, Werribee and Craigieburn Headspace centres, said the funding change was just a “contractual issue” and would, in fact, boost local ownership of the centres.
From July, the North Western Melbourne PHN will assume responsibility for these four centres.
“The amount of funding [for Headspace] has been maintained for the next two years, at a minimum,” Ms Burgat said. “We’re hopeful we’ll get more beyond that … and, to date, we’ve had bipartisan support.”
Headspace spokesman Michael Bennett said the federal government had given a firm commitment to continue the roll-out of Headspace centres.
“We want to reassure young people that Headspace services are operating as usual and will remain to do so, and we encourage them to come to us if they are facing a tough time.”
