mental health services

After almost a year of operation at its interim site on Paterson Street, Head to Health’s purpose-built home, is officially open.

Federal Member for Bass Bridget Archer secured the necessary $10.5 million in funding to deliver the state’s first free walk-in adult mental health facility and said the opening of the permanent site, at 64 Canning Street will fill a necessary gap in menta health services.

“Cost and accessibility can be significant factors in whether someone will seek assistance when they need support,” Mrs Archer said.

“Ensuring our community can get the help when they need it played a big role in why I advocated so hard for our region to secure one of Australia’s first adult mental health centres of this kind.

“More than 4,000 sessions of service have already been provided since the interim site opened and the recent extension of opening hours will ensure that there is greater accessibility to this key service.

“As of late March, Head to Health now offers dedicated after-hours services from 5pm-9pm weekdays and from 10am-2pm on the weekend.”

CEO of centre operator Stride, Drikus Van der Merwe said an after-hours space was always part of the plan for the centre and was included in the design of the purpose-built site.

“People don’t only need help during normal business hours, so we are opening an after-hours dropin service as an alternative to the hospital emergency department for people experiencing emotional and suicidal distress,” he said.

“The after-hours space will have its own entrance and will be staffed by mental health clinicians and peer workers with lived experience who will help ensure visitors receive immediate support and appropriate referral, if needed.”

The Launceston Head to Health team comprises of both clinical staff and non-clinical staff with lived experience (peer workers) to provide holistic, person-centred care.

The Canning Street site includes several multipurpose rooms that are used by related service providers and organisations including a trauma counsellor,

The long-awaited new family court registry, aimed at providing a safer environment for all who come through its doors, has recently opened at Launceston’s Henty House.

Federal Member for Bass Bridget Archer secured the funds for the relocation and refurbishment of the registry after first meeting with stakeholders in 2019.

Reconciliation Tasmania, Flourish, Mental Health Family and Friends, the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania, the Suicide Prevention Network, Anglicare, The Salvation Army, Wellways, Baptcare and Maxima.

To access Launceston Head to Health, people can:

• visit the centre at 62-64 Canning Street, Launceston

• call 1800 595 212

• email headtohealth.launceston@stride.com.au

“A few months after I was first elected, I sat down with representatives of the Law Society of Tasmania and the Family Law Practitioners Association of Tasmania to hear their concerns regarding the suitability of Launceston’s Family Law Court building,” Mrs Archer said.

“Further discussions with other experts in this area left me in no doubt that the court needed to be moved and after much advocacy and work, and in October 2020, I secured more than $5 million in funding to make this move possible.

“It was deeply satisfying to see the new space at the official opening and to talk to the law community about the significance of safe spaces for their clients.”

The Hon Chief Justice Will Alstergen AO said that the new court premises is greatly welcomed.

“These new premises provide tangible improvements, including a dedicated safe room for vulnerable litigants and their children, as well as a separate but adjoining video-conferencing safe room to enable litigants who are concerned for their safety to attend courts remotely while remaining in the safety of the court precinct,” Chief Justice Alstergen said.