TONY PASIN MP
MEMBER FOR BARKER
Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
MEDIA RELEASE
NEW HEAD TO HEALTH OFFICIALLY OPENS AT NEW LOCATION
Member for Barker, Tony Pasin MP, has joined Focus One Health and the Limestone Coast Community to celebrate the official opening of the Mount Gambier Head to Health Centre at its new Commercial Street East location.
The much-anticipated Head to Health Centre announced by Tony Pasin in April last year is offering free and accessible mental health services to adults in the Limestone Coast community.
Mr Pasin said the Head to Health rollout was a key initiative of the former Coalition Government, who embarked on landmark reform of the mental health system.
“The Coalition has a track record in delivering easy to access mental health support for Australians, establishing the headspace model in 2006 and then initiating the Head to Health rollout in 2021 with the Mount Gambier Head to Health Centre being the first of its kind in regional South Australia,” Mr Pasin said.
Much like the service headspace offers to young people of the Limestone Coast, the Mount Gambier Head to Health facility offers a welcoming, ‘no wrong door’ entry point for adults to access mental health information, services and support.
“The Mount Gambier Head to Health Centre means another important link in the network of services existing here in the Limestone Coast,” Mr Pasin said.
“Congratulations to the Focus One and the Head to Health team who have done a fantastic job in getting the service up and running so quickly since being awarded the contract earlier this year.”
The Mount Gambier Head to Health team began offering services two days a week in July this year, and by August, services were expanded to operate five days a week.
Mr Pasin said it was a proud moment to see the Centre open in its new dedicated space and know that the team was there to help community members in need when they need it.
Mr Pasin thanked the local community for their support in advocating for the service including those who wrote letters of support during his advocacy.
“Most importantly, thank you to the thousands of community members who signed the petition initiated by Ben Hood, which I then presented to the former Minister for Health, Greg Hunt. Each signature was a demonstration of need and support and helped me in my advocacy to the Minister on behalf of the Limestone Coast,” Mr Pasin said.
The former Coalition Government embarked upon landmark reform of the mental health system including $2.3 billion additional investment as part of the 2021–22 Budget. This included $820 million for a network of multidisciplinary mental health treatment centres based on three models: Head to Health, an expansion of the existing headspace network and Head to Health Kids.
Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8724 7730
