Download the Club Bulletin for Meeting 918 here.
From President Elect Mina Ward:
This week we welcomed our regular catch up attendee, Jeff Neale, from our Grandmother Club, Campbelltown. Marcos from Timor Leste also joined us for breakfast again and was excited to tell us about his attendance at the ANZAC day celebrations. Amongst his busy calendar, Marcos has been attending Adelaide High School this week, along with his fellow comrades, to learn more about English teaching.
The club sends their get well wishes to Graham Holcroft, who sustained some fractured ribs and bruised kidneys…..not entirely sure how, but Robyn thinks he is just trying to avoid the gardening. GET WELL SOON GRAHAM!!
We invited Steve Wright to our meeting this week’s meeting. Steve is a Clinical Psychologist at Headspace, which is a Government established National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing mental and health wellbeing support, information and services for people aged between 12 and 25.
At the Edinburgh North drop in centre, where Steve is based there are ten full time staff, including youth workers, a Psychiatrist and a GP.
The centre’s main goal is to aid emerging mental health issues with early intervention and give young people the skills to manage the issues themselves.
With nearly 100 centres nationwide, as well as online and phone support, Headspace is touching a lot of people’s lives, who otherwise would be struggling to cope with issues relating to mental health, alcohol and other drug use, work or education, general physical health, sexual health and relationships. As suicide rates in Australia sky rocket, it seems these sorts of services are becoming more and more vital.
Edinburgh North Headspace, provides a youth friendly environment, which is safe and destigmatised. All services are 100% free and it must be voluntary attendance. Even though it is often parents who make the first contact the attendee needs to want to attend the clinic. It is a non crisis or emergency centre. As well as appointments with staff, the centre organises workshops, community links (YAC), community events, presentations to local groups, services for schools and participate in events such as the Reel Event.
Steve, along with some of his colleagues will be hosting an information stall at the Reel Event, telling attendees more about mental health in young people and how Headsapce is helping. Being a beneficiary of the event, Steve envisages the money raised going towards setting up a couple of group sessions for young people, aimed at the gay community. And another group session aimed at parents, giving them support and guidance on how to help their children with mental health issues.
Headspace accepts referral from anyone. To find out more have a look at their website: http://www.headspace.org.au