New Mental Health Services for Young People and to Treat Eating Disorders

The Government will allocate $16.5 million to expand mental health services which will benefit the residents of Higgins.
A new headspace centre will be established in Glen Iris to support young people dealing with mental health challenges.
And a $13 million residential centre for treating eating disorders will be established through the South East Primary Health Network which covers the Higgins electorate.
One in four people aged 16 to 24 experiences some form of mental illness every year and three-quarters of all mental illness manifests in people under the age of 25.
“The new headspace centre will provide vital services and deliver innovative support for young Australians in Higgins,” Minister Hunt said.
Liberal candidate for Higgins, Katie Allen, said “I am committed to ensuring young Australians can get information, advice, counselling or treatment, when and where they need it.”
The headspace program aims to improve access for young people aged 12 to 25 years who have, or are at risk of, mental illness. headspace offers early intervention services across four key areas—mental health, related physical health, social and vocational support, and alcohol and other drug use.
Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, Kelly O’Dwyer, said “There are around 1 million Australians living with an eating disorder. Eating disorders are extremely complex illnesses, and have one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness – with anorexia by far the deadliest mental health condition in Australia and disproportionally impacting women.”
The Morrison Government has taken a leading role in tacking this issue and has guaranteed $63 million in funding for 7 residential eating disorders centres, and $7.2 million for the Butterfly Foundation and National Eating Disorders Collaboration to ensure the quality of care for those impacted by an eating disorder and their families.
As part of the national network, the Victorian centre will be established through the South East Primary Health Network.
The Government is prioritising better mental health for all Australians with a record $4.8 billion to be spent on mental health this financial year alone.
The Government’s strong economic management ensures the continued record investment of funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and hospitals.