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2019 & 2020 proudly supported the mental health of young Australians through headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation

2019

$2.5M AUD

2020

$5.1M AUD

Thanks to the amazing and generous support of all 2019 and 2020 The Push-Up Challenge participants and donors, we were able to support headspace The National Youth Mental Health Foundation in the work they do supporting young people all across Australia.

Research shows that 75 per cent of mental health disorders develop before the age of 25. The work headspace does in helping young people aged 12 – 25 through challenging times in their life and supporting them to get back on track and live their full potential, is so important.

With the extraordinary amount of money raised, headspace was able to focus on developing their Friends and Family approach – a critical piece of work that up until now, they hadn’t been able to dedicate sufficient resources

We know how important family and friends are in a young person’s life, and this is especially true when it comes to their wellbeing.

Family and friends are often the first to notice a change in a young person’s emotions or behaviour that may signal they’re going through tough time. They also encourage young people to seek help, with approximately one third of referrals to a headspace centre coming from a young person’s family and friends.

Research has also found engaging with friends and family to support the mental health of young people can also help reduce the severity of mental ill-health and facilitate their recovery.

Using funds raised from The Push-Up Challenge, headspace established their first Family and Friends Inclusive Practice team – a huge opportunity for headspace. This new team supports the inclusion and participation of family and friends in headspace centres across the country in the treatment of young people, and in the design and review of services.

Some of the achievements the team has already been able to accomplish include:

  • Developing and implementing a clear framework and specific resources for better family and friend’s integration in headspace centres in Australia
  • Creating psychoeducation sessions, helping family and friends of young people understand what their young person is going through
  • Growing the membership of the headspace Family and Friends Reference Group who share their knowledge to ensure the work of headspace is helpful and meaningful
  • Publishing new website resources which provide help and support to family and friends
  • Developing training and resources for headspace centres to build family inclusive services
2021 will be a big year for the Family and Friends team at headspace, with more education sessions to come and a podcast launching, focusing specifically on how family and friends can support young people with mental ill-health.

So thank you again to all who participated in the Challenge for your time, hard work and generosity. We could not do this great work without your support!