Young Mental Health Foundation Established
16 January 2006 at 12:01 pm
A consortium led by the ORYGEN Research Centre has been selected to establish the $54 million National Youth Mental Health Foundation, first announced in the 2005 Federal Budget.
ORYGEN is described as a world leader in the provision of mental health services for young people aged 15 to 25 years.
Prime Minister John Howard announced the consortium details led by the ORYGEN Research Centre at the University of Melbourne in late December.
Other members of the consortium are the Brain and Mind Institute, the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Divisions of General Practice.
The Federal Government also announced that Ryan Stokes would be the inaugural chairman of the new foundation’s advisory board. Mr Stokes is the Chairman of Pacific Magazines and President of Seven Network Asia and provides valuable expertise to ensure the foundation’s messages reach young people and the broader community.
One in four young Australians suffers from mental illness in any one year and three-quarters of all mental health problems begin before the age of 25. Up to half of young people with alcohol and drug problems directly attribute them to untreated mental illness like depression and anxiety.
The National Youth Mental Health Foundation will receive $54 million to June 2009 in Australian Government funding.
The Foundation’s aim is to foster community awareness of youth mental health issues, administer a local grants program and develop education and training resources for GPs and other service providers working with young people.
Welcoming the announcement on the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, the Mental Health Council’s CEO, John Mendoza also encouraged state and territory governments to commit more funds to delivering youth mental health services.
Mendoza says the Mental Health Council’s role will be to establish and support a number of advisory panels of key people and agencies, including young people and carers with an interest in youth mental health, along with clinical, academic and service provider experts to provide their knowledge and expertise to the Foundation.
