By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
YOUTH mental health will be the focus of a forum to be held this weekend in the City of Casey.
The 2010 Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry will address Saturday’s forum, which is being hosted by Holt MP Anthony Byrne.
Prof McGorry, the executive director of Orygen Youth Health, was the keynote speaker two years ago at the community summit on suicide held at the City of Casey chambers, and covered by the ABC’s Four Corners.
Monash Berwick Student Union president Dani Rothwell said Saturday’s forum would reflect on the two years since the 2012 forum and also look at potential programs for the future.
“Our last forum was in 2012 and in the meantime we’ve had a Headspace set up in Dandenong in May 2013 and then a Headspace in Narre Warren was announced,” Ms Rothwell said.
“There has been ongoing lobbying in the meantime. I think it’s a really good time to bring it back into the national conversation again.”
Mr Byrne said the forum would update young people on the rollout of the Headspace at Fountain Gate and the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) at the Westfield Fountain Gate Shopping Centre precinct.
“The ages between 12 and 25 years are a crucial time in the development of our young men and women and mental illness accounts for 50 per cent of the total disease burden among young people in Australia,” he said.
“The forum will continue our ongoing campaign to empower Casey’s youth in national and local efforts to reduce the risk of youth depression and other mental health issues in our community.
“We are really proud to partner again with Prof Patrick McGorry from Orygen Youth Health who will be launching a new National Mental Health Campaign at our forum.”
The forum will run from 10am to noon at Village Cinemas, Fountain Gate. For more information, contact Mr Byrne’s office on 9796 7533.
Those who need immediate assistance or need to talk to someone they can trust can visit beyondblue.org.au, call Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 257 or Lifeline on 131 119.
