Scroll Down
In 2022, CHN received funding from the Australian Government for the establishment of a headspace Early Psychosis (hEP) site in the ACT under the Early Psychosis Youth Services (EPYS) Program. This program aimed to reduce the incidence and severity of psychosis within the community through prevention, early detection and coordinated care delivery for young people aged 12-25.
Data from existing hEP sites indicates that the program is easy to access, receives strong engagement from young people and their families, and is utilised at high rates by some priority populations, including First Nations and LGBTQIA+ young people. A 2020 evaluation of the program also found high client and family satisfaction ratings, reductions in symptom severity and suicidality, improvements in young people’s functioning and social participation.
Over the last year, CHN engaged in a number of development and planning activities for the upcoming hEP service. This included research into local needs, analysis of the service model, relationship-building and increasing service awareness, exploring opportunities for integration alongside Canberra Health Services, and producing procurement resources for the lead agency role and a property consultant opportunity.
