Frequently Asked Questions

Million for Mental Health Day is headspace’s very first national fundraising campaign, and will run annually.

This year, our goal of raising $1 million on 10 November will help headspace expand and enhance the range of services available for families across Australia looking after young people experiencing mental health challenges.

We know that families are vital in supporting young Australians. Families have a unique understanding of their young person and may be the first to notice and recognise the early warning signs of mental ill-health, but sometimes can feel unsure about what to say, where to start or who to call.

“Talking to family” is the most frequently reported coping strategy for young people experiencing mental health challenges.

However, there are significant gaps in available services and resources to help families who are supporting a young person who may be struggling. By ensuring families of young people have the confidence and knowledge to provide support and guidance, young people are better placed to respond to life’s challenges.

Family's involvement in the care of young people can be strengthened by education, training and guidance in mental health and wellbeing. We want to ensure that all families have what they need to best support a young person with their mental health.

Funds raised from Million for Mental Health Day will help headspace increase available services and resources for families supporting a young person going through a tough time.

Your donation will make a huge impact to young Australians and their families. By raising $1 million, headspace will be able to:

• Enhance the quality, range and depth of resources on our website for families in need.
• Improve support for headspace Centres to enhance their services available for young people and families.
• Develop family support training for headspace Centres, enabling them to deliver sessions to families in their local communities.
• Implement a new service, offering online learning to enhance skills of families supporting a young person with mental-ill health.
• Implement a new online therapist assisted service to provide families with further 1-1 support.

Families can reach out to their local headspace centre for support and advice about services to help young people with their mental health. You can find your local centre here: https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/ Families can also reach out to headspace, to chat about what is going on for a young person, to seek information about parenting, to talk about concerns about a young person’s mental health and to find out what sorts of support might be available. You can contact eheadspace via telephone 1800 650 890 or online https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/.

To discuss concerns, or to find out what sorts of support is available, families are encouraged to reach out to their local GP or go online to headtohealth, https://www.headtohealth.gov.au/

Families can reach out to the following telephone support services:

Parent line:

• ACT: (02) 6287 3833
• NSW: 1300 130 052
• NT: 1300 301 300
• Qld: 1300 301 300 
• SA: 1300 364 100
• Tas: 1300 808 178
• Vic: 132 289 
• WA: (08) 9368 9368 (metropolitan) or 1800 111 546 (regional callers)

Head to health: 1800 595 212

13 YARN: 13 92 76

Sane Australia Mental Health Helpline: 1800 187 263

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kidshelpline: 1800 551 800

headspace has also developed a range of written resources for families supporting a young person  experiencing mental ill-health. You can find these here: https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/supporting-a-young-person/mental-ill-health/.

headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation Ltd is a health promotion charity that has been endorsed as a deductible gift recipient. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and you will receive a digital receipt upon donating. 

Your donation will make a huge impact to young Australians and their families. By raising $1 million, headspace will be able to:

• Enhance the quality, range and depth of resources on our website for families in need.
• Improve support for headspace Centres to enhance their services available for young people and families.
• Develop family support training for headspace Centres, enabling them to deliver sessions to families in their local communities.
• Implement a new service, offering online learning to enhance skills of families supporting a young person with mental-ill health. 
• Implement a new online therapist assisted service to provide families with further 1-1 support.

headspace is funded by the Australian Government to provide early intervention mental health services to young people aged 12-25. 

Funds raised from Million for Mental Health Day, thanks to the generosity of the community and corporate partners, will help evolve the critical work supporting families and will help headspace increase available services and resources for families supporting a young person going through a tough time.

Throughout the Million for Mental Health Day campaign, we have shared several statistics and evidence to support the need for families. Please see below for where this data has been sourced: 

• Almost 2 in 5 young people experience mental ill-health each year (2020-2021 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing)
• “Talking to Family” is the most frequently reported coping strategy, revealing the value of family in young people’s mental health treatment and support (headspace COVID client impact report, Aug 2020)
• 90% of young people spoke to either family or friends to help them cope with the impacts of COVID-19, and ‘talking to family’ was the most frequently reported support strategy, revealing the value of family in young people’s mental health treatment and support. (headspace COVID client impact report, Aug  2020)
• 82% of young people who talked to family indicated that it was a helpful strategy (headspace COVID client impact report, Aug 2020)
• One third of all referrals to headspace services are from family and friends (headspace position paper – inclusion of family & friends, Sept 2012)