Co-designing the future of primary mental healthcare

Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN is collaborating with local stakeholders to co-design future Head to Health services for the region. The Head to Health services will be a satellite service in Kingaroy, and a service centre in Ipswich. These new services will operate in addition to existing local services and the recently launched Head to Health phone line.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, Head to Health is a network of programs, phone services, online resources and service centres for people needing mental health support.

“Our data tells us that our region is experiencing high levels of mental health concerns relating to stress, including depression and anxiety. The new Head to Health services will complement existing services to help keep people out of hospital,” said Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN CEO, Lucille Chalmers.

The PHN has facilitated four co-design workshops throughout August — two in Kingaroy and two in Ipswich. Each workshop panel included people with lived experience, carers, local service providers, council representatives and representatives from West Moreton Health and Darling Downs Health.

“We are actively partnering with the community and our partners in the health system to ensure these Head to Health services truly meet local need,” said Ms Chalmers.

The co-design sessions provide an opportunity for all panel members to share and discuss their experiences and perspectives. Their valuable input will inform all future stages of the project.

Both the Kingaroy satellite and Ipswich service centre are anticipated to begin operations in mid-2023.

For more information about Head to Health, click here. For more information about primary mental health services in the Darling Downs and West Moreton region click here.