For more than a decade, the program has helped at-risk people in the Goulburn Valley between the ages of 12 and 25 experiencing mental illness to find secure, ongoing employment while also providing drug and alcohol, mental and physical support.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a significant strain on mental health providers across Victoria, with the stresses of lockdown leading to a 30 per cent increase in referrals among young people.
The funding will allow the Shepparton site to continue its successful Individual Placement and Support Program.
Shepparton headspace general manager Allison Sanderson said by providing targeted help, the program worked to overcome barriers stopping people with mental illness from finding - and maintaining - a job.
“These include job coaching, employment opportunities, resumes, assistance, course enrolments, advocacy with community support services, and on-the-job support for as long as needed,” she said.
Federal Member for Nicholls Damian Drum said the Federal Government was reinvesting in the program to "boost local mental health and employment services in Shepparton and surrounds".
“The Shepparton program is provided by GV Health and targets young people with mental illness who are at risk of disengaging from their employment or education, or at risk of long-term welfare dependence,” he said.
“By integrating educational and workforce support with clinical mental health services, we are helping young people with mental illness who are 25 years and younger secure employment opportunities.
“Mental illness should not be a barrier to a fulfilling career and this important program will continue to ensure young people have access to the tailored support they need to thrive in any workplace.”
It arrives off the back of $2.24 million in Victorian Government funding provided to headspace's 13 sites across Victoria in June, to deliver surge teams of clinicians in specialist child and youth mental health services.
Headspace has grappled with significant waiting lists across its sites since the pandemic began.
Federal families and social services minister Anne Ruston said the onset of mental illness in young people could "significantly" affect their ability to transition from study to the workplace if targeted care wasn't available.
“This investment will provide ongoing local career assistance hand-in-hand with clinical support to help young people with mental illness enter the workforce and reach their full potential,” Senator Ruston said.
Shepparton's headspace is one of 24 existing locations where the Individual Placement and Support Program has been extended, alongside a further 26 new sites nationally to now deliver the program.
Nationally, the ongoing and expanded program will have the capacity to provide around 6000 Australians experiencing mental illness with access to a range of specialist vocational and employment support services.
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