Youth Mental Health Services

As the lead agency for headspace Southport (including headspace Early Psychosis and the Lighthouse service), headspace Upper Coomera and headspace Caloundra, we play a key role in delivering mental health services to young people in the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regions.

Supporting young people

In 2024-25, headspace Southport and Upper Coomera supported more than 6,200 young people, delivering over 6,000 occasions of service. Most young people sought support for mental health and wellbeing, with the most common presenting issues being sadness or depression, anxiety, and stress. Services were delivered through a mix of direct clinical care, lived experience workers, and case management, all with a strong focus on early intervention and holistic, wraparound support. Both centres also worked closely with young people from diverse communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD and LGBTQIA+ groups. Client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with most young people saying they felt heard, respected, and supported in addressing the issues that mattered most to them.

headspace Caloundra opening

In February 2025, headspace Caloundra celebrated its official launch after opening in December. Guests included headspace National CEO Jason Trethowan and Country to Coast PHN CEO Julie Sturgess. Local Elder Udgee Tais delivered a Welcome to Country, followed by centre tours, jelly decorating, and cake. A commemorative mural, created with handprints from the Youth Advisory Council and guests, marked the community’s role in bringing the centre to life.

headspace early psychosis

Since 2017, Lives Lived Well has led the headspace Early Psychosis hub for South East Queensland, based at Southport. The service provides early intervention for young people experiencing or at risk of psychosis, with support spanning 2-5 years and focusing on functional recovery. In 2024-25, the team supported 354 young people through assessments, case management, family interventions, lived experience support, medical care, and recovery-focused groups like surfing and bushwalking. Families and young people consistently praise the service for going above and beyond, creating a space where they feel truly heard, supported, and understood.

Community events

In 2024-25, our headspace teams at Southport, Upper Coomera and Caloundra hosted 95 events, engaging 5,011 young people. Highlights included school holiday programs, The Champions workshop, Mind & Money campaign and Safer Schoolies. We also delivered targeted initiatives for LGBTQIA+, First Nations and multicultural youth, such as Dreamtime Artistry weaving, Deadly Day on the Creek and Pride Festival activities. Online engagement was strong too, with 8,000+ profile visits generating self-referrals and connecting young people to extra supports like eheadspace.

headspace CEO visits Upper Coomera centre

In January 2025, headspace CEO Jason Trethowan visited headspace Upper Coomera for a collaborative session with the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and staff. The YAC led a roundtable sharing project updates, local youth insights and council experiences, then interviewed Jason about his role, priorities for headspace, personal motivations and his work with the Laori Foundation.

Upper Coomera opens Gathering Garden

In November 2024, headspace Upper Coomera transformed an unused outdoor space into the Gathering Garden, a welcoming area for young people, families, and staff to connect. Honouring the Kombumerri people, Traditional Custodians of the land, seating is arranged in a yarning circle, complemented by a vibrant mural by artist Carley Cornelissen featuring local flora and fauna, including the wattle or ‘Kumera’ in Yugambeh language. Thanks to generous community support, the garden is now a calm, inclusive space built by and for the community.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse supports young people aged 12-18 in recovering from complex trauma, and in 2024-25 its reach grew significantly. The service supported 164 young people (up from 114) and delivered 2,089 service contacts, more than double the previous year. Wait times stayed steady at three to four months thanks to redesigned processes and a dedicated team. A new Senior Team model and intake system improved access, offering welcoming screening sessions and a 90-day assessment to set therapeutic goals. Stronger partnerships enabled safe step-downs from tertiary services, while trauma-informed education for schools built community capacity. Small touches like plants, artwork and fidget tools made therapy spaces more inviting. Feedback from young people says it all: “This is the first counsellor who really understood me.”