PILBARA YOUTH TO BENEFIT FROM NEW MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
BY ASAD KHAN
New Service Targets Early Intervention
Pilbara families will soon have more support for youth mental health, with the launch of Bounce Wellbeing, a new service from Anglicare WA in partnership with Channel 7 Telethon Trust and Rio Tinto.
The program, already operating in Karratha and set to expand to Tom Price, is aimed at children aged 8 to 13. It focuses on early intervention, family support, and culturally safe practices.
Addressing an Urgent Need
Mental ill-health remains a major issue in the region. The West Pilbara records the state’s third-highest rate of hospitalisations for self-harm among under-24s, underscoring the need for localised services.
Mark Glasson, Chief Executive Officer of Anglicare WA, told Ngaarda Media that investment in a dedicated service is critical for the Pilbara.
“Mental health challenges are becoming increasingly prevalent in children and young people. And we thought that this was an opportunity to do something really special in the Pilbara,”
“The consequences of mental ill health are felt more profoundly by regional children and young people. We have great supporters here, so with Rio Tinto and the Telethon Trust, we were able to build something that was really unique.”
Designed With the Community
Charlene Senior, Anglicare’s Pilbara Manager, said the service was co-designed with the community after families identified a gap in support for younger children.
“Because we operate the Headspace services, we had young people whose parents were putting them on a wait list from when they’re about 11 and a half, waiting for those six months until they would be old enough to be able to access support,.”
“So we recognised that it was a really strong need in our community.” she said.
Looking Ahead
With strong community backing and industry support, Bounce Wellbeing is positioned to bridge service gaps and provide Pilbara families with earlier access to culturally safe mental health care.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Asad Khan speak with Mark Glasson and Charlene Senior: