May 26, 2023
Not-for-profit organisation Open Minds has been selected as the service provider for the new Head To Health site in Kingaroy.
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN made the announcement on Thursday.
The Kingaroy site will provide immediate short or medium-term support for people who require mental health support at any level, including people who are experiencing a crisis or significant distress.
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN CEO Lucille Chalmers said the PHN had undertaken a comprehensive process to determine the most suitable service provider.
She said Open Minds was a long-standing mental health service provider “highly capable of delivering these services”.
Ms Chalmers said co-design panels in Kingaroy had provided significant input into the requirements of the service prior to the tender process.
“We have worked closely with our partners in the community to co-design Head to Health services that will complement existing services and meet local need,” she said.
“Our local Head to Health network will be a welcoming open door to mental health support for our community and will help relieve pressure on GPs and hospitals.”
Open Minds will also operate the new Head To Health site in Ipswich.
The organisation traces its history back to 1912 and the former Queensland Wattle Day League.
According the Open Minds website, the group started out by raising funds for art scholarships before moving to support returned soldiers after World War I.
It funded the construction of an orthopaedic ward at Rosemount Hospital to supply artificial limbs.
“Our story hasn’t changed, we still support those in need in the community, however for nearly the last 30 years, our focus has been on individual and group support to help people with mental illness and disabilities achieve their goals,” the website states.
The Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN secured Head to Health funding in May 2022 as part of a national $487.2 million Mental Health and Suicide Prevention package.
The establishment of the Kingaroy and Ipswich sites is now under way with initial operations anticipated to start late this year.
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