FORUM: Gilmore MP and Shoalhaven mayor Joanna Gash, Shoalhaven/Illawarra Medicare Local chairwoman, Dr Vicki McCartney, Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Ageing and Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells meet operations manager of Headspace Shoalhaven Peter Murray prior to a mental health forum in Nowra on Wednesday.
A FORUM was held in Nowra on Wednesday which gave local medical services the chance to update the opposition on how this region was tracking.
Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, has been meeting with mental health stakeholders and communities around Australia to gauge their views on the impact of funding cuts to Mental Health services across Australia.
Part of the senator’s visit included a briefing from operations manager of Headspace Shoalhaven, Peter Murray and Shoalhaven/Illawarra Medicare Local chair, Dr Vicki McCartney, who both outlined some of the work Headspace has been involved in since opening in April last year.
Headspace Shoalhaven has provided mental health services to more than 500 Shoalhaven youth.
Gilmore MP Joanna Gash hosted Senator Fierravanti-Wells’ visit.
“Headspace Shoalhaven is a service I am proud to support and Senator Fierravanti-Wells’ visit was just another part of ensuring that federal support for mental health services in Gilmore continues for many more years to come.”
Shoalhaven/Illawarra Medicare Local chairwoman Dr Vicki McCartney thought the forum was a productive way to get the information across to the opposition.
“One of our roles is to get out there so people know Medicare Local is able to help people link with the services that are available.
“Our other role is to try whenever there is an opportunity to talk to the government or the opposition to make sure they understand what our community’s needs are and where the gaps are,” she said.
