Models of Care Consortium
Orygen has been engaged by the Department of Health and Aged Care to lead a diverse consortium of organisations from the youth mental health sector to deliver sector-led advice to the Australian Government on the existing system of mental health services for young people aged 12 to 25 years, and potential new and/or refined models of care for mental health services for young people.
Related documents
about the project
Youth mental health research has flourished globally, generating significant evidence for effective treatments and service models. The primary aim of this project is to understand the current landscape of youth mental health services in Australia and provide advice to the government on what can be done better.
Many of Australia’s leading youth mental health organisations are represented in the consortium, including Orygen, headspace, batyr, Brain and Mind Research Institute (University of Sydney), yourtown, Youth Focus, Mission Australia, SANE and ReachOut, along with subject matter and project management expertise from Department of General Practice and Primary Care (University of Melbourne), IPS Management Consultants, Monash University Health Economics Group and dandolopartners.
Together the consortium delivers a complementary blend of mental health expertise, project management skills, lived experience expertise, First Nations engagement, system and service design and delivery, along with technical, policy, research and evaluation expertise.
We also recognise that extensive engagement with various youth mental health services and young people Australia-wide is essential.
Throughout the consultation process from late-March into May 2025, we will be seeking to prioritise the voices and experiences of young people across Australia, including families, carers and supporters, in developing youth mental health services.
participation
As a national-focused project, we have a strong commitment to engaging with a broad and diverse range of the Australian community, including a focus on priority populations.
Cultural accessibility, human rights and intersectionality are all factored into the consultation design to ensure diverse young people can feel safe to contribute to the project.
If you are a young person, family member, carer or supporter of a young person who has accessed (or attempted to access) mental health services in Australia, or a mental health service provider or related advocacy organisation, we invite you to share your experiences, expertise and advice.
Your input will help us understand how the youth mental health system is working for you at the moment, and could help determine what could be changed or implemented to improve young people’s access to supports and services and improve their experiences and outcomes.
Participation in this opportunity is voluntary and you can participate in a number of ways:
Young people, families, carers and supporters
- Youth workshops for people aged 16-25 will be held in each state and territory; including the unique experiences of First Nations young people, the LGBTIQ+ community, young people from rural and remote areas, young people with disability and/or who are from multicultural communities.
- Online workshops will also be held to enable parents, siblings, carers and supporters of young people with lived experience to share their insights, experiences and knowledge and have honest, empowering conversations around the youth mental health system and their experiences of it.
- An opportunity for young people, their families, carers and supporters to make an online submission is now available here and will also be emailed to individuals who have expressed interest.
For service providers and key stakeholders
- In-person roundtables are being held for sector stakeholders in each state and territory (by invitation).
- Online consultations are taking place with First Nations organisations around Australia, including rural and remote areas.
- An online submission process for sector stakeholders is now open and accepting contributions until Friday 16th of May - you can access the submission form via this link.
- We will also be holding online discussion forums for stakeholders with technical expertise and specific experience in key areas indentified through the consultation process.
To be involved, or if you would like to know more about the consultation, please email [email protected].
If you require access assistance, please contact us.
About dandolo
dandolo is a public policy and strategy consulting firm, with a proud 22-year history of high quality, independent and impactful advice to organisations working in and around government. The team at dandolo are supporting the consortium with project management services, consultation logistics and facilitation of the roundtables and sector consultations.