NEWLY appointed headspace chief executive officer Jason Trethowan says youth mental health and well-being concerns he has encountered across western Victoria would translate to a national framework.
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Improving mental health services and reducing the mental health stigma has been a key passion of Mr Trethowan in his work predominantly across Ballarat and Geelong. He felt privileged to have the chance to focus on this in a nationwide role.
Mr Trethowan, who grew up in Ballarat, said the past 18 months leading the Western Victorian Primary Health Network, in particular, had given him the grounding to tackle headspace work on a national level.
“You do always hear the need for more support at the highest levels for youth mental health so young people can achieve better in education, employment and relationships,” Mr Trethowan said.
“...Reducing the stigma in help-seeking is really important. When they go to their general practitioner or health service can make a difference to get on top of health changes early. That’s why there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“I don’t think the issues young people have in Ballarat or western Victoria are that different from anywhere else. They need a youth-friendly service to access. There is a lot more anxiety in general among young people.”
Mr Trethowan led a new organisational structuring as Western Vic PHN chief executive officer, transitioning three Medicare Locals into a single network. He has focused on bridging health system gaps and interactions, across the region, for better holistic patient care.
A key part of this has been working with headspace offices in Ballarat and Geelong, where he is based. This has allowed him to understand how the national youth mental health foundation works on the ground.
Mr Trethowan’s past experience includes managerial roles with Barwon Medicare Local, Ballarat and Geelong health services. He was most proud of the bias WVPHN had toward improving healthcare for people most at risk of poor health outcomes.
“I’ve been very lucky health services across western Victoria are dedicated to quality,” Mr Trethowan said. “Hopefully now, western Victoria health is very well-placed for the next person to take on.”
Mr Trethowan starts with headspace on January 30.