New Trauma Service for Canberra Teens

0:00A new mental health service is launching in Canberra to help teenagers dealing with trauma. United Youth Trauma Service offers free care for those age 13-17 or up to 18 if still in school. It's the first of its kind in Australia, built with direct input from young people who face trauma themselves. The service brings together a team of experts, including peer workers with lived experience, specialist in alcohol and drugs, and family support. Staff, backed by $4 million in funding from the ACT and federal governments over two years, it focuses on evidence-based therapies that address how. Trauma affects the brain and daily life. Young people involved in designing it highlight the open-door policy, making it easy to get help with our barriers. Research from the Black Dog Institute backs this up, showing that over half of Australian high school students face tough childhood experiences like family issues, which raise risks for depression, anxiety, self-harm, and worse later on.

1:00Right now, the team is hiring staff, running more co-design sessions with youth, and linking up with community groups. It will be based in Linnem alongside headspace services, but also reach out to where teens are, like homelessness supports. Once open, anyone can self-refer, or doctors and families can send teens directly, creating a real safety net for those navigating these challenges. That's the story for today, Sinny News Today. Driven by AI, I'm Corey with The Story.