Mental health service opens at Stockland

FREE mental health support service Gidget House has opened at Stockland Wendouree.

Gidget House provides help to parents experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety.

The organisation previously operated in Ballarat Central one day a week but has moved to a new location to expand their services in the region.

It is the fourth Gidget House in Victoria and offers bulk-billed online or face-to-face counselling.

“We found that certainly in the regional areas there is significant demand for these services,” said Gidget Foundation Australia CEO Arabella Gibson.

“This was a really exciting opportunity for us to work together and collaborate with Stockland Wendouree to deliver services locally here in Ballarat.

“We know that it’s life-changing and it’s lifesaving.”

Data from the Gidget Foundation Australia indicates that nearly one in five parents are unsure how to access support during the perinatal period.

Gidget House has provided more than 150 appointments to local parents, supporting 30 families in the region with free counselling sessions.

The initiative is supported by the Federal Government.

“Mental health services often do attract a bit of stigma, and they shouldn’t,” said Member for Ballarat Catherine King.

“Having these services right in the heart of Stockland is really destigmatising, it’s part of the community, it’s part of the shopping precinct here and a place where I think a lot of people are coming.”