headspace Tamworth opens new Marius Street location

headspace Tamworth has relocated to 201 Marius Street, and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, July 29, after staff moved into the new space last week.

Since 2013, the organisation had been operating out of a former residential home located on Darling Street.

Centre manager for headspace Tamworth, Jason Reed, said the new space provides young people with the opportunity "to come in and feel comfortable".

"This is an investment not just from headspace but also from Centacare," he said.

"We have this space that we have never had before. It is not a dark space as we were, we have nice, big, bright windows," he said.

With a staff of 20, headspace Tamworth had "outgrown" their old site, where offices would sometimes double as extra consulting rooms.

The new layout includes individual consulting rooms, which have been designed alongside the NENW headspace Youth Reference Group.

Mr Reid said the team can now accommodate their clientele and provide a more holistic service.

"We have a dedicated room for a general practitioner now. We have extra space for our dietitian and our nurse, as well as all of our mental health workers," he said.

headspace Tamworth also provides services to young people in Gunnedah, Narrabri, and Moree.

In the last 12 months, CEO of Centrecare North West Chris Sheppeard said headspace Tamworth had seen over 700 young people through their doors.

"The numbers are just growing from there," he said.

"It is important to get the information out there and help them know the programs that are available to them."

Mr Sheppeard said it was also important to have a general practitioner (GP) onsite, as it provides "a one stop shop" of services.

"So when young people come in and we refer them somewhere, they can come back to the same place," he said.

"Having a youth-friendly space makes them feel like they are not sitting in a space with just everyone's eyes on them.

"From a youth perspective, it is more bright and friendly, and it does not make them feel as though they are sitting in a clinical environment."

A similar space was also opened in Armidale on Monday. Both centres have been funded by the Hunter New England Primary Health Network.