Brain and Mind Centre Youth Model

Through the continued investment from Future Generation Global, Professor Ian Hickie and the Youth Mental Health and Technology Team at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre are currently in their fourth year of the Youth Mental Health and Technology Program of research.

The Youth Mental Health and Technology team have developed the Brain and Mind Centre Youth Model which involves novel clinical assessment and longitudinal tracking tools to detail psychological, cognitive, social and medical characteristics and plan individualised and more effective long-term interventions using a technology-enabled solution (InnoWell Platform). This is coupled with an extensive education and training program for participating centres, young people accessing care, as well as supportive others (e.g. family members).

Thus far, there have been more than 1,500 health professionals, service staff, individuals with a lived experience with mental ill-health and supportive others who have participated to co-design and/or user tested the InnoWell Platform. The InnoWell Platform has also been extensively co-designed with and taken into consideration the voices of culturally diverse groups (i.e. CALD, ATSI, LGBTQI), younger people (aged 12-15 years), supportive others (i.e. family, friends and other caregivers) and young people living in regional and rural Australia.

To date, the education and training component of the Brain and Mind Centre Youth Model is progressively being implemented into five headspace sites in metropolitan NSW, and five headspace sites in rural NSW, and one headspace site in South Australia, with the focus on expanding to other headspace sites across metropolitan, regional and rural Australia. The training focuses on further assisting health professionals, young people accessing care, as well as supportive others to prevent progression to more complex and severe forms of mental illness.

“We are extremely grateful to be partnering with Future Generation Global in the fourth year of our project,” Professor Ian Hickie said, “From this continued investment, more than 1,500 individuals, supportive others, health professionals and service providers have benefited through improved access to support, increased individual agency, and strengthened early intervention. Due to the support of Future Generation Global, this number will only exponentially increase.”

The rest of the project supported by Future Generation Global will focus on expanding the implementation of the Brain and Mind Centre Youth Model across Australia.

If you are part of a youth mental health service, such as headspace, and would like to be involved in the Youth Mental Health and Technology Program, please contact Grace Lee.