Digital youth mental health service MOST has hit the ground running in Western Australia (WA), with more than 100 young people already signed up and using digital mental health support as part of their care.
In the first eight weeks since launching in WA, more than 100 referrals have been made, and 64 clinicians from headspace centres in Armadale, Fremantle, Mandurah, Rockingham, Midland and Osborne Park have been trained in offering MOST. The two remaining metropolitan headspace centres in Cannington and Joondalup will be able to refer to MOST by August.
MOST is a free digital mental health service for young people aged 12 to 25. It offers access to self-directed therapeutic content, a safe moderated online community, peer workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, careers counselling and one-on-one clinical support in partnership with the care they receive through their centre.
MOST’s blended care model supports young people at all stages of care, including while they wait for face-to-face care, throughout that care, and as a step-down from care tool. It gives young people real people to talk to, and helpful, tailored information and practical resources that they can work through in their own time.
The self-support and blended care aspects were recently brought to life for headspace Mandurah clinicians while exploring MOST’s clinician account features after training. One of the Mandurah clinicians had been working with a young person on their social isolation challenges and had recommended MOST as part of treatment. The clinician referred them to MOST and was then able to see, through MOST’s clinician account access, that their young client had completed their onboarding, made a post on the peer-moderated community, and explored therapeutic content about social connection and friendships.
In collaboration with WA Primary Health Alliance, the MOST team will now be working with headspace services across regional WA to make MOST available to young people in the regions in partnership with the care they receive through their headspace centre.
This service is supported by funding from WA Primary Health Alliance under the Australian Government’s PHN Program.