Yellow has been a sign of hope in Kiama and Gerringong in recent years, with bright ribbons used to show support as the community grappled with the tragic loss of a number of young people to suicide.
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Now, after years of lobbying, a sunshine-coloured For Lease sign has gone up on a Manning Street shopfront, signaling the start of a new chapter for the towns' mental health services.
Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips announced the long-awaited dedicated Kiama headspace office would open at 65 Manning Street from early 2024.
An election promise from Labor ahead of the 2022 poll, the office will open three days a week to provide mental health, drug and alcohol, and work and study support for young people aged 12 to 25.
"We've seen a lot of trauma and the tragic loss of young people's lives in Kiama and that impact everybody so this is about prevention and supporting our young people and their families," Ms Phillips said.
"This is absolutely vital. I want to thank the community who have lobbied for this, they have been asking for something like this for a very long time."
The Kiama LGA was in the spotlight due to a spate of suicides among its young people around three years ago, particularly when five young people died in a five-week period in July and August 2020.
Deputy mayor Imogen Draisma, who lost her 15-year-old brother Ace to suicide in 2019, said there had been a huge amount of awareness-raising which had helped to reduce the stigma around suicide in the years since.
"My family was personally affected by that period," she said.
"And it's been a very hard time for our community across the board, particularly with that prolonged isolation through COVID-19 that really exacerbated the underlying community outcry for further support."
She said the headspace office, which is close to Kiama High School, would be vital for making sure young people could access support.
"We know that when anyone reaches out for help, the biggest setback is wait times to access those healthcare professionals and that can be a really crucial point in time in any person's life," she said.
"It takes a lot of thought to access these services, and the last thing we want is for young people turned away from local services or having to go outside of the area to access those basic services."
The CEO of Grand Pacific Health, which will operate the service, Adam Phillips said having a physical space in Kiama would help more people get the support they need.
He said Kiama had "fought tooth and nail" to get the headspace to help its young people.
"Young people engage more when you have a physical presence, and we also know from speaking to young people that telehealth and those sorts of services aren't as welcome as a physical presence," Ms Phillips said.
"It really does make a difference, we see more people and are able to engage with them and create a stronger therapeutic alliance with them as well which actually has an impact on their outcomes."
How to get help
A new headspace service is due to open in Shellharbour by the end of 2023 and the Kiama service will be linked with that facility.
Young people or families wanting to access the current headspace services in the region can do so by contacting headspace Wollongong on 4220 7660 or headspace Nowra on 4446 7300.
headspace's online and phone services can be accessed by visiting headspace.org.au. If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
