Is headspace making a difference to young people’s lives?

5. Service Delivery Model
referral is relatively stable, while the number of clients who visit headspace without any formal referral
fluctuates across the year. The number of young people who visit headspace without a formal referral
decreases significantly during the end of year holiday period (December and January), although
less clients in total attend headspace during this period. Analysis of referrals by state indicates that
Tasmania and Queensland have the highest proportion of clients that enter headspace without a
formal referral. In contrast, New South Wales and Western Australia have the highest proportion of
clients accessing headspace with a formal referral (Figure 5.6).
Figure 5.5 headspace clients with a formal referral at first visit, 2013/14
Source: Authors calculations from hCSA data.
Figure 5.6 Proportion of headspace clients with formal referral at the first visit by state, 2013/14
Source: Authors calculations from hCSA data.
Program data also indicates that headspace staff infrequently referred clients to other services within
the community. Table 5.2 below reports the future care decisions for clients after specific occasions
of service during the 2013/14 financial year. As shown, the data indicates that only 3 to 5% of clients
received formal referrals to other services during their first and last visit.
Social Policy Research Centre 2015
headspace Evaluation Final Report
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