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

1. Introduction
There have been many changes to the program since the first evaluation, including:
• the introduction of a new administrative dataset from January 2013 that collects data from
both clients and service providers at each occasion of service (hCSA)
• the introduction of a new financial dataset (hCFA)
• an increase in government funding and number of headspace centres (from 30 to
approximately 80 currently operational, with a further 20 funded to open by December 2016),
and
• the implementation of a new governance structure with headspace established as a
company limited by guarantee with a Board of Directors.
The second evaluation of headspace was conducted to determine if the program is meeting its
funded objectives and to ensure that program enhancements as well as future funding and expansion
decisions are evidence-based.
1.3 Report Structure
This report is structured according to the four evaluation scope areas: access and engagement,
client outcomes, the service delivery model, and the economic evaluation. Each scope area is
designated a chapter within the report and findings are presented according to the specified research
questions (refer Appendix A).
The document comprises six chapters. Chapter 1 provides some background to the evaluation and
the headspace program. Chapter 2 outlines the methodology used to evaluate headspace, with
further and more technical information provided in Appendix C. Chapter 3 presents findings related
to young people’s access and engagement with headspace. This chapter includes a comprehensive
profiling of headspace clients. Chapter 4 presents findings related to young people’s outcomes in
multiple areas following headspace treatment. Chapter 5 presents findings related to the headspace
service delivery model. Chapter 6 presents the costs of headspace; and Chapter 7 summarises the
key messages of the evaluation.
As part of the evaluation an analysis was conducted to consider the costs of national expansion. This
analysis is presented in Appendix B.
Social Policy Research Centre 2015
headspace Evaluation Final Report
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