Youth prevention and recovery care centre expansion and upgrade program

YPARC centres provide around the clock treatment, care and support to young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing mental health challenges and/or psychological distress.

The centres are voluntary, referral-based services. Young people can continue to attend work or school, while receiving the appropriate treatment, care and support they need in a safe, home-like environment.

YPARC services offer a step up and step down model of care. They provide:

• early intervention for people who are unwell (step up)
• a community-based treatment option for people in the early stages of recovery who need a short period of extra support (step down).

How to access YPARC services

To access a YPARC service, a young person needs to have a referral from:

• a local mental health and wellbeing service, such as Headspace
• a general practitioner or other specialist medical practitioner, such as a private psychiatrist
• an infant, child and youth area mental health and wellbeing service.

Other types of prevention and recovery care (PARC) centres in Victoria

There are also service models that cater to adults. These adult PARC services include a women’s service and an extended stay service.

The average length of stay is between seven and 14 days, with a maximum stay of 28 days. The exception to this is the extended PARC service where the expected stay is up to six months.

Regional capacity

The final report from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (Recommendation 21) recommended there is a YPARC centre in each Victorian region.

The Department of Health has developed eight regions that align with the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

New YPARC centres

• Barwon South West (Geelong, construction complete)
• Gippsland (Traralgon, construction complete)
• Grampians (Ballarat, construction complete)
• Hume (Shepparton, construction complete)
• North East Metro (Heidelberg, construction complete)
• West Metro (Parkville, construction complete). A new 20-bed facility opened in early 2022. This $11.9 million project was funded under the 2018/19 State Budget.

Upgraded YPARC centres

• Loddon Mallee (Bendigo, construction complete)
• South East Metro (Dandenong and Frankston, construction complete).

New YPARC centres

Each of the five new YPARC centres includes:

• 10 single bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms
• communal kitchens, dining and living areas
• breakout spaces
• outdoor areas.

Upgraded YPARC centres

The three upgraded projects at existing YPARC centres improved:

• exteriors
• internal fit-outs
• outdoor areas.

The program aims to achieve the following benefits:

Support closer to home

In some areas of Victoria young people travel long distances to access appropriate mental health services and support.

Building these centres in key regional areas provides access to services closer to their family, support networks and local community. This plays a proven role in a young person's recovery journey.

Home-like and welcoming environment

The new and refurbished YPARC centres were designed to create a welcoming, safe and therapeutic environment.

They include private bedrooms complete with ensuite bathrooms. They will also feature a communal kitchen, dining and living areas, breakout spaces and outdoor areas.

Co-designed centres

Designs for the new and upgraded YPARC centres drew on the insights and experiences of clinicians, carers and young people with lived experience of mental health challenges and/or psychological distress.

Greater access to care

The five new YPARC centres have the capacity to provide prevention and recovery care services to more than 900 young people each year. This more than doubles current capacity.

Reducing hospital admissions and length of stay

The program will help ease pressure on hospital beds by providing early intervention care and an alternative to hospital admission.

More local jobs

The program has supported around 200 construction industry jobs.

New YPARC centres

• Ballarat
  31-39 Durham St, Newington
  Operated by: Grampians Health
• Geelong
  40 Little Fyans Street, South Geelong
  Operated by: Barwon Health
• Heidelberg
  Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital
  Operated by: Austin Health
• Shepparton
  5-7 Numurkah Rd and 107-109 Balaclava Road, Shepparton
  Operated by: Goulburn Valley Health
• Traralgon
  49-63 Hyde Park Road, Traralgon
  Operated by: Latrobe Regional Health

Upgraded YPARC centres

• Bendigo
  37 Havlin Street East, Kennington
  Operated by: Bendigo Health
   
• Dandenong
  6-8 David Street, Dandenong
  Operated by: Monash Health
   
• Frankston
  21 Yuille Street, Frankston
  Operated by: Peninsula Health.

This project was delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with:

Design and construction

• NTC Architects (new centres)
• Bamford Architects (existing centres)
• Alchemy Construct (upgrades to the existing Bendigo YPARC centre)
• Bowden Corporation (upgrades to the existing Dandenong and Frankston YPARC centres)
• McCorkell Constructions (Ballarat and Traralgon YPARC centres)
• SJ Higgins (Heidelberg YPARC centre)
• Nicholson Construction (Geelong and Shepparton YPARC centres).

Health services

• Austin Health
• Barwon Health
• Bendigo Health
• Grampians Health
• Goulburn Valley Health
• Latrobe Regional Health
• Monash Health
• Peninsula Health.