Today, headspace and the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Honourable Emma McBride, recognised the outstanding contributions to growing the youth mental health workforce at the inaugural National headspace Early Career Awards.
The awards celebrate the contribution of graduate clinicians, clinical educators and headspace centres involved with the headspace Early Career Program, which supports the development of Australia's future youth mental health workforce.
Now in its fifth year, the Early Career Program places allied-health students and graduates in headspace services across the country, building skills through supervised practice and strengthening long-term workforce capacity, particularly in regional and rural communities.
The awards were held at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, with awards presented across three categories that recognise excellence in graduate achievement, clinical education and centre‑led student placement programs.
The Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Honourable Emma McBride said: "The headspace Early Career Program is helping grow a pipeline of mental health practitioners and helping shape a workforce that not only cares for the people they work with, but cares for each other.
"As someone who worked in mental health and in-patient settings most of my working life, to be able to see a national program and the impact it has along with the development and investment in the workforce is one of the best parts of the job that I get to do. Recognising you today is incredible."
headspace CEO Jason Trethowan said: "Five years ago, headspace trialled a program to boost the mental health workforce, by supporting students and graduates. Today, at the inaugural National headspace Early Career Awards, we took a moment to share the massive achievement of everyone who has joined the program since it began."
"With the support of the Federal Government, the ECP has created a vital pipeline for mental health workers in this country. We at headspace are incredibly proud of all the 2026 award recipients, and of all the students and graduates across the country working hard to support young people and their mental health."
Award winners:
Outstanding Contribution of a Graduate Alumni to headspace: Natasha Hau, Clinical Educator at headspace Kalgoorlie WA
Natasha Hau is a mental health social worker who joined headspace as a graduate clinician in 2023, relocating from Sydney to Kalgoorlie before completing a second rotation at headspace Broome. Following the program, she returned to headspace Kalgoorlie in dual roles as a Clinician and Clinical Educator, where she has established new student pipelines and supported accommodation for placements. Natasha is a strong advocate for youth mental health care in remote communities.
Quote attributable to Natasha:
"Young people are fun, vibrant and passionate, and that's what really drew me to youth mental health."
Outstanding Contribution of a Graduate Alumni to headspace - India Saunders, Clinician and student supervisor, headspace Warrnambool, VIC
India Saunders is a social worker who began her youth mental health career through a student placement at headspace Marion in South Australia before relocating to Warrnambool as part of the headspace Graduate Program in 2022. India chose to complete both graduate rotations in Warrnambool and transitioned into a full‑time clinician role at headspace Warrnambool. She now works across the centre and its Portland satellite site while supervising social work students and supporting the development of early‑career clinicians in regional Victoria.
Quote attributable to India:
"Regional is where the support needs to be. The young people in my community are absolutely amazing and being able to support them to see their own strengths is what keeps me passionate about this work."
Outstanding Contribution of a Graduate Alumni to headspace - Daniel Krynauw, Supervisor, headspace Ipswich, QLD
Daniel Krynauw is a social worker whose passion for youth mental health began during his student placement at headspace Ipswich, where he later joined the first intake of the headspace Graduate Program in 2022. He completed graduate rotations at headspace Ipswich and headspace Meadowbrook before continuing his career at headspace Ipswich in a range of clinical roles. Daniel now works with young people with more complex mental health needs and provides supervision to graduates and students, supporting their transition into the workforce.
Quote attributable to Daniel:
"I get the honour and privilege to supervise graduates going through the program, and it's awesome to see how quickly these clinicians grow into their roles."
Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Education (collaboration across centres) - Helen Quinn, headspace Meadowbrook; Katie Crompton, headspace Woolloongabba; Maria Padilla Luque, headspace Nundah and headspace Ipswich, QLD
Helen Quinn, Katie Crompton and Maria Padilla Luque have worked collaboratively as a clinical education team across four headspace centres for more than four years. By pooling resources and expertise, the team has supported 14 graduate clinicians and facilitated more than 70 student placements, while developing shared onboarding processes and co‑facilitating graduate learning programs. Their collaborative approach has strengthened workforce capability, improved consistency in training, and supported strong retention of early‑career clinicians across the network.
Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Education (individual centre) - Kathryn Walton, Clinical Educator, headspace Warwick and Roma, QLD
Kathryn Walton has been a Clinical Educator since the establishment of the Early Career Program at headspace Warwick in 2022 and later at headspace Roma. She has built a strong multidisciplinary student and graduate workforce in rural Queensland, supporting three graduate clinicians and 16 student placements across psychology, social work and occupational therapy. Kathryn has also enabled outreach services to communities including Texas and Inglewood, expanding access to youth mental health care in remote communities.
Outstanding Contribution to Student Placement Programs (metro) - headspace Craigieburn, Centre team, VIC
headspace Craigieburn has been recognised for its sustained delivery of high‑quality student placements across psychology, social work and occupational therapy. Since 2022, the centre has supported more than 58 clinical student placements and developed a strong multidisciplinary learning culture. The centre's collaborative approach has helped strengthen workforce pathways and support graduates to transition into ongoing clinical and educator roles.
Outstanding Contribution to Student Placement Programs (regional) - headspace Nowra, Centre team, NSW
In its first year participating in the headspace Early Career Program, headspace Nowra supported seven clinical student placements and one graduate clinician, exceeding program targets. The centre has been recognised for its supportive learning culture, flexible placement model and strong "grow‑your‑own" workforce pathways in a region positioned between metropolitan and rural services. Its approach has encouraged many students to remain in the region and transition into employment, strengthening the local youth mental health workforce.
