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Beam Health - Little Sparks Program

FREE Mental Health Supports Program for Children Under 12

The Little Sparks Program is a newly funded pilot program that provides FREE mental health supports for children under 12 years of age, delivered by trained and experienced Psychologists and Mental Health Clinicians based at our Cessnock Clinic or East Maitland and Muswellbrook pop up clinics.

This program is primarily aimed at providing access to those children and families who have difficulty in accessing mental health support in the primary care sector due to financial hardship ie do not fall under a NDIS Plan, or have difficulty in paying the Medicare gap.

Targeting children under the age of 12 and their families/caregivers who have difficulty in accessing mental health treatment in the primary care sector due to financial hardship.

Services will be prioritised to children who meet the target group criteria above and:

Have parents with a severe mental illness

Have self-harmed, attempted suicide or who have suicidal ideation, and are able to be appropriately managed in the primary health care setting
Living in rural and remote areas

To be eligible for services provided under this program children should:

Meet the above target group criteria
Live within the Central Coast, Greater Newcastle, Lower Hunter Valley and Upper Hunter Valley region
Not be currently accessing psychological services by other means including NDIS or Out-of-Home Care Services

The program is fully funded by the Commonwealth Government and Primary Health Network, meaning there are no out-of-pocket costs for eligible participants. Children that meet the criteria are eligible for a maximum of 12 (50 minute) sessions in a calendar year with a trained and skilled Psychologist or Mental Health Practitioner.

Referrals will primarily be received directly from General Practitioners. However, provisional referrals may also be received from Paediatricians, Child & Family Health Nurses, as well as School Counsellors. If a child is provisionally referred a maximum of 2 service contacts can occur before referral from a General Practitioner (GP) must be received for services to continue.