Alcoa and Youth Focus celebrate 10 years of partnering on mental health support

Mental health organisation Youth Focus and mining heavyweight Alcoa are celebrating their 10-year partnership through further commitment to supporting young people across Kwinana, Peel and the Upper South West of WA.

The partnership began in 2012 and since then, it has delivered mental health assistance to almost 1000 people across WA’s South West.

Youth Focus is geared toward young people between 12 and 25 who are experiencing mental health challenges.

Through the partnership, Alcoa has contributed to the rollout of youth-specific early intervention mental health services, including office-based counselling at Youth Focus’ Peel Health Hub and the Zone Youth Space in Kwinana.

The miner, which has operations throughout Kwinana, Peel and the South West regions, also funds in-reach counselling at some of the regions’ secondary schools, as well as school visits and additional student support.

With mental ill-health a rising problem — the Australian Bureau of Statistics Causes of Death 2021 report showed 47 young people between 15 and 24 died from intentional self-harm in WA last year — Alcoa and Youth Focus have announced a three-year extension of their partnership.

The result will be Alcoa having provided more than $2.2 million in funding to Youth Focus since the partnership’s inception in 2012.

Youth Focus chief executive Arthur Papakotsias said the financial support from Alcoa had allowed Youth Focus to “increase the capacity and resilience of young people in these areas of WA”.

“With Alcoa’s support, Youth Focus has been able to deliver evidence-based, youth-friendly, integrated and effective counselling and mental health services at no cost to the young person or their family,” Mr Papakotsias said.

“Last year alone, Alcoa funded the delivery of counselling services to 90 young people in the Kwinana, Peel and the Upper South West.”

Alcoa corporate affairs director Jodie Read said the company was proud to support the communities near its bauxite and alumina operations in WA.

“We know mental health challenges are very real and only increasing, and therefore are pleased to be able to continue our long-running partnership with Youth Focus to provide real and much-needed local support,” Ms Read said.

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