History

History

We’ve been helping young people for 30 years.

Aubrey Lewis UnitWhen we first began, more than three decades ago, it was clear that young people with mental ill-health needed early intervention. We began a streamed inpatient clinical research unit totally dedicated to young people along with a comprehensive psychosocial recovery program. We knew that young people facing their first episode of psychosis had unique issues and needs. They needed care designed especially for them that addressed issues unique to young people. We worked alongside their families and provided information and emotional support. For so long it was thought that having mental ill-health was a life sentence. We knew different. This is how the EPPIC (Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre) model began and that really changed the treatment landscape for young people.

Since that time we’ve never stopped.

What started as a focus on early psychosis intervention and care expanded to cover mood, personality and anxiety disorders, and major depression. We were instrumental in driving the national reform that became headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation).

Our history in a nutshell

1984    First episode psychosis research unit at Royal Park Hospital

1992    Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) is founded

1994    Centre for Young People’s Mental Health established

1997    National Early Psychosis Project established

2001    The Colonial Foundation commits to significant long-term funding and assumes a leading role in governing a new research organisation in the fields of early intervention and youth mental health

2002    Orygen Youth Health established. This clinical program provides acute services, continuing care and psychosocial recovery for young people with mental ill-health.

2006    headspace founded

2012    The International Association for Youth Mental Health is formed and hosted at Orygen

2013    EPPIC expands nationally

2014    Orygen becomes the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health

2018    Orygen’s world-class facility opens in Parkville

2019    Orygen the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and Orygen Youth Health reunify under the name Orygen

2023    Orygen celebrates 30 years of leading the revolution in youth mental health