A parents’ room for families with younger children, a purpose-designed therapeutic arts and play activities space, and more interview rooms are some of the fresh features for the new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Southside fit-out in the Woden Town Centre.

Construction has started on the 1,032 sqm ground floor refurbishment in Bowes Place in Woden, to replace the current accommodation in Callam Offices.

This will provide a better client experience and a more modernised work environment for staff to support the mental health treatment and care of their clients.

Upgrades will include a new waiting room near the main reception that supports young people to regulate in a low-stimulus environment if needed. There will also be modern treatment spaces for assessments and an overall aesthetic design to appeal to young people and their families or carers.

Office and administration spaces will be modernised to provide better workspace layouts for staff, a quiet room for staff to conduct activities that need additional privacy, a dedicated staff breakout room, modernised safety systems and a high-quality acoustic design throughout to minimise noise.

CAMHS Southside has operated from Callam Offices in Woden since 2001, but the location no longer meets the contemporary best-practice requirements for the team and the service.

The Callam Offices facility is busy and staff saw around 5000 clients last year. The new location will be more easily accessible for clients and close to amenities, public transport, and public parking.

CAMHS Southside will relocate to the new Bowes Place facility in early 2024 once construction is complete.

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