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22 June 2026: A ߲Ƶ program filling a gap in mental health care while training the next generation of clinical psychologists has received a $1.4 million funding injection from the ACT government.
The funding, over four years, has provided certainty to the program, which will now be able to expand its offerings for its second iteration as the “Pathways Program”, having started in 2019 as WOKE (a reference to ‘wise knowing, skillful behaviour and effectiveness’).
Program Director Dr Dean Buckmaster said Pathways fills the “missing middle” of youth mental health care – providing treatment for people aged 15 to 21, whose issues are considered too complex for standard psychological treatment, but perceived as not complex enough for public community mental health services.
The program – led by Master of Clinical Psychology students under the supervision of registered clinical psychologists – provides evidence-based early intervention involving individual therapy, a weekly skills training group, and training for the family or carers of the young person to give them the skills and understanding to support their needs.
Since its inception, 176 young people and 152 parents have successfully completed the program.
At the launch of the new iteration of the program, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the funding is part of a wider investment in youth mental health services.
“These investments reflect our ongoing commitment to the sector and to young people and their families,” she said.
“We know that when young people and their families are supported early, it can make a profound difference to the journey and their futures, not just to their mental health now, but their goals, their relationships and the future that they’re building.”
The minister also noted the funding of the program was an important investment in future clinicians, and the government is continuing to investigate other opportunities for student-led programs to take pressure off the health system.
Dr Buckmaster believes the program – which trains students in comprehensive multi-modal evidence-based treatment and provides the opportunity to use the training – is one of a kind in Australia.
“We have had students travel from interstate to study at ߲Ƶ with the hope of participating in the program,” he said. So far 70 clinical psychology students have been through the program’s placement.
Pathways’ clinical psychologist Camilla Mead completed her master’s degree at the University and was a student in the pilot WOKE Program in 2019. She says ߲Ƶ graduates are “highly sought after for their unique specialised training”.
“Many students are trained in risk assessment in theory only and are protected from working with clients who have a higher degree of complexity and risk. It was revolutionary for me to graduate from university with experience and confidence in helping someone come through a suicidal crisis and build a life worth living,” Ms Mead said.
Her colleague Amelia Ishikawa is also a University master’s graduate and was drawn to the program after years working in the community mental health sector. She regularly uses the program’s Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
“Practising the skills we teach in the program became ingrained during my placement and I continue to use DBT skills to solve problems on a daily basis,” she said. “It’s been essential to increasing the sustainability of my work as a clinical psychologist.”
Having received multi-year funding for the first time since its initial pilot funding ran out in 2022, the Pathways team will now prepare to expand their offerings and reach more clients in need.
“This funding is a game-changer for at-risk youth and their families. We can now provide certainty to clients, parents, and referrers who need access to the program, and provide job security for the staff who make it all possible,” Dr Buckmaster said.
The program will expand from 14 to 16 weeks and introduce a graduate program for clients needing ongoing access to maintain and consolidate treatment gains. It will also have additional parent sessions for the parent stream and provide outreach access.
Maddie Loader, one of the currentmasters students working with Pathways, says she always wanted to work with teenagers after struggling with her own mental health as a teen.
“The therapy we’re working with – DBT – the whole mantra is it’s a person talking with a person a session, not a client and a psychologist, and I think that really works with teenagers, because they don’t want to feel a power imbalance … they want connection,” she said.
“It’s quite an intense program. Some of these people are in college or Year 12 or university and have a lot of commitments… the thing I’m in awe of is they continue to turn up every single week, no matter what’s going on in their lives. They don’t have to – they do because they want that change for themselves.”
Dr Buckmaster said outcomes for clients include the reduction in self-harming behaviour, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse.
“But most importantly, young people graduate from the program with improved educational, social, and emotional functioning, and their parents report better understanding and communication with their child and feel like they are valued as co-participating in the treatment,” he said.
Minister Stephen-Smith acknowledged the importance of the work the Pathways program does with families.
“Children and young people don’t exist in isolation – it’s the support around them that really enables them to thrive … and the supports that are provided to parents, carers and families are a vital part of that journey,” she said.
University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor The Honourable Bill Shorten, said the University was very proud of the work the program delivers.
“I don’t think there is a more important issue for young people today than mental health, and I am sure every parent would agree,” Professor Shorten said.