Who we are

Orygen Specialist Program is a public mental health service for young people aged 15 – 25 years from the Western and North-Western areas of Melbourne. We work with young people who are experiencing problems with their mental health. We may provide support directly to  a young person, help them to link in with other supports, or provide support to other people who are already in  their network.

Young people come to Orygen through all sorts of pathways. Some of the different people who might refer a young person to Orygen are:

  • a young person themselves
  • parents, brother or sister, or partner
  • doctor
  • counsellor

You’ve been referred to Orygen to get support in your recovery. Contact with Orygen usually begins with an assessment of your mental health needs, which involves talking with a doctor and mental health clinician. You can find out more about this on the Assessment and Diagnosis sheet (PDF).

After assessment, some young people keep seeing someone from Orygen for treatment of their mental health problem (you can find out more about this on the Who Provides Your Care? sheet (PDF). Young people can get support from Orygen for up to two years, but the actual length of time that you will come to Orygen will depend on what you and your Case Manager decide together. 

Orygen Specialist Program is based across a few sites. You may only go to one site the whole time you have contact with us, or you might go to different sites to get different kinds of support. 

This information is in our Who We Are and Where We Are (PDF) factsheet