Australia’s first youth mental health outreach truck is close to being launched on the Sunshine Coast.
Rise & Thrive Co., an ACNC-registered charity, has plans for the mobile support hub dubbed, ‘Checkpoint’, to begin operating by Christmas.
Founder Janelle Parsons said the charity was close to securing the $160,000 needed to launch Checkpoint.
The fully-equipped mobile wellbeing studio is designed to deliver mental health support directly to young people in schools, sporting clubs, regional communities and other high-need locations.
The truck will feature two private consulting rooms, telehealth capability and satellite communications, allowing support services to be delivered in areas where access can be limited.
Ms Parsons said the initiative was designed to address barriers that often prevent young people from accessing help.
“The first truck is almost on the road but the need is much bigger than one vehicle,” she said.
“Checkpoint is about creating safe, visible youth hubs that can move with the communities that need them.”
Rise & Thrive Co. developed the model after identifying what it described as a significant gap in youth mental health support, with many young people facing complex referral pathways, long waitlists, transport difficulties and disconnected services.
“Navigating support as a young person is rarely straightforward,” Ms Parsons said.
“Many fall through the gaps before they ever reach help.
“Checkpoint is the circuit breaker. It meets young people where they are, not where the system expects them to be.”
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Unlike traditional fixed-site services, Checkpoint will operate as a mobile youth hub that can be deployed where demand is greatest.
The service will provide a trauma-informed connection point for young people and their families while also supporting educators and community organisations.
During an 18-month pilot program, the truck is expected to engage around 2,000 adolescents, more than 300 family members and more than 150 educators across approximately 130 service days.
The charity’s longer-term goal is to establish a fleet of Checkpoint vehicles across Queensland, expanding access to support for young people in regional, rural and metropolitan communities.
Ms Parsons said many of the young people supported by the organisation were often misunderstood.
“Young people shouldn’t have to prove they’re struggling to be supported,” she said.
“They need to feel seen, safe and connected. That is where real change starts.”
Ms Parsons’ commitment to youth mental health is informed by her own experiences.
A former child of the state who experienced domestic violence and abuse, she founded Rise & Thrive Co. with a mission of helping young people overcome trauma and build resilience.
The organisation supported 315 young people across Queensland schools and communities in 2025.
According to Rise & Thrive Co., 94 per cent of participants showed improved emotional regulation, 85 per cent reported increased confidence and participating schools recorded a 78 per cent reduction in suspensions among those involved in its programs.
The charity has also been recognised as a Proven Provider of safe mental health programs in Queensland, a designation that will allow schools to access allocated government funding for its services from July 2027.
Ms Parsons’ work has attracted international recognition, including acknowledgement from Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite for her leadership and community impact.
Checkpoint is being developed with support from local businesses, with Optus providing satellite communications technology. The vehicle is being sourced through FUSO at Daimler Trucks Sunshine Coast.
The Coast-based charity is now seeking a naming rights partner and additional corporate sponsors to help fund the final stages of the project and support future expansion.
“The first truck is close to being funded,” Ms Parsons said.
“The next stage is building the fleet – and that is where corporate partners, donors and community supporters can help determine how far this reaches.”
A grassroots fundraising campaign is also underway, allowing supporters to contribute and have their names or messages displayed on the vehicle when it launches later this year.
