By Lucy Waldron
Momentum Mental Health, a renowned mental health service provider that has been supporting individuals across the Darling Downs for over 25 years, has expanded its services to Warwick.
Originally founded as the Toowoomba Clubhouse, Momentum has grown and evolved to address the pressing need for non-clinical mental health services that focus on prevention and overall wellbeing.
The Warwick expansion is the latest step in this mission.
Coby, the Senior Wellbeing Coach and Southern Downs Lead at Momentum highlighted the importance of this expansion.
“Your postcode is a stronger predictor of your health than your genetic code,” Coby said.
“We realised that many vulnerable people live outside of Toowoomba.
“We could see that we could do more to assist Warwick residents and we had several staff with a passion for helping Warwick in particular.”
With Wellbeing Coaches Cynthia Hoffman, based in Warwick, and Coby providing services two days a week—Wednesdays and Fridays—Momentum is already making a positive impact in the community.
“If services pick up further, we’re ready to expand hours and days to meet the community’s needs,” Coby said.
Programs like those offered by Momentum are crucial for regional communities.
“Services that provide a wraparound approach to health and wellbeing and promote resilience and prevention are important for any community,” Coby said.
“By providing more options for people and encouraging a proactive approach to wellbeing, the community can see an improvement in general wellbeing, enhance resilience, and ensure that those who need help can access it in a way that works for them.”
Warwick, like many regional areas, faces unique challenges that can lead to increased mental ill-health and decreased overall wellbeing. The geographical distance from services often means gaps in the suitability of those services.
“By providing mental health support locally, we can reduce stigma, improve access to services, and ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to receive the help they need, regardless of where they live,” Coby said.
Momentum is passionate about innovating non-clinical mental health supports and creating safe spaces for individuals to thrive.
“Our Wellbeing Coaches use an internationally researched practice framework based on the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing,'” Coby explained.
These evidence-based actions have been proven to help people stay emotionally, socially, spiritually, and psychologically healthy, building resilience for difficult times.
“We hope that through our programs, our members develop these practices and can implement them on their own when other supports are unavailable, like between psychologist appointments,” Coby said.
“It’s about equipping people with the tools they need to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.”
Already, the response from the Warwick community has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Our members have been very vocal about their needs and recommendations. We’ve co-designed our program structure with them to ensure it’s the best it can be,” Coby said.
“They’ve described our service as ‘friendly,’ ‘safe,’ and ‘needed.’ What really makes us stand out is our focus on person-to-person connection—we’re in there with them, not above them.”
Momentum has been operating in Warwick on and off for about five years, but the need for services has grown, prompting a more focused and expanded presence.
“We’ve now increased to two days per week, and hopefully more to come,” he said.
As for the future, Momentum has ambitious plans.
“We’d love to have a full service in many locations across the Darling Downs. We’re listening to the community’s needs, and we have the ability to expand if the demand is there,” Coby said.
Momentum Mental Health in Warwick is open to all, with no cost or booking process required. “Everyone is welcome!” Coby encouraged.
“We run Wednesdays and Fridays between 10 am and 2 pm out of SDIEA at 163 Palmerin Street. Come say hello!”
As Momentum continues to grow and adapt to the needs of the Warwick community, it remains committed to its vision of “mental health and wellbeing for everyone, every single day.”
