Finding My Place

FINDIN G MY PLACE

The Salvation Army’s response to youth homelessness

Finding My Place ISBN 978-0-9804486-1-0 Copyright 2008 The Territorial Commander, The Salvation Army, Australia Eastern Territory All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the copyright owners Published by The Salvation Army April 2008 Writer/compiler Wilma Gallet Editor Captain Peter McGuigan Graphic Design Andrew Tan and Ceslav Cehovskih Unless otherwise indicated, images courtesy Shark Island Productions Produced by The Salvation Army, Australia Eastern Territory, Communications and Public Relations Department National Library of Australia Cataloguing-inPublication entry Gallet, Wilma, 1953 Issued by authority of: Commissioner Les Strong Territorial Commander The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory Commissioner James Knaggs Territorial Commander The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory

Appreciation The writer expresses a deep appreciation to Captain Paul Moulds and Major David Eldridge for their support, encouragement and wisdom, and for their unfaltering commitment to improving options for homeless young people. Thank you also to Salvation Army youth support services throughout Australia who contributed their ideas and comments. A particular debt of gratitude goes to the young people whose stories are told in this document. We have every confidence in you and know you will ‘find your place’.

FINDING MY PLACE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Executive summary



4

Chapter 2

Preamble



7

Chapter 3

Introduction



9

Chapter 4

Young people at risk



11

Chapter 5

The crisis begins



17

Chapter 6

Where do I go now?



21

Chapter 7

This is too hard



25

Chapter 8

This is getting scary



31

Chapter 9

Help me to get out of trouble



35

Chapter 10

I need a safe place to live



41

Chapter 11

Help me to get education



47

Chapter 12

I want a job



53

Chapter 13

I want more for my child



59

Chapter 14

Please understand us!



65

Chapter 15

The people who’ve helped me



69

Chapter 16

Finding my place



75

Appendix 1

Recommendations

78

Appendix 2

The Salvation Army youth support services

82

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Salvation Army youth support services provide assistance to more than 12000 young people each year ranging in age from 12 to 24 years and accommodates more than 1000 young people each night in its housing programs. Finding My Place is The Salvation Army’s response to the National Youth Commission’s Inquiry into Youth Homelessness. It provides an insight into the issues impacting on homeless and ‘at-risk’ young people. Chapter 2 ‘Preamble’ – The preamble provides a broad overview of the work of The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is part of the universal Christian Church and has a strong sense of social justice and the need to speak out for those who don’t have a voice. As a Christian movement, The Salvation Army believes strongly in the inherent worth of every human person and is motivated to help homeless young people discover their self-worth.

Chapter 3 ‘Introduction’ – The introduction highlights the Army’s concern that there are approximately 22000 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 who are homeless. This is a significant social problem and it is a disgrace that this many young people are homeless in contemporary, prosperous Australia. We, as a community, must be more intentional in addressing this issue. Chapter 4 ‘Young people at risk’ – This chapter examines the issues of poverty and family crisis as significant factors contributing to young people becoming homeless. It also explores the issue of family breakdown and the importance of mediation and counselling in family reunification. Chapter 5 ‘The crisis begins’ – ‘Nearly every young person who becomes homeless, begins by staying with friends in the initial stages. This is commonly called “couchsurfing” and it is where families in the

community extend hospitality to a young person they know.’ This chapter explores the issue of ‘couch-surfing’ and looks at how The Salvation Army can support young people and host families in this situation. Chapter 6 ‘Where do I go now?’ – This chapter examines the experience of young people when they find themselves living on the street. They are often hungry, tired and lonely. Their need to feel accepted and safe is often met through the forming of social groups with other street young people, whom they often consider to be their family. Chapter 7 ‘This is too hard’ – This chapter examines the health concerns of homeless young people, specifically the fact that they often experience poor physical and mental health, usually as a result of poor nutrition, poor hygiene, drug and alcohol misuse, and exposure to extreme trauma. It also discusses some of the challenges confronting

young people in accessing appropriate health services and the supports needed to help young people deal with drug and alcohol use and mental health issues. Chapter 8 ‘This is getting scary’ – This chapter looks at issues confronting young people who have become entrenched in street life, particularly the negative subculture and the young person’s exposure to violence, abuse and unscrupulous adults who exploit their vulnerability. For young people entrenched in street life it is important that street outreach services consistently move into their environment, persisting in offering information, referrals and, most importantly, hope. They may be the only voice speaking positive things into the young person’s life. Chapter 9 ‘Help me to get out of trouble’ – Because of their life circumstances, there is a risk that homeless young people can be caught up in a cycle of offending

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behaviour and come to the attention of law enforcement agencies and the courts. This chapter focuses on juvenile justice issues and discusses the need for preventative programs and court diversion programs that can intervene and divert young people to a more positive path. It is also critically important that post-release programs are available to work extensively with young people leaving detention, either juvenile detention centres or adult correction centres, at the completion of their sentence. Chapter 10 ‘I need a safe place to live’ – This chapter discusses the critical issue of housing affordability and the lack of safe, affordable housing options for young people. It also looks at the complexity of needs and issues confronting homeless young people. This includes their need for ongoing, intensive postvention support, helping them make the transition from crisis to independent living.

Chapter 11 ‘Help me to get education’ – This chapter looks at the importance of education, particularly for those young people who are ‘at-risk’ of early school leaving and for those who have become disconnected from mainstream education. It describes the need to develop alternative education models for these young people. Chapter 12 ‘I want a job’ – This chapter examines the barriers homeless young people face in accessing the labour market and explores some options in how to help them develop the vocational and interpersonal skills they need to obtain employment. Chapter 13 ‘I want more for my child’ The Salvation Army also works with young homeless parents and this chapter explores the issues that impact upon their health and wellbeing.

Chapter 14 ‘Please understand us!’ – This chapter examines community attitudes to homeless young people and how we might address some of the negative stereotypes that too often prevail. Chapter 15 ‘The people who’ve helped me’ – This chapter provides some insights into the people who work with homeless and ‘at-risk’ young people. It addresses the importance of developing trusting relationships and creating supportive environments. Chapter 16 ‘Finding my place’ – This concluding chapter sums up the key issues impacting upon homeless young people and calls on the Australian government, community and business to address the issues contributing to youth homelessness. These include poverty; lack of education; lack of opportunity; inability to access jobs; lack of affordable, appropriate housing; and

inaccessibility of health and dental care for young people. Finding My Place includes 74 recommendations (Appendix 1) on how we can address youth homelessness and provide safe accommodation and support to the 22000 homeless teenagers in Australia, so that they can ‘find their place’.

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FINDING MY PLACE

PREAMBLE

‘Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’

1 Corinthians 13: 6-7

The Salvation Army has provided social and community services to the Australian community for more than 120 years. In particular, The Salvation Army has supported people who are homeless through a range of practical services including crisis and transitional accommodation, education, training and employment options, health services, drug and alcohol counselling, rehabilitation programs, specialised counselling as well as providing a sense of family and community. William Booth, the Founder of The Salvation Army, was moved to action when he saw the plight of the homeless of his generation. He saw people sleeping under bridges and on park benches and declared, ‘We must do something’. So began The Salvation Army’s work in supporting the homeless. It was 1887. Poverty and homelessness were the two major social concerns. Sadly, 120 years later, despite almost 17 years of economic prosperity in Australia, The Salvation Army still sees the desperate need to support and

advocate for those who are socially and economically excluded because of poverty and homelessness. The Salvation Army, as part of the universal Christian Church, has a deep commitment to social justice and a firm conviction in the inherent worth of every human person. For many of the young people we work with, their sense of self worth is obscured by poverty, homelessness, abuse and neglect. We aim to bring them hope; we want them to know that we believe in them and we want them to believe in themselves and become the people they each have the potential to be. This document deals specifically with the issues impacting on young people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. Across Australia, The Salvation Army operates more than 180 programs supporting approximately 12000 young people each year who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. The Army makes over 35000 contacts every year with young people through street

outreach and drop-in centres. Its programs include supported accommodation, foster care and out of home care, supported education and employment programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, specialist counselling services, supports for young parents, recreation and social activities, health programs and social enterprises. The Salvation Army houses more than 1000 young people each night in its crisis accommodation and transitional housing programs. This experience has given us unique insights into the special needs of homeless young people. William Booth talked about a ‘spirit of hopefulness and aspiration’. This is what the early Salvation Army sought to cultivate in the minds of people who were entrenched in poverty, homelessness and unemployment. This is still primarily what we endeavour to do for the young people who come to us in their hopelessness and despair – to assure them that HOPE BEGINS HERE.

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FINDING MY PLACE

INTRODUCTION

‘The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.’ Albert Einstein

This paper responds to the significant issues raised in the National Youth Commission’s (NYC) Inquiry into Youth Homelessness. The Salvation Army commends the foresight and commitment of the NYC in bringing these serious issues to the attention of the broader community. We would like to acknowledge the commissioners for their thoroughness and insight in producing such a comprehensive report and we endorse all of the recommendations contained in the report. It is time Australia, as a whole community, acted with more determination in addressing the problem of youth homelessness. It is 19 years since the release of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness (Burdekin, 1989), yet today almost 22000 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years are recorded as being homeless and many

more are living in unstable and dangerous environments. These young people are living on the edge of a precipice; their lives are in our hands; the fact that this many children in Australia are homeless, shames us all. The Salvation Army works with over 12000 young people each year ranging in age from 12 to 24 years, and we accommodate more than 1000 each night in our housing programs. The young people we work with have experienced trauma and abuse; their lives have become chaotic and desperate. Many of them have never known a safe and predictable home environment. These young people describe family violence and moving between homes that are equally volatile as ‘just life’ and the existence of nurturing adults as a ‘fairytale dream’ they once held as children.

These young people have lost their voice, they need us to speak up for them, they need us to protect them, to nurture them. They are Australia’s children, they are our future and they need and deserve our support and understanding. This response to the issues of homelessness is written for them and from their perspective. It details their experience, tells their stories, and gives insight into their aspirations and dreams. We need to listen to them and ‘do something’; do something practical; do something to provide access to secure, affordable housing; do something to create opportunities so they can connect to education and employment; do something to help them realise their aspirations for a safe and happy life. The Australian community, governments, industry and service providers working together can give them hope for a brighter future.

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FINDING MY PLACE

YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK

‘Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of homelessness. Family poverty places pressures on relationships and is often a background factor in family crises. Independent young people without secure income often live in poverty or close to the poverty line and those reliant on the private rental market for accommodation are at risk of homelessness due to housing stress.’

NYC Report

‘Social exclusion occurs where people or communities suffer from a range of problems such as unemployment, low incomes, poor housing, crime, poor health and disability and family breakdown. In combination, these problems can result in cycles of poverty, spanning generations and geographical regions.’ Senator Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion

The Salvation Army operates a number of youth services in areas of extreme socioeconomic disadvantage, where families experience intergenerational poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. Young people grow up without appropriate role models and with low expectations for themselves. These areas are breeding grounds for disconnected and homeless young people. However, economic poverty is not the only type of poverty experienced by young homeless people. They may have a deep sense of the emotional poverty relating to the loss of relationship and connection to their family. The poverty of feeling uncared for or not valued has a profound effect on people and the poverty caused by being alone, insecure and unsafe can be overwhelming.

Causes of Poverty Poverty arises from a number of causes, only one of which is unemployment. It is a complex combination of many factors which might include ill health or disability, relationship breakdown, grief and loss, drug misuse, gambling addictions, alcohol abuse, mental health issues and lack of education and resources. In The Salvation Army’s experience, many young people and families living in socially and economically deprived communities, experience a cycle of poverty, lived out through unemployment, idleness, hopelessness, numeracy and literacy deficits and often manifested in domestic violence, drug and alcohol issues, crime, child abuse and higher incidence of suicide and self harm. Poverty creates a severe level of uncertainty and anxiety for families who live from one

‘payday’ to the next, managing scarce financial resources. This, in turn, creates crisis within families. It is only through sustained interventions that address the issues impacting on the whole person, that we will be able to effectively break the cycle of poverty. Impact of Poverty on Young People Financial hardship is a critical issue for homeless young people. Their limited income makes it very difficult for them to afford the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, health care, transport and housing. In the current economic climate where housing is scarce, high rent makes finding secure accommodation almost impossible, particularly in capital cities. Financial distress is further exacerbated when young people have their Centrelink payments suspended because they have missed an appointment >

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I came home from school today No-one’s here, No-one to greet me home I wanted to show you my picture Mum I’m only six I came home from B-Ball practice today No-one’s here No-one to greet me home I needed help, I sprained my ankle Mum I’m only eleven I came home from high school today No-one’s home, No-one to greet me I needed help with my exam Mum I’m only fourteen I came home from drug dealing today No-one’s home, No-one to greet me I know I’m doing wrong But no-one’s there to stop me I need to eat, look after the house And pay your bills Mum, I’m only seventeen

I came home today No-one’s home, no-one to greet me I’m going crazy, I’m out of here See you at the crossroads All I wanted was a mum and dad and a home But as I see, that will never be.

Kristal

or failed to comply with mutual obligation requirements.

dropping out of school, and connecting with a negative peer group.

The lack of financial resources seriously impacts on their general health and well being. Young people need to be able to access appropriate health care services, psychological services, educational opportunities and support, and psychosocial programs that address the issues they face.

Some young people find themselves homeless after the death of a parent or when their parents separate. Sometimes young people feel they need to leave home when new stepfamilies form. This may be a result of conflict, or it may be because of tension created through lack of personal space, or it may be because limited finances become stretched. The separation of parents or the formation of new families can be a particularly challenging time for young people.

Family Stress and Relationship Breakdown Family dysfunction and failed relationships are significant contributors to youth homelessness. In many cases this includes abuse, whether by neglect, psychological abuse, or physical and sexual abuse. The experience of abuse has a damaging impact on an individual young person’s sense of self-esteem and identity, and becomes a significant factor in causing a range of social disconnections. Not only does abuse often result in the young person prematurely leaving the family and becoming homeless, it also often leads to them becoming involved in substance abuse,

In some instances of family breakdown, the parents themselves are dealing with significant mental health issues, and alcohol or drug abuse. They are unable to care for themselves, let alone care for their children or provide a safe and nurturing home environment. Capacity Building Programs for Parents While we acknowledge that young people do experience abuse and neglect within their families, there are many families who try to provide a positive environment but simply

FINDING MY PLACE

do not have the capacity or skills. Often their ability to parent is diminished because of the enormous challenges they face personally, dealing with health or addiction issues. Furthermore, some parents may not have experienced a safe and secure family life themselves as they were growing up, and have no positive role models or supportive family currently in their lives. They therefore find it difficult to provide for their children, particularly during the turbulent and challenging years of adolescence. It is important that as a community we do not label or blame these parents, but rather that we commit to providing services and programs that help them develop their skills and capacity to care for their children and create a safe, nurturing home environment. This might involve providing support in the area of parenting, home management, budgeting and building relationships. Initiatives such as these provide critical preventative interventions that support the family unit and give them the skills to deal with any crisis that has the potential to cause their young people to leave home. >

Claire By the time Claire had arrived at the doors of Oasis House, a Salvation Army youth refuge, at the age of 16, she had already experienced a lifetime of rejection and hardship. Claire’s parents, both suffering from alcohol and drug addictions, separated before Claire was born. Claire’s mother suffered from postnatal depression and from the very beginning rejected her daughter. Claire was under her mother’s care until the age of four. During this time her mother was a regular user of drugs and neglectful towards her. The Community Services Department intervened and placed Claire in foster care. While she was in foster care, Claire’s mother took steps to rehabilitate herself from the drugs and alcohol. Claire was able to see her on supervised visits. When Claire was 10 years of age she was placed back into her mother’s care. Unfortunately, the heartache and trauma were not over. Her mother was in a new relationship and Claire became

the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of this new partner. When Claire attempted to confide in her mother about what was happening, her mother would not believe her and conflict between the two began. Claire ran away from home at the age of 12 and once again Community Services placed her into foster care. Whilst in foster care she attended school (but often truanted), started to self-harm and generally was quite rebellious. Her foster parents asked her to leave because they were finding it difficult to handle her behaviour. It was at this point that Claire was referred to Oasis House and was accepted into the program. While at Oasis, with the guidance and encouragement of staff, Claire became more stable at school, which meant that she was able to obtain her own income from Centrelink. She began to feel comfortable and safe in the environment she was living. She was able to develop the necessary skills to live independently and she also learnt how to set achievable goals for the future and implemented these. She began counselling,

which helped with her self-harming and selfesteem issues. Claire stayed at Oasis House for nearly two years. In this time she completed Year 12 at school and received a Dux Award, enrolled at TAFE (for which she received a scholarship), obtained her driver’s license and generally seemed to enjoy her experience at Oasis. This was shown through her enthusiasm to be part of all aspects of the program, from house meetings to Sunday outings. Just before her 18th birthday Claire obtained her own unit and the transition from Oasis to her unit went smoothly. It has been nearly three years since Claire left Oasis but she still maintains contact with the staff and comes back to visit often. On one occasion she came back to help conduct a program night on ‘Moving Out’. She was able to share her own experiences with the present residents living at Oasis House.

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The Experience of Homelessness The experience of homelessness profoundly erodes a young person’s experience of ‘being safe’ at every level of existence. It is alarming that this should happen during adolescence, at a crucial stage of a person’s development. Homelessness is recognised to be one of the most significant barriers experienced by young people to full social participation. Consequently, homeless young people are at-risk of permanent exclusion and marginalisation from society. The negative impact of a generation of disconnected young people will reverberate across all areas of society unless we take positive action and introduce early intervention strategies to support these young people and their families before breakdowns occur. Family Mediation and Counselling For many young people there is a possibility that family mediation may resolve or ameliorate some of the areas of conflict, ensuring that the young person remains living at home or, in the case of young people who have moved out, encouraging them

to return home or stay connected with the family. Family mediation is best targeted at assisting families to identify and address issues very early, before they become entrenched. Often mediation can be the catalyst to families seeking further assistance such as counselling and family therapy to address significant issues. Families often view mediation as less formal than counselling and therefore are more willing to engage in this process. Mediation can also equip families with specific skills to help them deal with new or emerging issues. The skills learnt through the mediation process are transferable into other areas of participants’ lives, giving longterm benefits to families and young people. Research shows that the sooner family mediation is commenced the more chance it has of being successful. The longer a young person has been disengaged from their family the harder it is to facilitate reconciliation. Most Salvation Army youth and family centres have some capacity to work with young people and their families to prevent them becoming homeless. This includes providing access to mediation and counselling, facilitating workshops and providing

information to parents who need help in dealing with the challenging or aggressive behaviour of their adolescent children. Some early intervention services operated by The Salvation Army have received funding through the Commonwealth Government’s Reconnect Program. These services provide quick responses, flexible service delivery, and a range of interventions to prevent escalation of family conflict and stress, and reconnect young people who have left home with their families as quickly possible. In Victoria, one of The Salvation Army’s youth services has received funding through the Victorian Government’s Family Reconciliation Mediation Program. This program is delivered in partnership with another local agency and employs a family liaison worker who provides outreach support and counselling to young people and their families within the local community. A Sydney-based Salvation Army youth service which has provided the Reconnect Program for the past seven years, has observed that the demand for the service has always greatly outstripped the service’s capacity. They

estimate that they would need four times the current number of staff to be able to go close to servicing the demand in this particular area of socioeconomic disadvantage. Young People Leaving Care Young people leaving state care are overrepresented in youth homeless populations. In most families we would not assume that young people at 18 years of age can live fully independent lives. Young adults require support to attend tertiary education, join the workforce, learn to drive a car, etc. But for young people who have been in care there is an expectation that at 18 years they can move to independence. Unfortunately, in many cases they do not have adequate support systems or personal networks. Young people leaving care are suddenly confronted with issues they have never encountered before. These are often simple matters such as how to pay rent or utility bills, using BPay, acquiring a bank account, tax file number, proof-of-age card, personal references, etc. Most young people can rely on their families or parents to help them weave their way

FINDING MY PLACE

through the maze of bureaucracy that confronts them, when they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

inherent worth, skills and abilities, and helping them individually to discover and nurture these abilities.

This support is not available for young people leaving care and this puts them at risk. If they experience financial or other difficulties in maintaining their tenancy in private rental, it may result in them becoming homeless.

Keeping my place at home means: •L  iving in a safe, nurturing environment free of violence and alcohol and drug misuse.

Concluding Statement The lack of a safe place to sleep is a highly urgent issue faced by homeless young people but it is rarely the sole issue they face. Youth homelessness is usually the consequence of the disintegration of natural family support networks. Homelessness can only therefore be addressed by a holistic response. Any solution must be able to create an alternative matrix of supports. Poverty and disadvantage can be overcome. However, to address the issues of poverty we need to look at holistic and strength-based approaches that respond to each individual’s unique situation. The challenge to those working with young people growing up in poverty, is to help them extend their vision and opportunities beyond the immediate surrounds of their environment – recognising that they have

•L  iving in a household where there is sufficient income to pay the bills. •H  aving mutual respect and understanding between all family members. • Reducing family conflict. •D  eveloping skills to deal with anger and frustration. • Feeling valued and loved. What needs to happen: •S  upport families to avoid poverty traps. This should include access to stable, secure income or financial and material support being available to help at times of crisis. • Services  such as Reconnect or other early intervention initiatives need to be available in every community and ideally linked to every

SAAP service. This will require a significant expansion of the Reconnect Program to provide sufficient funds to employ workers and to access other specialist therapeutic interventions. •E  xpand programs that support families to develop parenting skills, and deal with conflict and challenging behaviours in a constructive manner. • Increase funding for student-at-risk programs to be run in partnership with high schools, focusing on identifying those young people who are at-risk and facilitating early intervention. •D  evelop respite accommodation options as a ‘time out’ where family breakdown is imminent or has occurred – a way of de-escalating problematic issues and enabling family reconciliation. •P  rovide needs-based support for all young people leaving care, making it available up to the age of 24 years.

‘We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.’

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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FINDING MY PLACE

THE CRISIS BEGINS

‘Nearly every young person who becomes homeless, begins by staying with friends in the initial stages. This is commonly called “couch-surfing” and it is where families in the community extend hospitality to a young person they know. Unfortunately, this arrangement is usually temporary because the visitor generally does not feel able to ask for help, begins to feel uncomfortable and then moves on. However, “couch-surfing” represents an unrealised opportunity to mobilise the social capital in our community to help at-risk and homeless young people before they become transient. If we could provide advice and support to the families where young people are staying temporarily and stabilise the arrangements there for a while, then there may be time to either undertake family reconciliation or if the young person cannot return home, to find an appropriate form of independent living or a more permanent community placement.’ Associate Professor David MacKenzie (NYC Commissioner)

The National Youth Commission’s report discusses the issue of ‘couch-surfing’, or young people who are living in informal shared accommodation, generally with friends, friends’ parents, extended family members or with acquaintances. Most young people who access Salvation Army youth housing and support services have couch-surfed in the preceding 12 months. One service states that up to 90% of the young people they work with stayed with friends before becoming homeless. Many young people have a number of couch-surfing stays after they first leave home. Young people are often referred to Salvation Army services because their school has intervened or their friend’s parents simply cannot offer them permanent accommodation. Teachers are often the first professionals to be alerted to the young person’s precarious situation, when they are contacted by another student’s parents after the young person has spent time staying in the homes of several different friends.

Salvation Army youth services have received calls directly from concerned parents who open their homes to their children’s friends who have no other place to go. These well-meaning people then find themselves in a situation where they are caring for a young person who is well on the way to homelessness and realise they do not have the skills or knowledge to deal with it. At the present time, Salvation Army services endeavour to support families who host young people primarily through offering services directly to the homeless young person. These include one-on-one case management support, helping them navigate the Centrelink system, re-engage with education or the vocational training system, and to find suitable alternative accommodation. The Salvation Army also tries to support the young person and the household they are staying in by providing welfare support, food, referral to specialist agencies and transport if needed.

There is a surprising amount of generosity within the community and many people are willing to assist young people in the early stages of homelessness. This generosity often involves arranging accommodation, including allowing young people to stay or couch-surf in established households. However, couch-surfing arrangements are not normally secure and the young person being accommodated is still very uncertain regarding his or her future. There is a tendency for them to ‘wear out their welcome’ very quickly and couch-surfing in some cases can also put young people at serious risk of exploitation. One pattern that Salvation Army youth services have observed is that young people tend to engage in what could be described as a ‘token economy’, using food, money, friendships, drugs, alcohol, personal items, and sex to enable them to stay at various locations at different periods of time. With continual moving from place to place young people lose their belongings and to some extent their identity. They have no status within the household and can be >

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Tears roll down my cheeks No-one cares and no-one speaks I want someone to hear me Everyone seems to be deaf I want someone to see me Everyone seems to be blind I want someone to hold me Everyone seems out of reach I want someone to love me Everyone acts dumb Ruby

further victimised. One young woman twice cycled through the same household. On each occasion her possessions were ‘held’ by the host pending payment of money; in the latest case $200 for an alleged phone bill. She claims she made two local calls. It is also concerning that a significant number of young people engage in couch-surfing on a long-term basis. One young person known to a Salvation Army youth service had been couch-surfing with friends and extended family for more than three years. Notwithstanding the insecurity of couchsurfing, many young people would rather live in less-than-suitable conditions with friends, than live in hostel-type accommodation with strangers. Young People in State Care Young people in state care constitute a seriously vulnerable group who are at risk of becoming chronically homeless, particularly if the foster care arrangement breaks down or when these young people leave the protective care arrangements. In many instances, young people leaving care,

gravitate to staying with friends and this may eventually end up in all types of risky or unsuitable living conditions.

• Getting out of domestic violence situations.

Concluding Statement The lack of affordable and/or appropriate housing options is the primary reason why young people choose to couch-surf following a breakdown in the relationship at home.

• Getting through the initial crisis of leaving home.

Although young people who couch-surf have a ‘roof over their head’ they do not have the support and guidance they need to enable them to progress to independent living. Furthermore, if the accommodation provided is in an unstable environment where domestic violence and substance abuse is accepted as normal, the young person has little opportunity to break the cycle. As well as ensuring there is sufficient emergency and long-term housing options for young people, we also need to respond to the range of issues confronting young homeless people. Finding my way to a safer place means: • Getting away from drug and alcohol misuse.

• Connecting with adults I can trust.

• Accessing Centrelink payments. • Finding, local suitable crisis accommodation. • Being supported to move into safe, affordable long-term housing. What needs to happen: • Provide support to families/individuals who are hosting young people through ‘couchsurfing’ arrangements. This can take the form of respite care, material support, assistance with transport, as well as professional advice and counselling. • Ensure a smooth transition for young people leaving state care. The Transitional Supported Accommodation for Youth (TSAY) program is an effective way of identifying and supporting young people when they are in transition.

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Photo: Fairfax Community Network | Photographer: Shane Bell

FINDING MY PLACE

WHERE DO I GO NOW?

‘Homelessness is an absolute tragedy. To know that you don’t belong anywhere, that you have no home to shelter in, and no one to support you. It is one of the most distressing experiences a person can have ...’ Major David Eldridge NYC Commissioner

Self-actualisation personal growth and fulfilment

Esteem needs achievement, status, responsibility, reputation

Belongingness and love needs family, affection, relationships, work group, etc

Safety needs protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc

Physiological needs basic life needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc

Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’

Homelessness is not an event but rather a process that requires support over a period of time. Adolescence is a transition in itself. It is a time of taking risks, of exploring who I am, of forging an identity separate from my parents and, for some young people, it can also be a time of great turbulence and confusion. For young people who leave home during adolescence this adds a whole new struggle to an already turbulent time. Living on the Streets Young people who experience homelessness have a significant shift in their ability and opportunity to think and plan for the future. Their immediate priorities revolve around basic survival – food, shelter, warmth and the alleviation of pain. As expressed in Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, when people are cold and hungry or in pain their main concern is to have these basic physiological needs satisfied, ahead of anything else. As a consequence, issues that impact on their future security and well-being – such as education, employment and long-term accommodation – do not enter their thinking. >

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A young 17-year-old visited a Salvation Army youth centre on the Central Coast of NSW. He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and appeared to be developmentally delayed. This was confirmed by tests that diagnosed this young person as having the mental and emotional behaviour of a 12-year-old. His relationship with his family broke down to the point where he needed to move out of home. Unfortunately, there was no accommodation available locally and the closest youth refuge was several hundred kilometres away. This young person had no contacts in this area and his support network and friends all lived on the Central Coast. The young person was afraid to move away from all that was familiar and reluctantly chose to live on the street so he could stay in his local area. He had no where else to go and so began a life on the streets.

A young person’s need to feel accepted and safe is often met through the forming of social groups with other street young people, whom they often consider to be their family. These groups are made up of varying ages and the sense of family is demonstrated generally by the more experienced looking out for the most vulnerable. One young person talks about an increased sense of belonging, self-worth and purpose living on the streets as he has a role in looking out for some of the younger homeless people and helping to link them into support agencies. However, there are many negative aspects of this street family. They often introduce each other to drugs, crime and other ways of making money such as sex work. They usually have their own unresolved issues, and while they provide some degree of mutual support to each other, it is rare that they are able to provide any positive emotional support. The homeless young person therefore rarely talks about their issues, pushing them further under the surface or taking drugs whenever the pain emerges.

Often these young people don’t realise either the long- or short-term risks associated with living on the streets. Young people are particularly vulnerable to adults who prey on their naivety and subject them to horrendous exploitation and cruelty. Young people can quickly become dependent upon those who are regarded as ‘street parents’. The Salvation Army has witnessed examples of young people who have been sexually exploited and forced to participate in sex work and pornography, and others who have been forced to sell drugs for their street family. Concluding Statement While for some young people the experience of homelessness may be temporary, it is occurring at a critical development time, interrupting education, relationship and psychological development. During this critical time, a young person needs and is entitled to a secure, safe and loving environment with access to education and health care. It is essential that there are safety nets to catch young people whose family cannot offer these things.

Finding my place off the street means: • Keeping me connected through creative activities. • Getting connected to another healthy community that I can belong to, where I feel welcome and valued. • Centrelink coming to me, to help me sort out my income. • Health and legal services being accessible. What needs to happen: • Keep young people connected, develop relationships with them, and help them to access services quickly. • Develop programs to creatively engage young people, even while involved in street life, and offer opportunities to participate in recreation, team sports, social outings, drama, art, poetry, and so on. • Ensure that all essential services have some outreach and after-hours capacity to reach young people in the streets (e.g. Centrelink, health, legal, and youth support workers).

FINDING MY PLACE

Recently, Oasis staff received a desperate call from a young man who had stayed a few nights at the Oasis crisis shelter. He told them his drug addiction was out of control. Homeless, sick and desperate, sitting one night at Central station with no idea what to do, he had been befriended by a man who offered to help him set up his own business. That business involved Chris performing live sex acts on the Internet to people all over the world who paid his new friend to see this 17-yearold performing. In return Chris was given drugs and housing. He never saw any money for the work he did, and it was only later that he realised that this business was killing his soul, plunging him even further into darkness. ‘Help me get out,’ he pleaded. Oasis made contact with Chris, relocated him, and are helping him recover from the impact of this abuse.

Alec Alec grew up in a Brisbane suburban home with a loving mother and father. As he entered his teenage years, he became increasingly angry and, one night, after a particularly bitter fight with his parents, Alec stormed out the front door and never returned. Four years on, while living on the streets, Alec met the Oasis StreetConnect Van Chaplain late one night in the back streets of Sydney. The Chaplain says: ‘Alec was homeless when we met him. He’d been living at backpacker hostels or squatting. We started chatting and he told me he had an old email address for his parents, but hadn’t had any contact with them since he left home.’ The Chaplain explained to Alec that the bus could help him get in touch with his family and suggested he send them a quick email: ‘I showed Alec how

to set up an email account and he sent a short message to his parents in Brisbane. I saw him again two nights later. He came back on the bus again, had a cup of coffee, another chat, and I showed how to bring up his email. It was just great – he had an email back from his mum. I received a phone call from him about three weeks later. He’d moved back to Brisbane, back to his parents and everything was going fine. He’d also enrolled in TAFE. I actually spoke to his mum on the phone, and she thanked us so deeply for our work and said if it wasn’t for Oasis, she might never have found him.’

As I walk through the back streets of Sydney Dragging my feet along the tight narrow streets Wondering where I’m going to rest my head for the night I have no blanket or a smoke I can’t even think of a joke Apart from this one No money, no clothes I wish I had a piece of hose I’m in need of a home So I won’t be alone I think it’s time to move on It’s no real fun

Malcolm

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FINDING MY PLACE

THIS IS TOO HARD

‘And homeless near a thousand homes I stood, And near a thousand tables pined and wanted food.’

William Wordsworth

Young homeless people experience poor physical and mental health, usually as a result of poor nutrition, poor hygiene, drug and alcohol misuse, and exposure to extreme trauma. Our experience is that homeless and other at-risk young people have multiple health issues that need urgent attention. While the recorded number of young homeless teenagers has declined slightly since the 2001 Census, all Salvation Army centres report that they are dealing with a much more complex range of crisis issues such as poly drug use, poor mental health, neglect, abuse and exploitation. The last 10 years have seen a marked increase in the number of young people presenting to Salvation Army youth services with significant mental health issues. Mental health is a complex issue, particularly for young people; developing problems coincide

with puberty, experimentation with drugs and alcohol and sexuality, and the general turbulence of adolescent developmental factors such as risk-taking behaviours and changing relationships. Binge Drinking Salvation Army youth services work with young people whose drinking behaviour is putting them at serious risk. The culture of drinking within our society gives young people the message that drinking alcohol to excess, is socially acceptable. But like drug use, young people who are homeless or atrisk are not drinking just for social reasons; they drink to ‘avoid the pain’. Alcohol and illicit drugs become their way of selfmedicating, providing an anaesthetic to dull the pain and deep trauma they prefer not to acknowledge.

Targeted Youth Health Services Salvation Army youth services report there is a lack of accessible and affordable health services that cater for young people, including general health services, dental health services and mental health services. Young people accessing Salvation Army homeless services are unable to afford medical treatment from private practitioners and, therefore, go through the public health system or utilise bulk-billing services. However, the scarcity of general practitioners, particularly in regional Australia, often means there is no access to bulk-billing services. Sometimes there may be only one medical centre accepting new patients in a rural and regional area. This creates a real barrier for young homeless people who urgently need help. >

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I stand at this station all alone No friends No family No place to call home All the hurt and pain Inside of me And the only thing I want is to be set free The crime and the drugs Is all that seems left For me to escape Because the only thing I’ve ever known Was hate and rape All I ever do is run and hide When all I ever wanted Was to feel love inside

Niel

Because of the barriers to accessing mainstream health services, young people are less likely to seek medical attention for what they consider to be minor health ailments. As a result, these initially ‘simple’ conditions can degenerate into much more serious health matters. Access to Health Services Depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide ideation are major health issues for homeless young people. The ability to easily access mental health services is a high priority and requires urgent attention, particularly ‘afterhours’ crisis services for young people. Salvation Army youth workers report that the hospital system is confusing for young people and the process of accessing mental health services within the hospital system varies from hospital to hospital. This lack of consistency and accessibility is confusing for both youth workers and young people.

Often, frustrating bureaucracy makes it even more difficult for young people to access appropriate care. One of our services reported the experience of a young woman who was staying in a Salvation Army youth refuge. She had a significant history of self-harm and was a client of a mental health service in a nearby region. She called them one evening in a crisis situation, but despite knowing her history and situation, the after-hours crisis team could not come to the refuge as it was out of their area. She was advised to meet them 100 metres up the road as this was the boundary for their particular geographic region. We are extremely concerned that this young woman could not be treated in a safe environment at our centre and was put at greater risk, simply because she did not fit within a line drawn on a map. The system fails if it does not put the person first or have sufficient flexibility to respond to their urgent needs.

Salvation Army services report many occasions where they have waited for hours in public hospitals with young people who are anxious to get medical support to deal with an immediate crisis or to access detoxification services. The lack of beds and the limited number of medical staff on duty often means that immediate support is not available. The moment for intervention passes and the young person gives up, going back to a life of survival in whichever way they can, on the streets. >

FINDING MY PLACE

Joe Joe was referred to one of The Salvation Army’s youth refuges from the local men’s hostel. There were concerns that he would be unable to protect himself in an environment with older people. The staff at the youth refuge assessed that this young person needed to be referred to a mental health unit. He appeared to be hallucinating and was unable to fulfil his basic needs without assistance, including dressing and eating. Joe had complicated addiction issues and needed rehabilitation services that were not available in the area. The Salvation Army youth worker accompanied Joe to the mental health unit and spent approximately four hours waiting to see someone. They were then told that there was nothing the mental health unit could do as they felt Joe had a disability not

a mental health issue, despite his having been a client of the child youth mental health services for many years. The youth worker then contacted Disability Services and organised an interview for Joe. The youth worker accompanied him to this meeting and was told by Disability Services that Joe did not have a disability and they thought he was quite capable of living independently. This process was frustrating for the youth worker and the young person involved could not comprehend what was happening. It was not surprising that all he wanted to do at this stage was find alcohol or drugs. The youth worker offered the young person accommodation for the weekend and agreed to pursue the issue for him on Monday.

The young man decided not to accept this offer; he then spent some time on the streets before being picked up and admitted to the mental health unit. His condition had deteriorated significantly. This young person was subjected to an unsafe environment for a longer period than was necessary due to a lack of responsiveness of the system.

Jenny Jenny has been diagnosed with acute schizophrenia since she was 18 years old, two years ago. Since then she has spent long stints in hospital and, in between, has attended a vocational training program offered in a Salvation Army youth service. It has taken over two years to get Certificate 2, but during this time Jenny has been able to develop ongoing friendships and skills. This has been the one stable factor in her life. Providing Jenny with holistic and community-based support in a safe environment has helped to reduce the stigma of mental health, and she has been accepted as part of the community.

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Concluding Statement The mental health treatment issue is one that needs major attention by governments. Our experience suggests that people with mental illness, particularly when it is combined with poverty or disconnection from family, have been largely left to fend for themselves. As a result, many are homeless or in detention. Young homeless people with mental health issues are a particularly vulnerable group. Often exacerbated by drug use, their mental health conditions can be acute, placing them in danger of serious harm. They are often reluctant to seek help being self-conscious about the label of mental illness.

Finding a healthy place means: • Access to detox and rehab services when I’m ready. • Being able to access mental health services that understand me. • Being able to access youth-friendly general health services. • Crisis services that operate after hours. • After-care services so that I don’t get sick again. • Being able to eat healthy, nutritious food.

They need consistent support from people they trust who can monitor their condition and undertake appropriate interventions when required. It is critical that we develop services for these young people that are strength-based, holistic and integrated.

What needs to happen: • Create affordable, accessible, youth- friendly clinics. • Ensure that joint protocols are developed between mental health services and community support services.

• Facilitate home visits by mental health workers for young people discharged from mental health units, to assess progress and ensure that young people are taking appropriate medication. • Create a continuum of care through linked ‘communities of service’ that provide a range of services, e.g. drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health services, general health services, dental health, aftercare and other therapeutic interventions. • Ensure access to community-based detox and rehabilitation programs. Establish youth-friendly mental health and drug rehabilitation programs in regional and rural settings so that the young person is able to heal in an environment that is familiar to them and not too far from their support networks. • Create after-care services for young people who have been through detox or rehab.

• Develop programs to educate young people on the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol abuse. • Facilitate access to medical services at known, safe and comfortable locations, e.g. youth refuges, drop-in centres. • Develop programs that show young people how to maintain a healthy diet and provide hands-on training in how to prepare healthy, simple meals. • Implement drug and health education programs, and encourage a young person to stay safe until they are ready to address their particular issues. • Focus on creative and fun activities that provide young people with an opportunity to socialise, especially during difficult times. Recreation and social activities play an important part in helping young people through periods of mental and emotional crisis.

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FINDING MY PLACE

THIS IS GETTING SCARY

‘A consequence of homelessness is that the quality of life for the whole community is diminished. People will do whatever it takes to survive, including turning to crime if they have to.’

Major David Eldridge

Young people entrenched in street life are frequently exposed to violence, abuse, exploitation, as well as alcohol and drugs. Their self-esteem diminishes and every aspect of their life is impacted. They experience feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness and life becomes a raw contest of survival of the fittest. The extreme harshness of street life and the lack of protection given to these young people propels them into survival mode. Their primary focus is on where they will sleep tonight, how they will get food to eat and often how they will get drugs. The lack of proper hygiene and good nutrition takes its toll. Their health deteriorates significantly; they are sleeping in cold, damp places. If they are sexually active, they may be exposed to various sexually transmitted diseases. They may be experimenting with different and harmful substances to get a ‘cheap high’ and this exposes them to potential brain injury.

The longer young people remain on the streets, the more disconnected they become. Because of their life experiences they often perceive adults and authority figures in a negative way. Police are invariably the enemy. Most are reluctant to ask for help, preferring street life to risk being disappointed again. As young people become more entrenched in street life there is a greater risk of them becoming involved in criminal activities or becoming involved with unscrupulous adults who will exploit their vulnerability, particularly in respect to drug-running and sexual abuse. For some young people the result is that they end up in jail for long periods of their lives; others end up with significant mental health issues and there are young people who end up dead from drug overdoses or suicide. Concluding Statement Living on the streets for prolonged periods of time means that young people become disconnected from mainstream society and enter into a negative subculture. It is critical that youth support services are highly visible and accessible to young people when they

first begin life on the street, providing them with vital information about staying healthy and giving them options to move into safer accommodation. For young people entrenched in street life it is essential that street outreach services consistently move into their environment, persisting in offering information, referrals and most importantly hope. They may be the only voice speaking positive things into a young person’s life. Young people need a foundation for hope to combat the feelings of overwhelming hopelessness that in turn can lead to suicide and other self-destructive behaviours. It is vitality important that society doesn’t give up on these young people. Finding a safe place means: • Youth workers coming into my environment and showing me how to get the support I need. • Getting the information I need to stay safe while I’m on the street. >

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A young person came to see one of our youth housing workers. He had been sleeping under a boatshed on and off for some months. He had been frequently assaulted and could no longer walk the streets. He had not bathed for some time and had no means to wash his clothes.

• Being treated with respect. • Learning to trust adults. • Showing me that society does care about us. What needs to happen: • Establish visible and youth friendly outreach services and facilities (e.g. Internet Bus) that should provide basic necessities such as food, blankets, clothing as well as access to counselling and information services. • Establish high profile drop-in centres as safety zones for young people. • Establish outreach programs in which funds are provided for outreach workers (including training for corporate volunteers) who can develop relationships with young people, gain their trust, become their mentors and help to instil a sense of hope.

In Kings Cross there is a place called ‘the Wall’, where young men, often caught up in drug abuse, desperately needing money, sell themselves. It is one of the places the Oasis Streetnet mobile technology van visits. For a number of weeks a young man would come on board at this stop. He was 17. He’d spend half an hour on the computers and have a coffee, before disappearing into the night. One night as he got up to leave the van, he called a worker over to the computer he was using. ‘There’s a problem here,’ he said, as he jumped out of the van and disappeared into the night. The worker went over to check the computer. There was no problem with the way it worked, but across the screen the young man had typed these words, ‘Please help me. I’m scared to talk to anyone. I feel I’m trapped in this life and I

don’t know how to get out. Please help me.’ Below was his email address. We were able to use this address to make contact with this desperate young man. Over a number of nights we were able to reassure him that change was possible, that a heroin addiction could be overcome, and that we could keep him safe from the pimp that was controlling his life. Eventually we were able to meet him in a safe place. We were able to get him away from the man who kept him imprisoned with drugs and fear. Today he is in a Salvation Army rehabilitation centre in another state, rebuilding his life.

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>

FINDING MY PLACE

E

HELP ME GET OUT OF TROUBL

‘At present every prison is more or less a training school for crime, an introduction to the society of criminals, the petrification of any lingering human feeling and a very Bastile of Despair.’

General William Booth (Founder of The Salvation Army)

The NYC report refers to the ‘criminalisation of homelessness’ when it looks at the various issues that cause young people to come to the attention of law enforcement officers. The issues raised in the report concur with The Salvation Army’s experience. Many of the young homeless people we work with find themselves under frequent police scrutiny.

Salvation Army services operating in both Perth and Brisbane report that ‘move on powers’ and 24-hour bans, particularly in the inner-city area have displaced homeless young people to the outer suburbs, where there are limited supports. This places a strain on the small number of services in these regions.

Apart from the obvious crimes young people commit often out of economic necessity – such as petty theft or public transport fare evasion – there are numerous other aspects of homelessness that turn young people into inadvertent offenders. For example, laws relating to begging, being intoxicated in a public place, being unable to pay fines that accumulate over a period of time and particularly the ‘move on laws’ that give police the power to ask a young person to move away from specific areas, for a certain period of time.

We agree with NYC findings that show this approach results in further exclusion and marginalisation of young people, whose networks are disrupted and who find themselves totally alienated from the people and places they know. The combination of all these issues means there is a high risk of many homeless young people ending up in juvenile detention centres or prison.

We are deeply concerned to see impressionable young people being placed in custody, often with more experienced criminals and have repeatedly witnessed the negative cycle that this can create. Preventative Approaches Concerted efforts need to be taken and innovative programs developed to look at preventative measures that will help young people not to commit criminal offences. We also need to focus more on developing court diversion programs that redirect young people from detention into specifically designed programs that will assist them to address the issues, including homelessness, that led them to offend. The Salvation Army is currently involved in operating several successful diversion programs for young offenders, and we strongly encourage an expansion of these approaches so that young people are not imprisoned. >

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Rodney is a very damaged 16-year-old who was raised by a father who was an alcoholic. He never knew his mother and has lived on and off the streets since he was 13. He had learnt to survive through crime, and cope with his pain through drugs. Our refuge (Oasis Crisis Accommodation Service) couldn’t contain his behaviour or drug abuse and the things that went with it – assaults, drug dealing, property damage, theft. He inevitably fell into the hands of the juvenile justice system and spent time in detention. He was offered the opportunity to work with the NSW Drug Court program that gives young people facing detention the opportunity to work intensively with case workers to address their underlying problems. Oasis partners with the Department of Community Services and the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide Youth Drug Court casework services in the inner city area, and they had the opportunity to work with this damaged young boy again in a new and more intensive way.

New resources were available to assist him in a way we never could in our minimally funded SAAP refuge. A worker was available to work intensively several times a week with him over a prolonged period of time, and we saw little miracles begin to happen. He went to a drug rehab program. He worked on learning new ways of controlling his anger. He started vocational training – something no-one who knew him would have thought possible in his crazy days of using. He received personal tuition in literacy/numeracy and something he never dreamt possible – he was given the opportunity to learn how to play a guitar. Eleven months on Rodney is a different young man, in stable accommodation, with a different outlook on life. The program is both intensive and expensive, but it has saved this young man’s life, and possibly saved the community from unknown amounts of suffering and cost.

The Salvation Army also has a presence at various magistrate, children’s and family courts through its court and prison chaplains who are available to provide support and advice to young people and their families. This is critically important as it creates an opportunity to connect with young people and redirect them into positive lifestyle programs and other interventions that help them address some of their underlying issues. Post Release Programs In our experience, young people leaving detention, either juvenile detention centres or adult correction centres, at the completion of their sentence or on parole are often released without adequate support. There appears to be a lack of appropriate planning in the process, including poor communication and coordination between the various elements of the system.

Significant numbers of young people who end up in juvenile detention centres or prison, have family members who have been incarcerated. These families may also be dealing with multiple family concerns including alcohol misuse, gambling, poverty and domestic violence. As a consequence, if a young person returns to their family following their release, there is a risk of them falling into a pattern of re-offending unless intensive support is offered to the young person in conjunction with counselling and support to the family unit. The Salvation Army has been funded to run several post-release programs in different parts of Australia. However, each of these services comment that their work is underfunded and that this limits the level of support and interventions they can provide to address the many complex issues impacting upon these young people.

FINDING MY PLACE

Salvation Army youth services report that young people who have had experience with the criminal justice system present significant challenges. They often take some time to develop trust and to adjust to a non-adversarial setting. The most powerful contribution we can make in supporting these young people is the experience of a ‘belonging community’, with long-term unconditional acceptance. Intensive support and access to programs that focus on positive interactions, education, vocational training, and employment are essential for both preventative and post-incarceration work to be effective. Concluding Statement Because of their life circumstances there is a risk that homeless young people can be caught up in a cycle of offending behaviour and come to the attention of law enforcement agencies and the courts. >

A young man was brought to a Salvation Army program by the Youth Advocacy Centre worker who had met him in court. Having received a caution, the Magistrate instructed the young man to seek out positive community interactions and ‘get his life on track’. He had no stable accommodation; a 24-hour Internet café was ‘home’. He had limited family contact due to a volatile relationship with his stepfather. In addition he had contact with Youth Justice, and had limited education and work skills. Over the course of the next 14 months, with intensive support this young man was able to ‘get on track’. He moved into supported accommodation where he developed life skills such as budgeting, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc, and had somewhere to call home. He developed positive interpersonal skills by participating in various Salvation

Army youth programs, including ‘Beat the Streets Drumming’ and ‘Healthy Lifestyles Boxing Program’, and by becoming part of an accepting community. The drumming program helped him develop personal confidence and gave him a positive experience with the local police who support the program. Boxing became something that the young man pursued beyond the scope of the program. He developed a relationship with the gym and trainers who agreed that, if he assisted with cleaning one afternoon a week, he could train for free at the gym anytime. This physical activity not only improved his fitness and health levels, it also encouraged the young man to reduce his alcohol and drug use and was a positive outlet for any aggression.

He also completed a vocational training program and succeeded in gaining an apprenticeship. At the end of 14 months, this young man had managed to get his life well and truly back on track through the support and encouragement he received and through his own determination. He had reconnected with family, improved his education and developed vocational skills, moved into private rental, improved his health and reduced his alcohol intake. He had no Youth Justice involvement and had maintained full-time work for an extended period.

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A young person’s first appearance before the court provides the community with an opportunity to look behind the offending behaviour, understand what is happening in the young person’s life, and provide programs that will intervene and divert them to a more positive path. It is essential, therefore, that prevention and diversion programs are readily available at these crucial times. Such programs will provide intensive support for young people and help them address their underlying issues.

vital that all of the agencies involved have a shared vision to positively support and assist young people to avoid negative interactions with law enforcement, and to achieve effective rehabilitation into the community when this fails.

It is also critically important that post-release programs are available to work extensively with young people leaving detention at the completion of their sentence.

• Getting out of the wrong crowd.

We must also ensure that all elements within the criminal justice and law enforcement systems are well coordinated and work effectively with youth support services. It is

Finding my place out of the juvenile justice system means: • Having enough money to pay for the essentials, like food, clothing, transport and housing.

• Having a safe place to live. • Giving me information and options so that I don’t unintentionally break the law. • Having support and guidance when I come out of detention.

What needs to happen: • Establish protocols that ensure stronger coordination and communication between all elements of the Juvenile Justice system. • Develop a youth card that will provide young people with access to concessions on certain purchases, e.g. transport fares. • Develop preventative programs for young people who are ‘at-risk’ of offending. • Develop more court diversion programs for young offenders to assist them to address their issues, including homelessness, and to reduce their chances of re-offending. • Establish a Post-Release Program that provides case management support and sufficient brokerage funds to support young people exiting the Juvenile Justice system and adult correction centres.

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FINDING MY PLACE

I NEED A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE

‘Change is one of the most significant implications of the developmental stage of young people. Continuity and stability of support is critical – like a young bird leaving the nest, returning many times before finally becoming strong enough to fly away and find their own home.’



Ms Elise Briggs, Manager The Ark – Salvation Army Youth Support Services, Newcastle.

The NYC report discusses the issues impacting on the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) in great detail and specifically looks at the unmet demand for SAAP services. The Salvation Army is a significant provider of supported housing and our refuge and crisis accommodation centres are stretched to the limit. The demand is always greater than the capacity; this has become increasingly problematic in recent years with the skyrocketing costs of private rental accommodation and the lack of availability of public housing. Low-cost housing options tend to be boarding houses or cheap hotels that are often unsafe and inappropriate options for young people. Young people, particularly, have difficulty in accessing private rental accommodation, with no rental history or references. Many of our youth services report that real estate agents in some areas will not even consider young people for rental properties. Added to this is the significant cost in obtaining private rental accommodation.

A direct consequence of Australia’s national housing affordability crisis has been a marked increase in the incidence of homelessness. The flow-on effect from those struggling with higher mortgages to those paying higher rents, directly leads to the poorest and most disadvantaged families being pushed out on to the streets. It is essential that we have programs in place that are able to provide financial support or advice to people before they get into financial difficulties and end up being evicted because they are unable to pay the rent. Stable, safe, affordable accommodation is an essential element in the development of young people and all aspects of their lives including education, employment, relationships and health and wellbeing. As well as ensuring an adequate supply of safe affordable housing, it would be useful to explore different models of housing support for young homeless people, including housing options that are linked to education and/ or vocational training, similar to the ‘Foyer’ model operating in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Accessing SAAP When people are confronted with having to access the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program, they are often faced with difficulties in obtaining immediate support because of some of the SAAP administration arrangements. In particular, in Victoria the development of single entry point arrangements to access SAAP services through a central referral agency is complicating the process and making it difficult to respond to the individual needs of young people, particularly young people in an urgent crisis situation. In one instance, a Friday afternoon caller for crisis housing was told they could be wait-listed for an interview in three weeks time! Additional difficulties in SAAP program design are encountered with the movement of people from refuge to transitional to independent housing. Young people need to be well supported during the transition from crisis accommodation through to independent living. The standard,13-week duration for SAAP crisis accommodation does not take into account the different situations of homeless young people. The >

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Jenny Jenny, a 20-year-old, was living in private rental with her boyfriend and had full-time employment working as a qualified chef. Jenny’s boyfriend had a substance use problem and a criminal history; he was subsequently arrested and sentenced to a custodial term. The financial strain placed on Jenny to maintain the property on her own resulted in her being unable to make the rental payments. She found herself in rental arrears and was evicted from her property. Jenny went from stable housing to being homeless; soon after, her employment fell through. The lack of employment exacerbated her financial problems and she found that she was unable to gather the necessary funds to source another private rental and therefore began accessing SAAP services. In this situation if Jenny had received support and assistance to help her maintain her accommodation (either a loan or a short-term subsidy), she could have stayed in her private rental rather than spiralling downwards into homelessness, unemployment, and all that accompanies this.

issues to be addressed are multiple and varied, ranging from drug and alcohol use, family and relationship breakdown, disability, mental health, unemployment, underemployment, financial difficulties, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse, health issues, legal issues, and education deficits. The length of time young people are able to remain in a SAAP service should be determined by the needs of the young person rather than predicated by inflexible benchmarks. Transitional Support Further assistance through outreach services must be provided to young people, both during transition from supported accommodation, and post-SAAP when they have secured alternative, independent accommodation. Even in cases where the young person has a strong desire and feels ready to live independently, they often do not have the skills to maintain their own accommodation. Services need to be available to help them develop relevant life skills such as budgeting, managing household expenses, shopping, cooking and general household maintenance. Services

also need to keep them connected to healthy communities, where they can develop interpersonal and social skills. Many young people making the transition to independent living have a range of unresolved problems including mental health issues, drug and alcohol addictions, cognitive and behavioural problems and dysfunctional relationships with family. Intensive support is critical if we are to avoid the possibility of the young person becoming homeless again. This support needs to be consistent, positive and holistic. Partnerships with Community Housing Associations The Salvation Army strongly recommends that a program of support be available to help young people move into independent housing. This program would assist young people to develop living skills and link with various community services that can support them with advocacy, information, education and employment. Several Salvation Army youth services partner with Community Housing Association

(CHA) to provide ongoing support to young people who move into CHA rental properties. Salvation Army youth services are able to help young people maintain their tenancy by assisting them to address any issues that impact their ability to live independently. Regional Services Salvation Army services operating in regional areas of Australia report there is a lack of supported accommodation in these areas, compared to the need. Young people are unable to access transitional supported housing and have few options following a stay in crisis accommodation. It is important to ensure adequate transitional housing arrangements and post-supported accommodation services are available to young people in regional centres as well as in capital cities. Young People in Care Salvation Army services have significant experience in working with young people in state care. Our experience is that many of these young people can drift into homelessness when they leave state care, unless there are substantial supports available to them.

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Salvation Army services in Victoria provide a range of supports for young people leaving care, including the Transitional Supported Accommodation for Youth (TSAY) which is essentially a multi-disciplinary case management approach that works intensively with young people to help them make a successful transition to independent living.

the specific needs of each young person and not by a prescribed program model.

Concluding Statement Additional financial resources and innovative schemes to encourage private investment in public housing are essential to address the supply problems that currently exist in Australia and reduce housing waiting lists.

Finding stable, ongoing accommodation means: •B  eing able to access crisis accommodation immediately.

It is also critically important that supported housing options are readily accessible for young people experiencing crisis. Furthermore it is essential that ongoing, intensive postvention supports are available to help young homeless people make the transition from crisis accommodation to independent living. Given the complexity of needs and the issues confronting young people, the length and level of this support should be determined by

An important factor in providing support to young people involves linking them into positive social networks, where they have a sense of connection and belonging either through education, recreation, sport, etc.

•H  aving help to overcome issues associated with drug or alcohol misuse and other health issues. •B  eing helped to develop the skills I need to live independently. •H  elping me to develop positive relationships with people who are important to me.

What needs to happen: •A  ddress the housing affordability crisis, and improve waiting lists and access to public housing. •E  nsure there are sufficient youth crisis and transitional housing options in cities and major regional centres. •E  stablish postvention support programs to help young people sustain their independent living arrangements. •E  nsure young people in transition have access to an outreach worker who can continue to provide case management support. •E  stablish a program to help develop the skills and capacities of young people to engage in shared housing. •S  upport partnership arrangements between Community Housing Associations and community-based youth support agencies, by funding workers to provide outreach support for young people living in community housing.

• Develop a variety of additional accommodation options. For example: — Accommodation with accompanying supports for young people leaving detention. — Accommodation with accompanying supports for young people in education, vocational training and for those transitioning into the workforce (Foyer model). • Provide practical financial support for young homeless people (15-25 years) to assist them in obtaining the necessary items to establish a household.

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Rebecca

Sara

Rebecca had been referred to a Salvation Army Leaving Care Program. She had been living in a family placement arrangement through the Department of Human Services. Rebecca was estranged from her father and in a conflictual relationship with her mother. She had a drug addiction, was a self-harmer, had anger management issues and low self-esteem.

Sara is 17 and was the subject of protective intervention as a ‘child not protected from emotional or psychological harm by parents’. She was subsequently placed in a Department of Human Services funded youth residential service, in Victoria.

Rebecca was encouraged to participate in a living skills program and was placed in a Transitional Housing Management property with a friend. Rebecca’s situation gradually stabilised and her moments of anxiety became further apart. Rebecca obtained employment and her self-esteem improved. She was able to move into private rental. Rebecca was provided with ongoing support as she made the transition to independent living. As her situation improved she was able to gradually reconnect with her parents and her brother.

When Sara left the residential unit she experienced a period of transience, staying with a family member and various associates for short periods. Sara indicated her reason for moving from the residential unit was her susceptibility to a drugs and alcohol culture that was present. Sara was referred to a Leaving Care Program and placed in a Transitional Housing Management property.

The intention of this program is to provide intensive support to help Sara move towards independent living by building on her strengths, and identifying and working on any development issues. Although Sara had demonstrated a reasonable ability to selfmanage, she continued to be susceptible to peer influences including older young people staying at the property, ongoing drug and alcohol issues, and unacceptable noise and damage to the property caused by others. This led to neighbour complaints and subsequent tenancy breaches. Sara recently completed a period of probation with Youth Justice and is managing to avoid further activity that would attract police action. For a significant period she had struggled with intravenous and poly drug use and recently completed several residential detoxes.

Sara has also recently completed a 12-week TAFE program, Chefs for the Future, and is keen to pursue employment in hospitality. Although Sara has received little support from family members, she has recently rekindled contact with a stepbrother, which she finds a very positive move.

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FINDING MY PLACE

HELP ME TO GET EDUCATION

The National Youth Commission Inquiry comments on the problems that homeless young people have in relation to school attendance and completion. It states that ‘many have been suspended or excluded from schools for behavioural or other reasons. Some just simply stop attending classes as it is too difficult to concentrate on school when issues of accommodation have priority.’ (NYC REPORT) The experience of Salvation Army youth services confirms this statement. Many of the young people we work with have found it difficult to sustain their attendance at school through the experience of homelessness. Additionally, many of these young people come from a background that discourages and devalues education and employment. Research has proven the critical importance of education in an individual’s development and as a foundation for progress through life,

including future employment opportunities. The recent OECD report, ‘Education at a Glance,’ confirms that ‘the longer individuals spend in education, the more likely they are to be in employment and to earn more.’1 However, in Australia ‘close to one in five young adults in May 2006 had not completed Year 12 or a Certificate III vocational qualification.’2 For young people who are homeless or at-risk, their potential to achieve higher school qualifications is greatly diminished because of the multiple barriers they face. All children have a fundamental right to education and we have a responsibility to ensure that those young people who are at-risk of early school leaving have access to supports that will keep them connect to a learning environment. It is our experience that if a young person drops out of school early they are put at increased risk of homelessness. Consequently, young people

‘Education at a Glance’ (2007), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], p. 6 2 ‘It’s Crunch Time – Raising Youth Engagement and Attainment’ (August 2007), Dusseldorp Skills Forum and Australian Industry Group, p. 11 1

who have learning difficulties or those who struggle at school need to be provided with higher levels of assistance and personalised approaches that aim to keep them at school or in education and reduce the risk of them becoming homeless. Research has shown that parental involvement and encouragement in schooling leads to improved educational outcomes for children. However, many of the young people who access our services have not experienced this level of support in their home environment. In The Salvation Army youth accommodation services, youth worker staff take on parenting > young responsibilities for each school-aged person. They attend information evenings and parent/teacher interviews, and maintain regular contact with the schools.

‘We should have as much right as every other kid in this world to get the education we need, some kids like me can’t study in the main stream school, some of the reasons are because we get distracted too easily, we needed more help with our work than others, we get teased a lot and we find it really hard to ask for help.’

Lisa (2007)

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The Police brought a 15-year-old boy to a Salvation Army Place of Safety (afterhours) program. He had been living in a squat and trying to do his schoolwork by candlelight. The candle caused a small fire and the boy was badly burnt on his hand. We were able to arrange for this young man to stay in the Place of Safety program and he was connected to our drop-in centre and supported in achieving his educational goals. Following his study, this young man undertook a vocational training program in carpentry and construction. His journey took him through some turbulent times; he returned to sleeping on the streets as he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. But his perseverance and strong desire to break this cycle of homelessness, together with the support of dedicated youth workers, enabled him to succeed. He has now obtained a traineeship and moved into stable accommodation. He has also reconnected with his family and started to rebuild these relationships and is now realising his hopes and dreams.

Alternative Education Models Recognising the vital importance of education, most Salvation Army youth services provide school support programs or alternative education models specifically designed to support those young people who have difficulty with mainstream education, either because of learning difficulties or behavioural problems. A significant number of young people have accessed Salvation Army alternative education programs due to bullying at school or because of cognitive or behavioural problems. For example, one young person was continually excluded and expelled from school due to her ‘disruptive behaviour’. Her behaviour became worse and included self-harm and risky behaviours. As time went by, she was excluded from more and more schools. This young girl had a learning disability and suffered from anxiety

which impacted on her ability to learn and participate in the school classroom environment. She eventually completed her senior studies through The Salvation Army Alternate Delivery Education Program and undertook counselling and therapy to work through her anxiety and the associated behaviours. Alternative schooling models provide intensive, personalised educational and psychosocial intervention to students who have been suspended from school or whose circumstances prevent them attending school. Instead of young people roaming the streets and getting into trouble or becoming nuisances, they are positively involved in education tailored to their needs. It is critical that we provide alternative education opportunities to enable these young people to obtain basic schooling and achieve a level of literacy and numeracy that will enable

them to find employment. Without access to education or training, homeless young people cannot break out of their cycle of homelessness. The Salvation Army alternative education models often provide vocational training in a practical setting – such as the Certificate in Hospitality in an operating café. Vocational training with its emphasis on hands-on, practical learning is particularly suited to many young people who have dropped out of mainstream education. The Salvation Army as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), is able to ensure that these programs provide a nationally recognised qualification. We are also able to support young people in accessing external accredited courses and work in partnership with other Registered Training Organisations to access the best options that will create an effective pathway for each individual young person.

FINDING MY PLACE

Programs for ‘At-Risk’ Students The Salvation Army also runs a number of ‘student-at-risk’ programs that work with young people at risk of dropping out of school. These programs work closely with local high schools. Schools are in an excellent position to identify young people who may be experiencing problems at home. Salvation Army youth services are able to provide support to the young people and their families, working in the home and school context. We would encourage all secondary schools to develop partnerships with youth service providers so that young people at risk can be identified early and the necessary support provided. This may require increased flexibility within school programs and changes to some current policies.

Commonwealth and State Funded Education Programs The Salvation Army also runs educational programs funded under the Commonwealth Government Connections funding program. ‘Connections provides an education and personal development program for young people, aged 13 to 19 years, who have been disconnected from mainstream schooling for more than three months.’3 These programs are often run in partnership with TAFE and other Registered Training Organisations, and provide foundational education in a practical setting. For example, this may include providing the Certificate II in Hospitality through a Training Café, or a Retail Training Certificate through participating in a functioning retail social enterprise. ‘Connections’ also supports young people to undertake literacy and numeracy courses, general education certificates including the

‘Connections Program Guidelines’ (2007-2009), Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, p. 4

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Year 10 and Higher School Certificates and access external accredited courses. In addition, The Salvation Army provides alternative schooling programs funded through State initiatives, such as the Links to Learning program in NSW. Through individualised approaches to learning we discover high intelligence in areas not recognised in mainstream schooling in many of our young students. Particularly, we recognise high levels of artistic creativity, in areas of music, art and poetry. Low levels of literacy and numeracy combine to create additional challenges for disadvantaged young people wishing to further their education. This highlights the need for flexible, supportive programs that are able to focus attention on where young people are at. These specific educational >

One young man who came into a Salvation Army alternative schooling program had disengaged from mainstream education due to his personal battle with mental health issues. We were able to help him to gain access to mental health services and he commenced in the education program while continuing with mental health counselling. During this time, the young man became a victim of a violent crime and had to attend subsequent legal appointments and court hearings. He attended these with the support of his youth worker and, while his legal incident made his journey more difficult, the support of the staff and the flexibility of the program enabled him to continue on and achieve his dream of completing Grade 10. The determination of this young man was reflected in his rising grades, and his final piece of assessment obtained an A+ grading. He has now gone on to commence a TAFE course.

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The Salvation Army Westcare Ed and why I like it From prep school, I’ve been getting expelled because of my bad anger. In prep I was on the school roof; the fire people had to chase me around the roof to get me down or I’d jump off. By grade two I was getting into punch ons with the year six’s. In total I’ve been expelled seven times. From the first time I had the interview I fell in love (P.S. don’t tell anyone). There were kids I could relate to. They have the same lifestyle that I had. My favourite part of the school is the art program; from the first art painting I did, everyone said I had talent. I said ‘you guys are lying to make me feel good’, but at the art show I was amazed! I had three people after one painting and complements from all arty-farty people; it was like heaven. From a kid who did drugs and now this! I am so thankful for all the people in my life, from my unit, Rose, Maggie, Danny, Vinnie, Tash and at school to Deb, Greg, Marissa, Rhonda and don’t forget hippy lady!

Kristen (2007)

programs need to be supported by a generalist youth services response that offers case management, recreational and cultural engagement, and personal development. The Salvation Army alternative education programs encourage social and moral development. In the group settings and safe environments provided, young people can begin to explore the significant issues of life and develop an understanding of their responsibilities as citizens. Foyer Model The European Foyer Model was designed to provide hostel accommodation for young people that is linked to a range of specific supports including education and employment related services. Foyers are seen as providing a ‘bridge to independent living for vulnerable homeless young people who might fail to reconnect to learning and to work.’4 The Foyer philosophy proposes a

‘Investing in the Future of Young People Through Foyers’ (June 1999), The Foyer Federation

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helpful combination of safe housing, life skills and educational supports. The Salvation Army endeavours to embrace this philosophy in linking educational programs to our accommodation support, wherever possible. Our experience demonstrates that personal skills development programs linked to social, education, employment and community engagement, are more effective if they are delivered as part of an integrated and holistic response, rather than operating as stand alone, siloed services. Concluding Statement Education is critically important in the development of young people. Poor school attendance and lack of support will result in young people falling through the cracks and leaving school with low levels of literacy and numeracy and basic school achievements. This will have a deleterious impact on their ability to progress in life, including their ability

to socialise, interact with others, and to find meaningful sustainable employment. Schools need to be vigilant in identifying young people who may be ‘at-risk’ of noncompletion and then partner with appropriate youth support agencies to provide assistance to the young person and their family. Where young people have been excluded from school, or for those who cannot cope with mainstream school, we need to ensure they have access to alternative educational opportunities. Finding my place in education means: • Being in a school that suits me. • Getting extra help when I am struggling academically or in times of personal crisis. • Having teachers who believe in me.

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• Developing social skills. • Being encouraged to do my homework. •H  aving someone who acknowledges my achievements. •D  oing subjects at school that give me life skills and skills for work. What needs to happen: •E  xpand the Commonwealth Connections program as well as Statefunded education initiatives. •D  evelop more comprehensive partnerships between schools and youth services to provide a range of early intervention services to students at risk. •D  evelop more ‘student-at-risk’ programs and ‘suspension’ programs in partnership

with schools to keep young people connected to mainstream schooling. •D  evelop ‘time out’ programs for young people who have been or are ‘at-risk’ of school suspension, that can reconnect them back into mainstream school. •D  evelop innovative housing options for young people who are completing education and/or vocational training, e.g. the ‘Foyer’ type model. •D  evelop after-school homework centres to provide support and access to computers/Internet. •D  evelop alternative schooling options, where the curriculum focus is on creative courses, e.g. literacy/numeracy through music, art, graphic design, and hands-on technical skills.

This article featured in the St James College 2007 magazine (from a student of a Salvation Army Alternate Education Program in Queensland who graduated from Year 12 last year). ‘The difference between the school I am at now compared to that of my old school is that they expect things from me. The previous school I attended seemed to have no expectations and therefore I followed suit and had no expectations of myself! Here I am expected to attend, I am expected to do the work to the best of my ability, I am expected to be respectful to myself first and to others, I am expected to seek out information, I am expected to submit work on time, I am expected to make choices in my education and personal life that will benefit me to be all that I can be, therefore I expect this of myself now.

‘Sometimes it is challenging, but I enjoy the challenge, it pushes me to achieve and believe that little bit more. Education is my freedom, freedom from my past and wrongs. I now have opportunities I never thought existed for me or that I could achieve. I live in hope now instead of fear and anger. I hated school, because the school hated me. Here, I am respected, cared about and spoken to as if I matter and I have something to contribute. I am now free to be me and all that I can be.’

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>

FINDING MY PLACE

I WANT A JOB

The National Youth Commission Inquiry makes the point that ‘even in the current economic climate where job opportunities exist in many places, homeless young people face many barriers to gaining employment. This is related to a lack of education and training, the need to deal with other priorities, difficulties in preparing applications and receiving communication, lack of transport, limited understanding of the labour market and discrimination.’ It is The Salvation Army’s experience that young homeless people face many barriers to finding employment including low educational attainment, poor literacy and numeracy, no transport, limited interpersonal and vocational skills, lack of confidence and low selfesteem. Many young people have never had appropriate role models within their family or networks, who can encourage them in developing career aspirations; and they often have no idea about workplace behaviours or protocols. As a result, even if they do find a job, these young people frequently selfsabotage by turning up late for work or not displaying appropriate work behaviours. They end up unemployed after a very short time.

Placing a young person in work before they are job-ready, or placing them into work for which they are unsuitable, will jeopardise the sustainability of the job outcome. Constant rejection and job dismissal will further exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness and can cause young people to become resigned to a state of permanent unemployment. One 17-year-old young women who came to The Salvation Army for support, told us she was actively using drugs when she obtained a job. Because of her drug-taking she developed a poor performance record and was dismissed and charged with theft. This experience may affect her employment opportunities for the rest of her life. While this young woman has to live with the consequences of her choices, a preferred approach would have been to support her in the transition to employment, rather than pushing her into a job before she was fully job-ready. Many of The Salvation Army youth support services are of the view that current employment services have failed to engage

homeless and at-risk young people. Young people lack faith in the system and generalist job recruitment agencies have not been able to develop trusting and nurturing relationships with homeless and at-risk young people. JPET Program Most of The Salvation Army services have had a more positive experience with the Job Placement, Employment and Training program (JPET) and would argue that because this is a specialist youth program often linked to homeless services, the staff are better equipped to deal with the special needs of homeless young people. The services tend to be more youth friendly and have greater capacity to work with the young people to help them achieve their goals and aspirations. Despite this positive work with young people, each of our services has expressed a note of caution in respect to the changing orientation of JPET. Its focus has been altered and the program now gives primacy to employment outcomes at the expense sometimes of addressing entrenched and endemic problems that young people must be able to overcome. >

‘I got a job about six weeks ago. I was applying for about six months. It’s fun. Like you’re never bored. You’re always doing something and it’s good pay too, it’s not that bad. I thought I’d never work, eh. But it feels good when you get paid because I didn’t steal it, and I didn’t get it off Centrelink. So it’s mad, it feels mad when you spend the money. You know what I mean.’

Owen

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Two young women who were receiving training in a Salvation Army Hospitality Program, decided to go to the local shopping centre in their lunchtime. As they were leaving the centre, one of the youth workers noticed they were still wearing their hospitality aprons and the worker suggested they leave them behind. The young women responded by saying, ‘We want to wear them because then people will think we are on a break from a real job.’

The JPET program was established to address those barriers that prevent young people from entering employment, or maintaining study. Services would help young people to focus on their life issues and address some of the social barriers to employment. Because of the change in focus of the JPET program, Salvation Army youth services advise that homeless young people who are in a state of crisis do not access JPET services. Another issue for JPET providers is that the minimalist program funding limits the depth of interventions and restricts the ability to provide the type of holistic supports needed to achieve sustainable outcomes for young people. Integrated Case Management Service Model Most of the young people in our homeless services enjoy being active and would really like to have a job. But they need considerable support in developing the interpersonal skills

and behaviours that will help them succeed in the work place. Given the importance of trusting relationships in helping people develop self-confidence and address issues, a more appropriate model of providing employment preparation support to homeless young people would be to integrate this with the other supports being provided. Most homeless services are already assisting their clients to develop interpersonal skills, independent living skills and emotional resilience. Given the link between these issues and maintaining a job, it makes sense to provide an integrated service that is coordinated by the primary case worker. Developing Vocational Skills Salvation Army youth services provide a range of accredited educational programs that operate in a supportive environment where the participants learn practical vocational skills, how to work in teams, workplace behaviours and communication

skills. At the same time they receive intensive support to deal with life issues. Many of these programs are provided within the context of a social enterprise such as a community café, retail business or furniture-manufacturing factory, where young people can achieve a Nationally Accredited Qualification and also obtain a reference for the on-the-job work experience completed. Supported Employment Options Young people benefit from a range of flexible pathways into employment experience, combined with an education/training focus and long-term supports. Many existing intervention models take an overly simplistic view of the tasks and timeframe required to address the barriers that prevent homeless young people from entering and remaining in the workforce. Supported employment programs that give young people a taste of the real working environment and conditions, as well as providing significant non-vocational

FINDING MY PLACE

assistance, are very effective in helping homeless or at-risk young people make a successful transition into the workforce. Supported employment can be provided either through community employment enterprises or with companies where the employer has an understanding of the issues confronting young people. The Salvation Army has developed a number of community employment enterprises that provide employment for homeless and at-risk young people. We also partner with specific employers to develop employment options for homeless young people that involve preemployment training combined with an ‘onthe-job’ experience. This is heavily supported by a workplace mentor who can address any issues that arise during transition into the workplace.

Transport Barriers Another barrier to homeless young people finding employment is their difficulty in obtaining a driver’s licence. They cannot afford to take driving lessons and often do not have access to a responsible adult who is prepared to support them. As a result, in some of our services we have developed a Learner Driver’s program that assists young people to get their Learner’s Licence. The experience of obtaining and holding a driver’s licence is also an important ‘rite of passage’ that helps connect young people into the adult community. Income Support Issues Inadequate income means that young people living independently lack the funds to access public transport, feed themselves while undertaking training courses, and to dress appropriately for job interviews. Social disadvantage combined with economic deprivation means homeless

young people are less able to access employment and training programs. The current Centrelink Activity Test and Mutual Obligation requirements, combined with a lack of empathy for the complex issues confronting young people, often means that young people are penalised for not attending interviews or undertaking activities prescribed by the job network provider. This penalty creates additional financial pressures for young people who often become disillusioned with the system, disengage from all support services, and find another way of obtaining income. This may involve illegal activities, or work that places them into more risky situations. Concluding Statement Finding ongoing sustainable employment is important to most people for a range of reasons. Work provides financial security leading to economic independence; work gives a sense of purpose and meaning in our >

The Salvation Army, Cummins (a multinational diesel engine company) and a Secondary School in Victoria have developed a partnership program aimed at supporting students, at-risk of dropping out of school. The students will each enrol in a Certificate 2 in Diesel Mechanics and complete work experience at the Cummins Plant and will receive practical support such as transport, advice and counselling from Salvation Army youth workers. One of the specific tasks the students will have during there training and work experience, will be building three high-powered gokarts and the year will culminate with the go-karts being involved in a “race day”. Students that complete this VCAL / Cert 2 course will be attractive prospects to employers looking for apprentices in 2009.

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lives; and work creates a support network that enhances our social and emotional wellbeing. Gaining an early entry into the labour market is critically important for young people. Research shows that the longer people are disconnected from the labour market the more difficult it is to re-engage. Prolonged unemployment can have a devastating impact on an individual’s confidence, self-esteem and motivation. Because homeless young people deal with a complex array of personal and structural barriers, they need additional support in accessing jobs. This must be provided in the context of trusting and supportive relationships, and as part of a continuum of support that helps young people address all of their presenting issues in a cohesive and coherent way.

If this is not done, we risk these young people becoming permanently excluded from the workforce. The social and economic costs of this will be damaging to the whole community. Finding my place in the workplace means: •K  nowing what is expected of me at work. •H  aving the confidence and skills to do the job. •H  aving accessible and affordable transport to get to work. What needs to happen: •D  evelop programs that support young people in developing their confidence and interpersonal skills.

•F  und programs that encourage partnerships between youth services and employers – specifically, to link ‘preemployment training’, ‘subsidised work experience’ and ‘work-based mentoring support’.

• Provide employment services for young homeless people through an integrated case management approach, delivered in conjunction with youth homelessness service providers.

•E  stablish funding for pre-employment training and post-employment mentoring.

• Refocus JPET on holistic support and acknowledge social as well as economic outcomes.

•E  stablish a Homeless Young Person’s Employment and Training Support Allowance that will cover the costs of transport, training and work-related books and equipment.

• Review the Centrelink Activity Test and Mutual Obligations requirements as they apply to homeless and at-risk young people, and review the current compliance policy regulations and their application.

•A  cknowledge employers who create placement opportunities for homeless young people, either financially through wage subsidies or through a specific public relations campaign.

• Fund programs that help homeless young people obtain a driver’s licence. • Fund community employment enterprises that can provide genuine work experience in a supported environment.

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FINDING MY PLACE

I WANT MORE FOR MY CHILD

The Salvation Army has significant experience in working with homeless young pregnant woman and young parents. For many of these young women, the experience of becoming a mother can have a positive impact on their self-esteem. Being loved and having someone to love affirms them as an individual and gives them a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives. Young parents, who experienced neglect and abuse during their own childhood, often express a strong desire to raise their child in a positive, happy environment and to give them a good upbringing. The birth of a child provides an opportunity for refocusing and reprioritising of life issues, and ideally becomes an important development stage for the new parent. Many of the young people we work with lack positive parenting role models and urgently need to learn parenting skills. In addition, high levels of sole parenting and

disconnection from other family members create significant challenges for young parents. Without the inter-generational and extended family supports available to the rest of the community, young people are left to shoulder the burden of caring for their child alone, with few options for childcare if their intention is to return to work or study, even on a part-time basis. Stigma of Being a Young Parent Society generally seems to take a dim view of very young parents, tending to judge them and see them in stereotypes. Young parents who use Salvation Army youth services often don’t feel comfortable attending some of the facilities other parents attend. Some young mums find local mothers’ groups quite intimidating. Many do not feel comfortable attending child health centres and some younger parents have refrained from accessing general health services due to

negative experiences and the feeling that the staff do not seem to have empathy for them. Domestic Violence Young mums who have experienced homelessness are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of domestic violence. Our experience tells us that these young women are in danger of being trapped in this situation or returning to it if there is no housing or support available to them. It is particularly hard to break free from the domestic violence cycle when the father of the child is the perpetrator of the abuse. This group of young women need housing that is safe from ongoing intimidation and abuse, and intensive support to break the cycle. Supported accommodation options are also essential for young parents who need to address drug and alcohol issues as well as parenting issues. One of The >

‘I have a purpose now … To care for somebody and to make sure that they’re okay and that they come into the world the right way and that they’re safe. I have to look after me to look after them. If I’m not here then who’s there to care for them.’

Danielle

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Simone was pregnant and living with her boyfriend, at his mate’s unit. They were all using amphetamines. Simone went to hospital and gave birth to twins. When it was time to go home, her boyfriend told Simone she was not allowed to bring the babies back to the unit, because his mate didn’t want them there. She had nowhere to go so she went back to her mother’s place. The family home, however, proved to be unsafe; Simone’s brother is violent towards all family members. Simone was only allowed to stay at her mum’s for a week. She then went to the Department of Housing, looking for a safe housing option but was told there was nothing available. She also tried to obtain private rental accommodation through a local real estate agent, but was knocked back. After two weeks Simone had nowhere to go, so the Department of Community Services placed the twins in care. Simone is now back with her boyfriend, staying at another one of his friends’ places.

Salvation Army youth services in Sydney has developed a partnership with the local Community Housing Association to support young parents with drug and alcohol issues. The local Community Housing provider organises housing arrangements for young parents and this ensures they have stable accommodation. The Salvation Army youth services provide the ongoing intensive support to help these young people address drug and alcohol issues and develop their parenting skills. This effective partnership provides a holistic and integrated approach to meeting both the housing and the support needs of young parents. It is an excellent example of an approach that helps young homeless parents move towards independence, and be good parents.

Pre-Natal Care Salvation Army youth services suggest that a good model of providing pre-natal care to young pregnant women is through midwives outreach programs being located within community service centres. One particularly successful program is operating in a socially and economically deprived community in Western Sydney, through a partnership between The Salvation Army youth and children’s centre and the Midwifery Unit at the local hospital. Because The Salvation Army is a comfortable and familiar place for many people living in this community, the young women feel it is less confronting to receive health care at the centre. A midwife does an intake with a woman and provides pre-natal care and tests through the centre and local imaging rooms. The woman remains under the care of this one midwife for the duration

of her pregnancy, and the midwife actually delivers the child at the hospital. Following discharge from the hospital, the midwife provides post-natal care through home visits and the woman attending the clinics at the centre. The continuity in care, familiarity of the centre, and ability to interlink with other services we have on site such as welfare, childcare, etc, has seen this program be highly effective in engaging and assisting young mums. Play Groups Developing positive parenting skills can also be achieved through supported play groups. These programs intentionally target at-risk families and provide intensive support to the parents and children. They create an opportunity for young mums to develop a support network. One of the aims of the play

FINDING MY PLACE

groups is to help young mums understand the value of interactive play and the importance of reading stories to their children. Many young parents actually need to learn how to play with their children and how to read to them. Accommodation for Young Couples Over the past few years we have seen an increased need for accommodation and support to young mums, young dads, and to young couples with children. In some areas there is absolutely no accommodation for couples with children who want to stay together, as youth refuges only accommodate young people without children. Perceived Risks in Seeking Support Young homeless parents always face the real risk of intervention from government

child protection services and this often makes them reluctant to seek support. Often government agencies are seen as punitive in their attitude towards young parents. We need to ensure that all agencies develop empathy with young parents and provide support and understanding to help them move beyond their limitations to develop a nurturing environment for their child. Concluding Statement The experience of becoming a parent can be a challenging yet rewarding experience for young people. Many young women comment on how their self-esteem and sense of identity improved when they became a mother. However, besides the challenges of caring for a child 24 hours a day on limited income – often with little support from family or friends – young parents often feel they are subjected to

discriminatory practices and prejudice. Young mums in particular feel they are being judged and they feel uncomfortable attending child health centres or play groups. For some young parents the lack of positive parenting role models in their own childhood means it is essential that supports such as parenting classes, health and wellbeing workshops, and supported play groups are available and delivered in a way and setting where they feel accepted and valued. There is also a lack of affordable, supported accommodation options for young couples who want to raise their child together. >

For the past three years around 40 homeless teenagers with babies have been supported annually through the Ingle Farm Young Mum’s program. This program provides care for young mothers who are disadvantaged, homeless or at-risk in the community. It offers crisis accommodation for girls under 18 years of age and their children who are currently living in seriously unacceptable environments, and provides education in areas like independent living, parenting skills and mothercraft. As there are no other facilities in South Australia that specifically provide crisis accommodation for young mothers with their babies, the Ingle Farm Young Mums’ program is often the first call for an emergency response to the most marginalised. It offers accommodation until a supported accommodation placement is arranged.

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One young mum became homeless and her two young children have been placed in temporary care. Her Centrelink payment has been reduced to a single person’s rate as she doesn’t have the care of her children. But she cannot regain custody until she has secured accommodation that is suitable to house the family. She cannot afford this type of housing on a single payment and feels she is in a no-win situation!

Finding my place as a young parent means: • Having positive role models. • Access to appropriate health and pre-natal care.

in raising my child. What needs to happen: • Reduce the stigma of being a young parent, through community education campaigns.

play, and how to read to your child. • Provide training in household management, living skills, nutrition, budgeting, and lowcost food preparation.

• Ensure child health clinics have thorough understanding of, and empathy with, the issues of homeless young parents.

• Provide play groups and young mum support groups.

• Having a safe place to live. • Being taught how to parent and care for my baby. • Being involved in friendly parent support and play groups. • Being respected as a mum or dad who loves her/his baby and not being pigeonholed into a negative stereotype. • Having access to practical support to help

• Encourage partnerships between community housing associations and youth support agencies, by funding agencies to develop outreach supports for young parents living in community housing. • Develop more supported housing options for young couples with children. • Develop training courses for young parents that focus on caring for babies, nurturing toddlers, the essential elements of positive

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PLEASE UNDERSTAND US!

‘There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfilment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase ‘to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy’. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical wellbeing, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution.’

Stephen R. Covey

The Salvation Army youth services have worked with homeless young people for many years in all capital cities in Australia and several regional locations. We understand the special needs of these young people; we have seen the pain, the trauma, the neglect and the abuse, and we see beyond the aggressive behaviour, the confronting language and the anti-social activities. Underneath is a desperate cry for understanding and acceptance from young people who have often not known unconditional acceptance or respect. We want to help the broader community see the hope we see in these young people and we want the community to help these young people overcome the stigma of homelessness and social alienation. Attitudes need to change and this can only happen through education that

raises awareness and develops mutual understanding and respect. Young people need to be shown that they matter, and that they are important and have just as much right to a home, a job, fun and laughter as everyone else. Concluding Statement Hearing the stories and experiences of homeless young people is a vital step to assisting them re-engage with the community. Members of the community generally lack understanding and tolerance of young people who are homeless. Their response to this highly marginalised group tends to be based only on the presenting behaviour they witness or hear about in the media. It is a response that does not reflect an understanding of the pain-filled journey which has led to this point. Most of the young people we work with have experienced severe trauma and neglect.

When we understand something of their pain, and listen to their stories, we are better able to respond to these young people in a way that will positively engage and encourage them. Homeless young people, like most members of our community, are looking for a place to belong, a place where they feel safe, a place where they feel valued. They have much to contribute and we need to create opportunities and spaces for them to explore their gifts and talents, to find their voice, and discover their place in a society where they are respected and acknowledged. Finding acceptance means: • Being respected. • Being included. • Having people believe in me. >

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• Having people see me as a human being with hopes and dreams. What needs to happen: • Encourage people to suspend judgment and promote understanding. • Dispel the myths about young homeless people. • Develop community awareness programs to educate people on the issues confronting young homeless people. • Develop programs in secondary schools to inform students about all aspects of homelessness.

She wanders around wondering where she will sleep next Or what she is going to eat today She hasn’t had a shower in days Everyone stares at her, she knows they’re staring but she holds her head up high and walks on She tries to look like she doesn’t care; but she does Inside her she can feel the pain of all those people laughing at her And whispering under their breath They don’t care about how she feels or what is going to happen to her Slowly the pain becomes bigger and bigger And soon a tear escapes from her eye As she wipes the tear from her face she realises

that she can no longer hold the pain back anymore Soon a whole stream of tears fall down her face She tries hard to wipe them away but it is no good She can’t control them Slowly she falls to her knees Begging for the pain to leave her Ainsley

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THE PEOPLE WHO’VE HELPED

The people who work in youth services are a very passionate and committed team of workers, who dedicate their lives to bringing meaning, stability and hope to young people, particularly those young people who have suffered abuse and trauma. This relationship is much stronger than that of case worker and client. In many cases, young people continue to have contact with Salvation Army workers on a voluntary basis well into their adult lives. They are often invited to help plan weddings, be present at children’s births, help shift young people into new accommodation. They share Christmas dinner with young people, celebrate birthdays with them, and often are the only people there to share important milestones. Salvation Army staff also visit young people in prison or hospital, often being the only ‘family’ they have to bring them the things they need, and sometimes the only people who visit.

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Salvation Army youth services understand the need to create a sense of community and activities that will build the self-esteem and a sense of belonging for young people. In many of our services, this is achieved by involving young people in activities and outings they would not otherwise have the chance to experience. Such activities have included snow skiing, horse riding, surfboard riding, canoeing, music camps and drama lessons. Some of our services are able to take groups of young people on special camps or trips to places they would never have any expectation of being able to visit. Often a bond is formed between the youth worker and young person that has a profound impact on the young person. Just knowing someone cares about them, is interested in their achievements, and is willing to put time and energy into helping them to overcome

their issues, produces an incredible boost to their sense of self-worth. A strong bond is forged through working together to overcome adversity. The Workers The nurturing environments that are created in Salvation Army centres have a positive impact not only on the young people but also on the workers, and we are encouraged that staff retention is very high among Salvation Army youth services. Continuity of staffing is a critical factor in providing ongoing, consistent care and support to young people. However, we note the youth services workforce is growing older and we are concerned that there are not enough young people entering the youth sector and choosing this as a permanent career. Over the longer term this will create a workforce crisis. Part of the reason for people not >

‘OASIS is a place to go where people is sweet ... Oasis is where to go; Oasis is a shelter’

Shelley

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The Going Places Creating Memories initiative provides young people in our care with the opportunity to experience and learn, through travelling to places they would not normally be able to visit. Hence the creation of memories that they will carry with them throughout their lives, to shape and mould the people they will become, with views they can share with other young people, their families and the broader community. Memories that are their own personal property that no one can take away from them. Recently we took a group of young people from Melbourne and travelled through Litchfield National Park, Kakadu and Arnhem Land in four groups of up to 20 people. Bernie Geary, the Child Safety Commissioner, accompanied us on this particular trip and this is what he said:

‘Being part of the “Going Places Creating Memories” program was a great privilege for me. The opportunities to share memories (and Mozzies) with these young people helped to remind me that life is a series of memories, some good, some not so good. How lucky am I to have been part of such an exciting, memorable time!’

choosing this career path, relates to the low pay rates and an under-resourced infrastructure to run the programs.

working environment, that staff feel they are appreciated and their achievements are acknowledged.

There is now a recognisable trend in youth work that shows experienced workers are leaving the sector in order to secure higher paid work to support themselves and their families.

People who work in health and human services, and the youth sector in particular, are generally motivated to undertake this type of work because of a desire to make a difference. They understand the significant obstacles confronting young people and they want to be part of the solution. They are making a significant contribution to the health of the community through the work they do, yet society doesn’t value this work sufficiently to provide remuneration equivalent to those in other sectors. Members of the community need to do more to demonstrate that they respect and value the contribution of youth workers. >

Within Salvation Army services we endeavour to create positive workforce development initiatives, specifically focusing on professional development, creating a ‘happy’ environment, providing staff with support and professional debriefing, creating workforce diversity and remunerating people to the level we can accommodate within our limited resources. Every person needs to feel valued and respected and it is critical in this difficult



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Tegan’s Philippines Trip ‘On 9 July 2007, 11 young people and myself went to the Philippines with some of the Oasis staff for 11 very hot days. We went over there to see how people survive in a Third World country and to help in three orphanages. ‘When we got to the hotel and stepped off the bus, the smell was horrendous and you could smell the poverty in the air. It was the first time I had seen poverty like this. It really broke my heart but angered me at the same time. We saw little kids begging for food and money, really old people sleeping on the ground, urinating and living in the same space.

‘The government appears to value roads more than helping the homeless and people in need. ‘At the orphanage, we painted rooms, made tables, gave the children computers, other educational stuff, and hung out with the kids, which I loved the most. The kids were so welcoming of us and so grateful for the time we spent and the gifts we left them. ‘While we were at Joyville Children’s Home, on both nights we went to Tenay, the town that Joyville was in. We went to this big rice field where people lived in among the rice and, no lie, at least 30 young and old people came out to see us. I was coping OK until I saw a little girl (she was about four years old, which is the same age as my goddaughter)

and this really affected me – to see someone so young living in the conditions they were. ‘The last place we went to was Tondo, one of the poorest places in Manila. It’s that bad with crime and violence that the police won’t work after 11.30 at night. Tondo was my favourite. The kids have very little, but they still had these amazing big smiles on there faces. I taught some of the locals to say “Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi” when we scored in a basketball game against a group of local boys in the street. ‘I learnt so much from this trip about how important it is to value what we have here in Australia and the opportunities we are given. The people I met live in such poverty but were the most beautiful and welcoming people I have ever met.

‘Before the trip, I had my own demons to face as I was a drug user and was heading into a very nasty place in life. I had to fulfil my own goals of going to detox and counselling to even be able to attend the trip. Since making this decision, I have had some amazing experiences and hope that I can use all of them to move forward with my own life.’

Tegan (2007)

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Letter from a Department of Community Development Case Officer ‘I want to extend to you and all your staff my thanks for being so personally committed, as well as totally professional, in your dealings with ... (name given). I know he can be frustrating to work with but your understanding of his needs and your tolerance of his idiosyncrasies have been critically important to his survival, both psychologically and socially ... I have nothing but praise for the work you do, and for the way you do it. In my opinion, Oasis House is the best place for ... to be – in terms of accommodation, support, role-modelling, stability, safety and protection.’

To Whom It May Concern: When I first went to The Salvation Army Oasis Youth Centre Food for Thought food shop I was apprehensive because I had never accepted ‘charity’ before. I am a young woman who has a desperate mood disorder. I was looking for work at the time and had a small income from Centrelink. I only agreed to accept help from the Oasis food shop because I could pay money for it; I knew my money was going to a good cause and I felt like I was not just accepting a hand-out. I would limit myself to spending $40 that day and was amazed at what I could buy. I came home with the sort of groceries that would have cost $150 or more had I bought them from a supermarket. As I unpacked

my groceries I actually cried. I had never felt like I could give back and actually help out my household like this before. I had felt so dependent on others for so long and having been unwilling to accept outside help or anything else for free, I felt a sense of dignity that I had paid for this food, brought it home and could share this gift with those who sacrificed so much to support me. It was one area of my life where I was finally not reliant or dependent, and it really boosted my self-esteem.

I wasn’t too poor to put my change into the tin and it was empowering to know that the people at Oasis understood that I could still ‘give back’ without receiving.

The staff at Oasis were warm and friendly, and there were all types of people there. I didn’t feel conspicuous or strange – in fact, they were extremely welcoming and I felt like being a part of their service, and accepting it.

I am not religious but I said a prayer of thanks for these people, because I believe that their respectful and dignified kindness is driven by love, and if that’s not God I don’t know what it is!

There were donation tins on the table, and I thought it was great that they were there.

It was not a hand-out at all. It was an inspiring exchange, not just a gift. I was flooded with gratefulness to these people, that they cared enough to create a way to help people like me and my family that was dignified, practical and most of all empowering.

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Concluding Statement The Salvation Army is committed to journeying and staying with young people for the long term. We recognise that some people may never have a family and for them we become a significant part of their life. This sustained involvement is critically important in the development of healthy self-esteem and confidence for young people, enabling them to achieve their created potential. We are enormously grateful to our workforce of committed staff and volunteers who continue to serve the young people in our care, demonstrating an outstanding level of personal commitment. We are cognisant that they, too, have needs and experience the financial pressures of everyday living. Staff who work in the human services, non-government sector are

generally paid less than other sectors in the economy and this needs to be redressed. Finding my place in community means: •Y  outh workers who care and are prepared to go the extra mile. •B  eing in a family-style environment where I feel welcomed and accepted. •B  eing with people who understand and value me. •H  aving people who stick by me for the long term, who journey with me and help me celebrate my milestones. What needs to happen: •C  reate warm, friendly, ‘family-like’ environments that support young people and give them a sense of security.

•E  nsure appropriate workforce planning that will attract, recruit and retain a suitable workforce. •E  nsure services for young people have adequate funding, so that workers can be paid in accordance with community standards and expectations. •D  evelop programs which demonstrate that workers in human services areas are valued, recognised and celebrated. •C  elebrate achievements with a designated Awards Day. •D  evelop an industry standard of staff/client ratio for the residential care sector, similar to the standard that applies to the child day care industry.

• Provide funding for special recreational and social activities, and holidays for young homeless people, to give them the same opportunities to learn and develop as other young people. • Ensure workers are provided with the professional development and support they require to enable them to do their job well. • Undertake research into the issues impacting upon this very special workforce.

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FINDING MY PLACE

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Finding My Place is dedicated to Sarah and the thousands of other young people like Sarah, who are desperate to find their place and who deserve to find their place. I can see so much potential in Sarah, but there is so much turmoil and sadness too. She needs help to find her place but when she does she will be an amazing young woman. We cannot afford to give up on young people like Sarah, just because it seems too hard and there are too many disappointments. Wilma Gallet (2008)

Finding My Place has attempted to convey the journey experienced by many of the young people The Salvation Army has connected with. It the story of their pain, their distress, their fear and their courage. These young people are crying out – we need to listen and ‘do something’. There is a sense of hopelessness in reading some of their stories, but these young people are not beyond hope. One of the dangers they face is that we as a society might relegate them to permanent social exclusion, that we might give up on them. We owe them a chance, a chance to get an education, to get a job, to find a home, and a chance to find their place in every way. Change is not going to happen overnight; it’s going to be a journey. We need to be committed to working through the issues and we need more than limited interventions to rectify what is often a lifetime of neglect and trauma.

These are stories of young people who have experienced pain and distress in their lives, who have struggled to feel accepted and who have never felt they truly belong anywhere.

For some young people finding their place will mean finding a spiritual connection with God that gives their life a new dimension of meaning and purpose.

The sense we get from knowing some of these young people is that they’re looking to find their place, not just a place to live, although that’s part of it. ‘Finding my place’ means finding a place that is a sanctuary, a home, a place where you can relax and be yourself; but this is much more than just a physical location. It’s about these young people finding who they are, finding their place in the world, in community, in their own family sometimes, in their own relationships.

Finally, ‘finding my place’ is about fully participating in all aspects of community life and being socially included.

‘Finding my place’ is about identity and belonging. ‘Finding my place’ is multidimensional; it involves finding my place emotionally, physically, socially and in health and wellbeing.

If we are serious about achieving the goal of social inclusion for young people in our society we need to urgently address all of the issues contributing to youth homelessness. These include poverty, lack of education, lack of opportunity, inability to access jobs, lack of affordable, appropriate housing, and inaccessibility of health and dental care for young people. This will require an intentional focus and investment by governments, community and business.

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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us. It is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

– Nelson Mandela

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>

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APPENDIX 1 RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Support families to avoid poverty traps. This should include access to stable, secure income or financial and material support being available to help at times of crisis.

5. D  evelop respite accommodation options as a ‘time out’ where family breakdown is imminent or has occurred – a way of deescalating problematic issues and enabling family reconciliation.

2. Services such as Reconnect or other early intervention initiatives need to be available in every community and ideally linked to every SAAP service. This will require a significant expansion of the Reconnect Program to provide sufficient funds to employ workers and to access other specialist therapeutic interventions.

6. Provide needs-based support for all young people leaving care, making it available up to the age of 24 years.

3. Expand programs that support families to develop parenting skills, and deal with conflict and challenging behaviours in a constructive manner. 4. Increase funding for student-at-risk programs to be run in partnership with high schools, focusing on identifying those young people who are at risk and facilitating early intervention.

7. Provide support to families/individuals who are hosting young people through ‘couchsurfing’ arrangements. This can take the form of respite care, material support, assistance with transport, as well as professional advice and counselling. 8. Ensure a smooth transition for young people leaving state care. The Transitional Supported Accommodation for Youth (TSAY) program is an effective way of identifying and supporting young people when they are in transition.

9. Keep young people connected, develop relationships with them, and help them to access services quickly. 10. D  evelop programs to creatively engage young people, even while involved in street life, and offer opportunities to participate in recreation, team sports, social outings, drama, art, poetry, and so on. 11. E  nsure that all essential services have some outreach and after-hours capacity to reach young people in the streets (e.g. Centrelink, health, legal, and youth support workers). 12. C  reate affordable, accessible, youth- friendly clinics. 13. E  nsure that joint protocols are developed between mental health services and community support services.

14. Facilitate home visits by mental health workers for young people discharged from mental health units, to assess progress and ensure that young people are taking appropriate medication. 15. Create a continuum of care through linked ‘communities of service’ that provide a range of services, e.g. drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health services, general health services, dental health, after-care and other therapeutic interventions. 16. Ensure access to community-based detox and rehabilitation programs. Establish youth-friendly mental health and drug rehabilitation programs in regional and rural settings so that the young person is able to heal in an environment that is familiar to them and not too far from their support networks.

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17.Create after-care services for young people who have been through detox or rehab. 18. Develop programs to educate young people on the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol abuse. 19. Facilitate access to medical services at known, safe and comfortable locations, e.g. youth refuges, drop-in centres. 20. Develop programs that show young people how to maintain a healthy diet and provide hands-on training in how to prepare healthy, simple meals. 21. Implement drug and health education programs, and encourage a young person to stay safe until they are ready to address their particular issues. 22. Focus on creative and fun activities that provide young people with an opportunity

to socialise, especially during difficult times. Recreation and social activities play an important part in helping young people through periods of mental and emotional crisis. 23. Establish visible and youth-friendly outreach services and facilities (e.g. Internet bus) that should provide basic necessities such as food, blankets, clothing as well as access to counselling and information services. 24. Establish high profile drop-in centres as safety zones for young people. 25. Establish outreach programs in which funds are provided for outreach workers (including training for corporate volunteers) who can develop relationships with young people, gain their trust, become their mentors and help to instil a sense of hope.

26. E  stablish protocols that ensure stronger coordination and communication between all elements of the Juvenile Justice system. 27. D  evelop a youth card that will provide young people with access to concessions on certain purchases, e.g. transport fares. 28. D  evelop preventative programs for young people who are ‘at-risk’ of offending. 29. D  evelop more court diversion programs for young offenders to assist them to address their issues, including homelessness, and to reduce their chances of re-offending. 30. E  stablish a Post-Release Program that provides case management support and sufficient brokerage funds to support young people exiting the Juvenile Justice system and adult correction centres.

31. Address the housing affordability crisis, and improve waiting lists and access to public housing. 32. Ensure there are sufficient youth crisis and transitional housing options in cities and major regional centres. 33. Establish postvention support programs to help young people sustain their independent living arrangements. 34. Ensure young people in transition have access to an outreach worker who can continue to provide case management support. 35. Establish a program to help develop the skills and capacities of young people to engage in shared housing. 36. Support partnership arrangements between Community Housing Associations and community-based youth

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support agencies, by funding workers to provide outreach support for young people living in community housing. 37. D  evelop a variety of additional accommodation options. For example: — Accommodation with accompanying supports for young people leaving detention. —A  ccommodation with accompanying supports for young people in education, vocational training and for those transitioning into the workforce (Foyer model). 38. Provide practical financial support for young homeless people (15-25 years) to assist them in obtaining the necessary items to establish a household.

39. Expand the Commonwealth Connections program as well as State-funded education initiatives.

44. D  evelop after-school homework centres to provide support and access to computers/Internet.

40. Develop more comprehensive partnerships between schools and youth services to provide a range of early intervention services to students ‘at-risk’.

45. D  evelop alternative schooling options, where the curriculum focus is on creative courses, e.g. literacy/numeracy through music, art, graphic design, and hands-on technical skills.

41. Develop more ‘student-at-risk’ programs and ‘suspension’ programs in partnership with schools to keep young people connected to mainstream schooling. 42. Develop ‘time out’ programs for young people, who have been or are ‘at-risk’ of school suspension, that can reconnect them back into mainstream school. 43. Develop innovative housing options for young people who are completing education and/or vocational training, e.g. the ‘Foyer’ type model.

46. D  evelop programs that support young people in developing their confidence and interpersonal skills. 47. F  und programs that encourage partnerships between youth services and employers – specifically, to link ‘preemployment training’, ‘subsidised work experience’ and ‘work-based mentoring support’. 48. E  stablish funding for pre-employment training and post-employment mentoring.

49. Establish a Homeless Young Person’s Employment and Training Support Allowance that will cover the costs of transport, training and work-related books and equipment. 50. Acknowledge employers who create placement opportunities for homeless young people, either financially through wage subsidies or through a specific public relations campaign. 51. Provide employment services for young homeless people through an integrated case management approach, delivered in conjunction with youth homelessness service providers. 52. Refocus JPET on holistic support and acknowledge social as well as economic outcomes.

FINDING MY PLACE

53. Review the Centrelink Activity Test and Mutual Obligations requirements as they apply to homeless and ‘at-risk’ young people, and review the current compliance policy regulations and their application. 54. Fund programs that help homeless young people obtain a driver’s licence.

youth support agencies, by funding agencies to develop outreach supports for young parents living in community housing. 59. Develop more supported housing options for young couples with children.

55. Fund community employment enterprises that can provide genuine work experience in a supported environment.

60. Develop training courses for young parents that focus on caring for babies, nurturing toddlers, the essential elements of positive play, and how to read to your child.

56. Reduce the stigma of being a young parent, through community education campaigns.

61. Provide training in household management, living skills, nutrition, budgeting, and low-cost food preparation.

57. Ensure child health clinics have thorough understanding of, and empathy with, the issues of homeless young parents.

62. Provide play groups and young mum support groups.

58. Encourage partnerships between community housing associations and

63. Encourage people to suspend judgment and promote understanding.

64. D  ispel the myths about young homeless people. 65. D  evelop community awareness programs to educate people on the issues confronting young homeless people. 66. D  evelop programs in secondary schools to inform students about all aspects of homelessness. 67. C  reate warm, friendly, ‘family-like’ environments that support young people and give them a sense of security. 68. E  nsure appropriate workforce planning that will attract, recruit and retain a suitable workforce. 69. E  nsure services for young people have adequate funding, so that workers can be paid in accordance with community standards and expectations.

70. Develop programs which demonstrate that workers in human services areas are valued, recognised and celebrated. 71. Develop an industry standard of staff/ client ratio for the residential care sector, similar to the standard that applies to the child day care industry. 72. Provide funding for special recreational and social activities, and holidays for young homeless people, to give them the same opportunities to learn and develop as other young people. 73. Ensure workers are provided with the professional development and support they require to enable them to do their job well. 74. Undertake research into the issues impacting upon the non-government youth sector workforce (recruitment, retention, training and development).

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APPENDIX 2 ORT SERVICES PP SU H UT YO Y M AR N IO AT LV THE SA

CRISIS ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS Canberra ACT Crisis accommodation – youth refuge.

Darlinghurst NSW Transitional accommodation – supported housing.

Ingle Farm SA Transitional accommodation – youth accommodation service.

Duffy ACT Transitional accommodation – supported housing.

Inner-city Sydney NSW Accommodation outreach housing, partnering with Community Housing Association.

Landsdale WA Transitional accommodation – Crossroads West, Landsdale House.

Newcastle NSW Community housing – accommodation medium term.

Mirrabooka WA Transitional accommodation – Crossroads West, Oasis House.

Red Hill ACT Transitional accommodation – supported housing. Bundaberg Qld Crisis accommodation – youth refuge. Bundaberg Qld Transitional accommodation – supported housing. Bracken Ridge Qld Supported accommodation and independent living. East Brisbane Qld Supported accommodation and independent living.

North Sydney NSW Accommodation for young people with live-in mentors. Surry Hills NSW Crisis accommodation – youth refuge. Plympton SA Transitional accommodation – Muggies Southern Campus. Pooraka SA Transitional accommodation – Muggies.

Perth Metro WA Transitional accommodation – independent living. Kalgoorlie/Boulder WA Crisis accommodation service. Geelong Victoria Transitional housing for young women. Sunshine Victoria Transitional accommodation – Salvation Army Social Housing Service.

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Sunshine Victoria Youth Residential Services, Placement and Support Services.

North Fitzroy Victoria Crisis youth housing.

Melbourne (western suburbs) Victoria Transitional Supported Accommodation for Youth (TSAY).

North Fitzroy Victoria Transitional Supported Accommodation for Youth (TSAY) Supported youth housing.

Sunbury Victoria Short-term accommodation for pregnant young women.

Croydon Victoria Crisis accommodation for young people –Gateways.

Shepparton Victoria Crisis accommodation.

Melbourne (eastern suburbs) Victoria Residential Youth Services (RYS) – provides safe and secure accommodation options for young people with protective involvement from the Department of Human Services.

Shepparton Victoria Transitional accommodation. Shepparton Victoria Lead Tennant Housing Program. St Kilda Victoria Youth crisis accommodation and refuge.

Frankston Victoria Youth hostel – short-term accommodation. Frankston Victoria Medium- to long-term unit that provides 24-hour supervised accommodation.

Leongatha Victoria Adolescent Placement Program supports young people unable to remain in their own homes due to family breakdown or conflict.

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RECONNECT AND FAMILY MEDIATION PROGRAMS Bundaberg Qld Family support – youth support coordinator works with families and young people. Blacktown NSW RECONNECT: Provides early intervention programs aimed at preventing youth homelessness. Fairfield NSW RECONNECT: Provides early intervention and support to young people and their families. Macquarie Fields NSW Family mediation and support in crisis situations. Newcastle NSW Families support program.

Surry Hills NSW RECONNECT: This partnership with Mission Australia and Wesley Mission is an early intervention program for young people at risk of homelessness, and their families. Reconnect aims to prevent youth homelessness by supporting families experiencing stress or crisis.

Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Victoria Family and Community Enhancement Services (FACES) – operates within an early intervention framework and is aimed at preventing family breakdown. It works with families and young people aged 12 to 18, whose circumstances are deteriorating and for whom the risk of harm will increase without additional support.

Sutherland NSW RECONNECT (mental health): This program works in partnership with Mission Australia, Wesley Mission and ARAFMI (Association of Relatives & Friends of the Mentally Ill). This program supports agencies working with families and young people experiencing stress and problems through the presence of a mental illness.

Melbourne Victoria (western suburbs) RECONNECT: Counselling and support to both young people and their families; parenting strategies to enhance and improve relationships; educate both families and young people about adolescent development; mediation between young people and their families.

Mornington Peninsula Victoria RECONNECT: Works with families and young people and offers flexible support as an early intervention and includes several group programs (e.g. father/son groups). Shepparton Victoria Youthlinx (family liaison worker) – introduces psychological services into youth residential care agencies; provides assistance for homeless young people and those at-risk of homelessness in order to facilitate family reconciliation. Sunshine Victoria Family mediation program.

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INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Bundaberg Qld Counselling and case management programs to support disengaged young people aged 15-17 years.

Wyong NSW Social development program, small group workshops that include anger management, drug and alcohol programs.

Perth WA Transitional support service providing support for young people in the transition from supported care to inter-dependence.

Newcastle NSW Life skills education, inner pyrotechnics: individual and group anger awareness and communication program.

Hobart Tasmania Child protection project.

Brunswick Victoria LifeWORKS: Engagement and case management.

Surry Hills NSW HYPA Intensive Support Program – case management to young people in all activities. After initial assessment, works with the young person to develop a plan, linking them to programs and services, providing advocacy and support. Wickham and Bolton Point NSW Support, advocacy and referral services for disadvantaged and homeless young people aged 12 to 25 years and their families. Crisis support, welfare and information.

Kalgoorlie/Boulder WA Provides counseling and support for young people in transition. Northbridge WA Therapeutic group living program, focusing on family reunification and developing independent living skills. Northbridge WA Independent living case management support.

Fitzroy/Collingwood Victoria Creating connection – intensive case management service; support and secondary consultation for caseworkers engaged with young people who are experiencing homelessness and who have high and complex needs. Frankston Victoria Peninsula Adolescent Support Program – provides case management and support to young people and their families who are subject to protective involvement with Victoria Department of Human Services.

Frankston Victoria Adolescent support – case management. Frankston Victoria Creating connections – case management to help young people develop life skills and to connect them to housing, education and training. Frankston Victoria Crisis Contact Centre – case management, referral and crisis support. Kensington Victoria Community outreach services providing intensive and individual support to young people living in transitional housing. Kensington Victoria Provides individual, intensive case management support to young people who are at high risk of homelessness.

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INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Leongatha Victoria Case management and transitional support.

Shepparton Victoria Intensive therapeutic services.

Sunshine Victoria Intensive case management service.

Melbourne Victoria Youth transitional support initiative.

Shepparton Victoria The Good Life Model (GLM) – focuses on the principle that to function in a healthy manner all people require ‘basic Human Goods’ that include general health and functioning, excellence in work or play (including mastery experiences), spirituality (general sense of meaning and purpose in life), excellence in agency (freedom and selfdirection), inner calm (freedom from emotional trauma), friendship (intimate, family, friends), knowledge, community (sense of belonging), happiness, creativity. The GLM ensures these basic human goods are built into the case management plan for every young person referred.

Sunshine Victoria Transitional supported accommodation for young people – provides outreach services to support young people moving towards independent living.

Melbourne East Victoria Provides a multi-disciplinary intensive case management service, an Out of Home Care residential program and specialist assessment and consultancy programs. North-West Melbourne Region Victoria Crossroads Leaving Care – case management and support provided to young people aged 16-18 years who leave statutory care with limited support and accommodation options.

Shepparton Victoria Life skills program incorporating the Gerard Egan model of intervention.

Sunshine Victoria The Lightpath Program provides flexible, individualised respite service to meet the needs of both the young people and caregivers. Respite can be used as a preventative intervention to help maintain placements and provide a ‘break’ for young people. St Kilda Victoria St Kilda Crisis Centre – crisis centre that provides referral and access to a range of support (e.g. housing, health, legal services).

St Kilda Victoria Intensive case management linking young people to the private rental market. St Kilda/Southern Suburbs of Melbourne Victoria The Young Women’s Outreach Program is a statewide housing and support service offering accommodation and support for young women with or without children aged 16-25 years wishing to reside in the inner and middle southern region of Melbourne. The program works with young women in need of housing information, referral assistance and related support. The program is dedicated to offering a supportive, flexible and nonjudgmental service to assist young women in securing accommodation, making community links and building supportive networks. Whittlesea Victoria Case management and transitional support for young people.

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LEGAL SERVICES Surry Hills NSW: Youth Legal Services – legal assistance for young people. Jointly managed by Mission Australia and Freehills Solicitors Melbourne Victoria: Advice provided by pro bono lawyers on a needs basis

SPECIALISED PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS Blacktown NSW Employment skilling program for juvenile offenders. Macquarie Fields NSW Provides support to young people at police interviews, court cases, juvenile justice appointments. Wyong NSW Programs and individual support to young people aged 12 to 25 years. Burnie Tasmania Young Women Offenders program focuses on developing cognitive skills & addressing issues like self-esteem and confidence building, communication skills, healthy lifestyle, skills development and employment, and problem-solving.

Hobart Tasmania Support and discussion groups, one-on-one mentoring, and social and recreational activities. Hobart Tasmania Changes Your Choice is offered to young people involved in the Police formal cautioning process. The program offers Police and the young person an option to address the offending behaviour by looking at the possible contributing factors behind the offending. Launceston Tasmania Young Women Offenders program provides support to young women aged 13 to 17 years who have offended or are at-risk of offending, displaying antisocial behaviour or anger management issues, and who may

be also disengaged from school and family. The program operates in partnership with Tasmania Police, Youth Justice, local colleges and high schools, and the University of Tasmania.

North Coburg Victoria Youth Justice program that assists young people involved with the Youth Justice system to reconnect with educational, training and/or employment options.

Collingwood Victoria Youth offenders/school leavers.

Ringwood Victoria Court support for young people.

Dandenong Victoria The Positive Life Centre provides court support to young people and runs a number of workshops dealing with positive life skills.

Shepparton Victoria Pathways – Juvenile Justice group conferencing program.

Melbourne East Victoria Juvenile Justice Pathways Program seeks to improve pathways to supported accommodation for young people (17-24 years) who are on parole from Juvenile Justice custodial settings.

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PARENTING PROGRAMS FOR PREGNANT YOUNG WOMEN AND YOUNG PARENTS Macquarie Fields NSW Supports young pregnant women including pre-natal and post-natal care; provided in partnership with the Midwifery Unit through Sydney South-West Area Health (Campbelltown Hospital). Weekly outreach clinics provided in The Salvation Army centre. Newcastle NSW Parents’ Support workshops – regular education program for parents and carers. A young mums’ support group also operates at the centre. Westlakes NSW Provides support to young mums in the West Lake Macquarie area.

Slacks Creek Qld Young Parents’ program – Core of Life is an education program for teenagers and is delivered in local high schools to educate on the ‘realities’ of parenthood. Ingle Farm SA This program provides care for young mothers who are disadvantaged, homeless or at-risk in the community and offers crisis accommodation for girls under 18, and their children, who are currently living in seriously unacceptable environments. It also provides education in areas such as independent living, parenting skills and mothercraft.

Hobart Tasmania Positive Parenting program provides training and support to young parents, teaching them the importance of play and reading to their children. Supported play groups are an integral part of the program. Ballarat Victoria The Crompton Flats program is a supported accommodation program for young women under 25 who are pregnant or have children. Support includes workshops in living skills, cooking skills, budgeting and financial counselling. A health group speaks about contraception, STDs and HIV. Supports also including education in literacy and numeracy, a recreation program and young mums’ groups.

Geelong Victoria Kardinia Women’s Services – Young Parents Outreach program that provides a range of services to young women aged 15 to 20, who are pregnant or parenting and require support relating to parenting issues, homelessness or housing difficulties. The program takes a holistic approach, focusing on the individual needs to achieve the maximum possible degree of self-reliance and independence. Northbridge WA Support to young mums, young dads, and to young couples with young children – developing parenting skills, finding secure, safe and suitable accommodation.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Slacks Creek Qld Early Childhood Development – Parenting Education and Training, Foundations for Families, Birth to Three. Ingle Farm SA Positive Parenting and Early Childhood

Development programs, include play groups and training workshops for parents. Hobart Tasmania Positive Parenting program provides an opportunity for parents to learn positive parenting skills and healthy lifestyles in

a welcoming environment – at seven of Salvation Army community centres across the state. Parents and children participate in facilitated play groups, kinder and music gyms, parenting courses, cooking classes and sewing groups that are offered three days each week. Participants also have

access to an extensive reference library of parenting and children’s books available for loan. In addition, free parenting packs are distributed that include two children’s reading books, pencils, and various brochures on parenting, nutrition, health and wellbeing.

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EDUCATION PROGRAMS Bolton Point NSW Forward Focus – Links to Learning based at Nourish Café Bolton Point. Offers education, accredited Hospitality Operations vocational training, life skills and employment skills to early school leavers. Inner Sydney NSW FLOW (Flexible Learning at Oasis and Ways) is a partnership with WAYS (Waverley Action for Youth Services) that provides young people, disconnected from the learning process, with access to an accredited education program, designed to creatively reengage them and maximise life choices. Macquarie Fields NSW The Holistic Intervention Program (HIP) is conducted in partnership with James Meehan High School – program for students who have been suspended from school. The student attends the program located at The Salvation Army centre for each day of their suspension. During the period of suspension the young person continues with their academic requirements under the supervision of the HIP facilitators, who also

work in conjunction with Juvenile Justice, local Police, school psychologists and other relevant service providers to ensure a holistic and consistent response to the issues faced by young people. Newcastle NSW and several sites in the Hunter region Hunter Campus of The Salvation Army Booth College offers education and accredited vocational training to primarily young people aged 15 to 25 across a variety of other skill areas – retail, information technology, furniture making. All vocational training programs are offered at various sites in the Hunter, complemented by personal support, life skills education and individual one-on-one literary/numeracy tuition. Parramatta NSW Links to Learning program: Take Five – alternate education program. Surry Hills NSW The OASIS Education Centre provides accredited education from foundational

literacy through to HSC to disadvantaged young people. It includes pathway to vocational and further educational opportunities. The Education Centre is TAFE accredited, with strong support from the Sydney Institute of TAFE and OTEN Distance Education. Western Sydney NSW Student at-risk programs that work closely with local high schools to identify and provide support to young people at-risk of dropping out of school. Wickham and Bolton Point NSW Jumpstart is an educational program providing life and work-related skills – resume development, rights and responsibilities at work, budgeting, legal issues, tenancy and housing, etc. Wyong NSW The Young Women’s Program – ‘She’ is a school-based program focused on developing self-esteem. The program currently operates in five local schools.

Wyong NSW Suspension school: partners with the Department of Education to provide alternate classroom for suspended young people. Bundaberg Qld Get Set For Work is a school support program predominately for Year 9 students at-risk. Partnering with local high schools, it supports students who have been identified by the schools as at-risk of disengaging. Activities include personal development, literacy and numeracy, workshop training, IT, recreation and excursions. Caboolture Qld Alternate Education Classes for young people from Year 10 to senior years. Fortitude Valley Qld Alternate Education Classes for young people provided in partnership with St James Catholic College which provides the teacher. Lawnton Qld Alternate Education Classes for young people from Year 10 to senior years.

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Hobart Tasmania The Home and School Support (HASS) program provides support and addresses the needs of vulnerable children in the context of their families who may be at-risk, by providing a service that is both preventative and solution focused. Box Hill Victoria WARPed education program – The Work And Recreation Program with Education (WARPed) provides vocational, educational and recreational activities for young people on statutory and/or Juvenile Justice orders and who have been unsuccessful in their attempts to maintain a place in existing mainstream or alternate educational day programs. Box Hill Victoria The Leaving Care Education program aims to achieve better outcomes for young people leaving care by assisting them to develop

life skills and linking them to appropriate education and training options. Brunswick Victoria Youth Lifeworks Education program – provides broad-based supports for young people and offers a range of personal development, training and educational opportunities designed to create pathways back into education for young people who have become disengaged from mainstream systems. Melbourne East Victoria Children In Residential Care Education Support program – Consultants provide educational support and assist in behaviour management strategies in school environments to help children and young people stay at school. Melbourne Northern Suburbs Victoria Provides supports to young people aged

15-19 years living in the local government areas of Yarra, Darebin, Moreland, Hume and Whittlesea who have significant barriers to accessing education, training and/or employment. Individual support is provided to assist young people to connect with education, training and/or employment. Reservoir Victoria Shop 16 is an education and social program that provides a range of supports to at-risk young people and works closely with several local schools in the area. The program involves homework support, social support, recreation and sporting activities, and operates a full bio/psychosocial model. Shepparton Victoria Alternate Education program operates in partnership between Notre Dame and Brayton and provides case management and alternative education for young people

who have exited the mainstream education system. Sunshine Victoria Education program provided to young people who have been excluded from mainstream school and alternative education systems, vocational training and support services. The program operates in partnership with Kensington Community High School and offers the Victorian Certificate in Applied Learning (VCAL) and the Certificate in General Education for Adults.

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JPET PROGRAMS Surry Hills NSW Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a range of creative education and training options to help young people develop vocational skills, while providing intensive case management support to address social barriers and help to stabilise health and housing issues.

Caboolture Qld Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a range of creative education and training options to help young people develop vocational skills, while providing intensive case management support to address social barriers and help to stabilise health and housing issues.

Lawnton Qld Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a range of creative education and training options to help young people develop vocational skills, while providing intensive case management support to address social barriers and help to stabilise health and housing issues.

Brisbane North Qld Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a range of creative education and training options to help young people develop vocational skills, while providing intensive case management support to address social barriers and help to stabilise health and housing issues.

Fortitude Valley Qld Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a range of creative education and training options to help young people develop vocational skills, while providing intensive case management support to address social barriers and help to stabilise health and housing issues.

Mornington Peninsula Victoria Job Placement Education and Training (JPET) program. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a facilitybased outreach response to the employment, education and training needs of homeless and disadvantaged young people. We identify and assist with the reduction of barriers to long-term unemployment, low educational achievement, social dislocation and family isolation.

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SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS Newcastle NSW The Olive Branch Café provides hospitality training for young people and operates as a vibrant café providing an extensive menu, each weekday. Newcastle NSW This-Way-Up Furniture Company manufactures a range of home and office furniture and provides training in woodwork, cabinet making and furniture manufacturing for disadvantaged young people. Newcastle NSW Nourish Café is a community café at Westlakes Centre, Bolton Point, offering a meeting place for the local community with nutritious meals at low cost.

Surry Hills NSW DOH handy person program. Surry Hills NSW Property Plus provides training and employment in cleaning and gardening for social housing tenants. Oasis provides gardening and cleaning services to NSW Department of Housing properties in Redfern, Waterloo, Balmain and the eastern suburbs. After successfully tendering for this contract, Oasis offers jobs and training to young people who have never worked. An employment/ training worker helps these new employees transition into the workforce and seeks to create other job opportunities.

Surry Hills NSW Reconstruct is work participation program, giving disadvantaged young people work and life skills to help them rebuild their lives and obtain meaningful jobs and secure, stable housing. Led by an experienced tradesperson, Reconstruct offers hands-on exposure to basic training in carpentry, bricklaying, concreting, plastering, painting and outdoor maintenance. Participants complete small construction and repair jobs.

Surry Hills NSW This Kingsford store aims to provide people with affordable clothing, and offers long-term unemployed people experience in a retail environment.

Surry Hills NSW IT EBAY encompasses a range of creative programs to provide training and work experience for unemployed young people. Opportunities are available in website design, video editing, radio production and computer refurbishment.

Mornington Victoria Salvo Cyber Café provides youth training in IT and catering, as well as a place for youth to hang out and use the Internet.

Surry Hills NSW Street Internet Café provides training opportunities in hospitality for long-term unemployed people.

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VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS Broken Hill NSW For students in Years 9 and 10, provided in partnership with Willyama High School. The students participate in a Work Skills Preparation program for young people transitioning from school to the workplace. Cabramatta NSW Café Horizons Cabramatta provides accredited hospitality training in a working café. Newcastle NSW The Olive Branch Café offers young people who are disconnected from the community an opportunity for practical experience and accredited training to develop the necessary skills to gain employment. Special program for young MERIT clients in support and vocational training.

St Mary’s NSW Café Horizons St Mary’s provides accredited hospitality training in a working café.

Wyong NSW Training/education offering Certificate 2 in Retail Operations.

Surry Hills NSW OASIS Op-Shop gives training opportunities in retail for long-term unemployed.

Bayswater Victoria A vocational training program conducted in partnership with Cummins and Bayswater High Schools. The young people enrol in a Certificate 2 in Diesel Mechanics and complete work experience at the Cummins Plant. One of the specific tasks the students will perform is building three high-powered go-karts and the year will culminate with the go-karts being involved in a ‘race day’.

Surry Hills NSW Reconstruct provides training opportunities in general construction, maintenance, painting and decorating. Surry Hills NSW Street Radio Net provides training opportunities at a working Internet radio station. Surry Hills NSW Dream Films provides training in all aspects of film-making.

Brunswick Victoria Accredited hospitality training in the Blue Bonnet Café which provides low-cost, healthy meals for people on low incomes in the local area as well as offering accredited theoretical and hands-on training. The training program is run in partnership with NMIT and provides

access to the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). Brunswick Victoria Youthworx is a youth media training program. Frankston Victoria Provides hospitality training through Salvo Café.

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ALCOHOL AND DRUG REHABILITATION AND COUNSELLING PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Blacktown NSW Youth Drug and Alcohol Court – case management service.

Liverpool NSW Youth Drug and Alcohol Court – case management service.

Fairfield NSW Follow-on Youth Recovery Support Team (FYRST) is an after-care outreach support service for young people aged 16 to 25 who are addressing their drug and alcohol issues and who live in or access services within the Liverpool and Fairfield local government areas. FYRST uses a holistic client-focused case management model, incorporating relapse prevention strategies to support young people with their ongoing recovery and to assist them to establish a positive, healthy lifestyle within the local community.

Newcastle NSW Drug and alcohol counselling – specialist counselling. Parramatta NSW Follow-on Youth Recovery Support Team (FYRST) is an after-care outreach support service for young people aged 16 to 25 who are addressing their drug and alcohol issues and who live in or access services within the Western Sydney Area Health Service boundaries (the local government areas of Parramatta, Baulkham Hills, Auburn, Holroyd and Blacktown).

Parramatta NSW FYRST STOP is a Cannabis Treatment Centre that operates in partnership with the Western Sydney Area Health Service. It provides treatment options for young cannabis users. Surry Hills NSW Choices youth drug and alcohol program provides specialist counselling in a number of areas including mental health, emotional needs, drug and alcohol problems, education assessment and employment support. Choices aims to address issues underlying drug abuse among homeless youth. It includes group and individual counselling, and combines a number of therapeutic approaches.

Croydon Victoria Intensive Therapeutic service – alcohol and drug youth clinician provides AOD assessment, brief intervention, secondary consultation to support young people in state care. Preston Victoria Bridgehaven residential rehabilitation program for young women.

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STREET OUTREACH, DROP-IN CENTRES, CHAPLAINCY AND CHURCH COMMUNITIES Kings Cross NSW Street outreach and chaplaincy to the inner city using the Street Net Outreach Bus. This is a vehicle fully fitted with computers with radio Internet connection; staff support and refreshments. Surry Hills NSW The StreetLevel Internet Café offers disadvantaged people affordable meals, free Internet access and experience/training in a café environment. StreetLevel is also home to The Salvation Army’s church for homeless and disadvantaged people, where they are invited to attend specifically designed services that are accessible and relevant to their life situation.

Wyong NSW Street outreach involves an Internet bus visiting disadvantaged suburbs within Wyong Shire. The bus provides a free printing service, BBQ, tea and coffee.

disadvantaged youth. It offers counselling and referral, life skills training, leisure activities (e.g. boxing, drumming, soccer and cricket), clothes washing facilities, shower facilities, and meals as needed.

Wyong NSW Drop-in centre where young people can access on-site, free and professional formal or informal counseling services, advocacy and referral to other specialist organisations. Provides a safe, supervised environment for young people to undertake group activities including sporting competitions, art and leisure activities.

Brunswick Victoria Drop-in centre and community church where people can feel part of a belonging community, and where meals and social/ recreational activities are provided.

Fortitude Valley Qld Drop-in centre providing assessment and case management support for homeless and

Melbourne CBD Victoria The Life Centre is a drop-in centre and community church that provides a range of supports (spiritual, physical, emotional and social) including legal and health professionals, a community grocery market, emergency relief,

advice on budgeting, meals and referral to supported accommodation. Melbourne and inner suburbs Victoria After-hours street outreach and chaplaincy using the AXA614 Youth Bus which is a fully refurbished coach transformed into a mobile youth centre on wheels. It is equipped with wireless Internet-connected pcs, x-boxs, a plasma TV, three surround sound systems, hang-out couches, chess tables, a minikitchen and a private counselling room. The bus is a safe place for Melbourne’s homeless and marginalised young people. Morley WA General youth support service, counselling, advice and referral.

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RECREATION PROGRAMS Fairfield NSW VITEL and Freeways adventure therapy programs. Newcastle NSW Ignition – recreation activities. Surry Hills NSW Freeway is an intensive, adventure-based learning program that equips young people with life skills and motivation, builds selfesteem and provides insight into behaviours that prevent young people achieving their goals. Courses take place outdoors where young people are challenged, physically and mentally, by a variety of action-orientated tasks. Activities provide fun, excitement and adventure and include camping, canyoning,

caving, climbing, abseiling, canoeing and horse riding. Wyong NSW School holiday programs providing outings, skate competitions, free BBQs, band and sporting competitions. Wyong NSW Music Program Coalface Recording and Rehearsal Studio – Oasis supports young bands by providing a greatly needed rehearsal space. Oasis has a professional recording studio and partners with affordable sound engineers to provide services to young bands.

Wyong NSW Music Program Band Nights hosts professional supervised, all-ages, drug- and alcohol-free band nights. Approximately 300 to 500 young people attend these events, which attract state, interstate and national acts. Oasis ensures local unsigned bands play as support acts. Brunswick Victoria The recreation program provides options for positive social and recreational involvement for people with limited opportunities including team sporting activities. A recreation events planner is produced monthly that details upcoming activities.

Melbourne CBD Victoria Recreational and social activities include a music program, sporting activities and outings. Sunshine Victoria The Going Places, Creating Memories program provides young people with the opportunity to experience and learn through travelling to places they would not normally be able to visit. The aim is the creation of memories they will carry with them throughout their lives, shaping and moulding the people they will become. In 2006 the Going Places, Creating Memories trip was to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

For additional copies of this report phone The Salvation Army Communications Team on (02) 9264 1711 or go to www.salvationarmy.org.au