YOUTH INITIATIVE SOUTHWEST SYDNEY
Youth Initiative
Preventing young people leaving out of home care from becoming homeless
Youth Initiative Southwest Sydney supports eligible young people, aged between 16-21, as they transition from statutory out of home care to independent living.
What is Youth Initiative?
Youth Initiative (YI) is a program that provides support to young people leaving statutory out-of-home care (OOHC) who are identified as being vulnerable to, or at risk of, experiencing homelessness on exit from care.
The program aims to build the long-term capacity and resilience of young people to permanently divert them from the homelessness service system.
What supports are provided?
All participants have access to a combination of a Personal Advisor (PA) and an Education and Employment Mentor (EEM), while some young people also receive transitional support and access to YI accommodation.
Personal Advisor (PA)
The PA acts as a central contact for all YI services and provides helpful advice in a mentoring capacity on how to live independently. They will support the young person to identify and work toward their personal and leaving care plan goals, connect them to positive personal support networks and help them to access any support services needed (e.g. mental health).
The PA works closely with the caseworker to develop the young person’s independent living skills and self-reliance.
Education and Employment Mentor (EEM)
YI participants must be willing to undertake education, training and/or employment. EEMs work alongside young people to understand their history, interests and aptitude to identify and find suitable education, training and/or employment options. The EEMs understand the impact of previous trauma support young people to develop their skills to apply for jobs, attend job interviews and gain long-term employment.
YI Accommodation & Transitional Support Worker (TSW)
Some, eligible young people in the program will be offered transitional or subsidised accommodation support. These young people will have a TSW who will assist them to develop their skills and knowledge to manage their own accommodation, both current and in the future. They will help the young person understand how a tenancy works, their legal responsibilities and help them sort out any problems or issues they are experiencing with their accommodation or tenancy.
Community Referral
Community Referrals to the YI program can be made by government facilities (hospitals, youth justice, education, DCJ OOHC, etc) as well as non-government services, including Specialist Homelessness Services, refuge workers, residential care workers, or out of home care providers.
Referrals can be made for young people aged between 16 years and 21 years that satisfy ALL of the following selection criteria:
1. In statutory OOHC/ have a history of statutory OOHC; AND
2. Referred by medical professionals, educational institutions, and other service providers
