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New era for Canberra’s youth in crisis

1 May 2013

Major Julie Alley, Acting Divisional Commander; Carolyn Campbell, Manager – ACT Youth Homelessness Program, The Salvation Army; Nicole Townsend, Coordinator Canberra Youth Residential Service; Shane Rattenbury, MLA ACT Minister for Housing. (Photo: Dale Murray)


The ACT Minister for Housing, Shane Rattenbury MLA, has officially opened Canberra’s new Youth Emergency Accommodation Network, which is being delivered by The Salvation Army’s Oasis and Canberra Youth Residential Services.

“This marks a new era in service delivery for young people in crisis in the ACT,” says Mr Rattenbury. “The integrated approach means that young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are offered holistic, ongoing assistance which moves them, not only into sustainable, independent living, but into employment or education pathways as well.”

The Salvation Army, through Oasis, and Canberra Youth Residential Services have been delivering emergency accommodation services for homeless young people in Canberra since 1978 and 1980 respectively. With the recent restructure of the youth homelessness service system, the two organisations formed a partnership to provide the Youth Emergency Accommodation Network (YEAN).

Oasis delivers the two services in the south of Canberra, and Canberra Youth Residential Service on the north.

Oasis Manager, Carolyn Campbell, says through the YEAN, The Salvation Army has quadrupled its emergency client intake and expanded to new premises. “We think it’s a great opportunity to do more of the work we were doing before and also to work as part of a broader youth service system.

“Young people also have access to new services including living skills and crisis mediation programs that help them work through conflict with their family while remaining at home, rather than entering a homelessness service.”

The new model allows young people to be supported in each of the four regions of the ACT – Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Woden and Weston Creek, and North Canberra and Gungahlin. The network has flexibility to move young people into the area that is closest to their school or work.

“If I didn’t find Oasis I probably would have ended up on the street,” one former client who used to couch-surf and sleep in her car says. “They are like family because they help, they support… At the end of the day, that’s all you need. You need someone to believe in you and support you and love you.”

Comments

  1. The SA should be taking steps to relocate the Tuggeranong cluster as soon as practicable, now that they know what actually happened to make it 'available'. It is not a good look for the SA that they benefited in such a way. Time to right a wrong.

  2. The SA should be taking steps to relocate the Tuggeranong cluster as soon as practicable, now that they know what actually happened to make it 'available'. It is not a good look for the SA that they benefited in such a way. Time to right a wrong.

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