Our new research report 'Young, in trouble and with nowhere to go: Homeless adolescents’ pathways into and out of detention in NSW' is based on 143 interviews with caseworkers, managers and leaders in the Youth Justice and Specialist Homelessness Services system. This research sheds light on the two-way relationship between adolescent homelessness and incarceration in our state. To read the full report visit https://yfoundations.org.au/our-work/youth-justice-report/
Our member Settlement Services International (SSI) is a community organisation and social business that supports newcomers and other Australians to achieve their full potential. Today we're speaking with Dor Achiek, Head of Settlement Services, who works with all people who have experienced vulnerability, including refugees, people seeking asylum and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, to build capacity and enable them to overcome inequality.
In this episode, we’re joined by Belinda Manevski and Courtney to discuss all things Foyers. Belinda is the Manager at the Southern Youth Foyer Project (SYFS) in the Illawarra. Courtney is a young person living in a Foyer. She is a Youth Representative for the Southern Youth and Family Services Board of Management and a member of Yfoundations’ Youth Homelessness Representative Council.
In this episode, we’re joined by Lex Lutherborrow. Lex has extensive and diverse experience in the community services sector with over 15 years of experience working with young people in need. She has worked in community services and for the Government as a Unit Coordinator for the Department of Juvenile Justice. Lex is the CEO of Youth Off the Streets’ Homeless Services, where she works closely with partner organisations Wesley Mission and YWCA NSW. Trigger warning: mentions of abuse
Our special guest in this episode is Jody Pearce. She is the CEO and Principal Officer of Veritas House, a not-for-profit, community-based organisation that has been providing youth homelessness, foster care and family support services in Central Western NSW for 40 years. Jody is also a Director on the Board of the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) and Yfoundations and is co-chair of the Regional Implementation Group for Out of Home Care in Western NSW. She has worked in the not for profit sector in Western NSW for over 20 years and has tirelessly advocated for quality service provision and sustainable funding in the organisations in which she has worked. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Services (Management and Policy) and a Bachelor of Social Science through Charles Sturt University.