Session Overview:

The COSS model is a ground-breaking place-based model of early intervention implementing a series of innovations such as population screening, a flexible practice framework and longitudinal outcomes measure that have succeeded in reducing adolescent homelessness in the Geelong region by 40% - now being developed via three funded pilot sites and another dozen or so COSS Initiative Groups.
How could the COSS Model be developed into a changed support system for young people?

Presenters:

Dr. Tammy Hand, Upstream Australia, (MC)

Samantha Wilson, Student and Youth Advocate

Di Glover, YES Unlimited

Associate Professor David MacKenzie, Upstream Australia Project

Peter Jacobson, Yourtown

Session Overview:

The problem of ‘youth homelessness’ remains a persistent and troubling issue, exacerbated by the Covid-19 Pandemic crisis. During 2020, the weaknesses of our systems, programs and policies for young people were exposed. There is much to be learned from what happened last year and much to be done. So how do we ensure one of our most vulnerable cohort of people, those experiencing homelessness, are able to access support while the pandemic rages? How will a COVID vaccine rollout work in the youth homeless population? And what are the opportunities for innovation and reform that the COVID pandemic presents?

Presenters:

Dr. Catherine Robinson, Social Research Action Centre, Anglicare Tasmania, (MC)

Professor Stuart Kinner, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne

Dr. Jess Heerde, Royal Children’s Hospital

Annemaree Callander, Brisbane Youth Service

Donna Bennet, Hope Street

Jasmine Yee, St Vincents Homeless Health Team

Session Overview:

If our service system is crisis oriented and siloed, what reforms would transform the supports needed by young people into a more effective and efficient system.?

This workshop is designed to explore what place-based collective impact system reform might look like and how would it work.

Presenters:

Annie Ryan, Upstream Australia, (MC)

Joe Parsons, Department of Communities & Justice NSW

Dr. Brad Russel, School Agency and Digital Leadership, NSW Department of Education

Lauryn Borthwick – Senior Early Intervention Response Worker BCYF

Michael 'Mo' O'Meara, MoHow

Session Overview:

Youth homelessness is not only prevalent in our major cities it also presents a challenge for regional and rural communities.
Young people (aged 16-25 years) in rural areas experience homelessness very differently to their urban peers, due to limited employment and education options and inadequate formal support networks.

Presenters:

Keith Waters, Youth Development Australia, (MC)

Vicki-Tree Stephens, Youth Involvement Council WA

Genevieve Sinclair, Youth Empowered Towards Independence (YETI)

Ian Clark, Albany Youth Support Association WA

Michelle Lechleitner, Alice Springs Youth Accommodation & Support Service

Kirra Voller, Youth Advocate

Jemma Wood, Anglicare NT

Session Overview:

In March, the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee released its Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness which handed down 50+ recommendations to solve the homelessness crisis.

Join the Hon. Fiona Patten MP (chairperson of the Vic Inquiry) and Associate Prof. David MacKenzie for a one-on-one discussion about the future of government and NGO collaboration on youth homelessness issues.

Session Overview:

Young people 12-24 years on their own are 16% of homeless clients but access only some 3% of social housing. There is a case for rethinking social housing as a transitional housing option for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people using a Housing First for Youth model of support. 

How could this reform be done?

Presenters:

Associate Professor David MacKenzie, Upstream Australia Project (MC)

Danni Forster, Youth Homelessness Advisory Council WA

Rebecca Mullins, MyFoundation Youth Housing

Sophie Howard, Youth Advocate

Kate Colvin, Council to Homeless Persons

Jo Swift, Kids Under Cover

Session Overview:

As a form of supported accommodation linked strongly to education, training and employment pathways, Foyers in Australia have been developed as part of the homelessness response. However, Foyers have remained an expensive special project option with weak links to SHS exits. 

What reforms and calibrations should be considered for the Foyer model of supported accommodation?

Presenters:

Keith Waters, Youth Development Australia, (MC)

Katie Hooper, Foyer Foundation

Louise (Lou) Limoges, Children Youth and Families Directorate, Uniting NSW

Dr. Tammy Hand, Upstream Australia

Courtney Fisher, Southern Youth and Family Services Foyer

Session Overview:

Young people have developmental needs that must be factored into the supports that they require as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. Access to housing and supported accommodation must factor in appropriate and sufficient supports – Housing First for Youth. 

How might this be done in the Australian context?

Presenters:

Adongwot 'AD' Manyoul, (MC)

Melanie Redman, A Way Home Canada

Dr. Stephen Gaetz, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness

Leah Watkins, RUAH WA

Session Overview:

This is a highly vulnerable cohort of young people. Evidence suggests that at least 30 percent leaving care at 18-years of age experience homelessness in their first year of attempted independent living. Family supports are not available for most of these young people. The Home Stretch campaign seeks an commitment from all State and Territory governments to extend state care to age of 21 years.  

What exactly needs to be done to provide highly effective support and what will be the cost of developing this response for the entire cohort of care leavers?

Presenters:

Ella Roberts, CREATE Foundation, (MC)

Deb Tsorbaris, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare

Paul McDonald, Home Stretch Campaign

Dawyte Clancy, Fight Project NT

Justene Gordon, Burdekin Association

Session Overview:

Evidence tells us that mental health issues are a key risk factor for youth homelessness. Headspace estimates that 48-82% of homeless young people have a diagnosable mental illness.

The mental health of homeless young people is exacerbated by substance abuse and often we fail these young people through the inability of different service systems to act as an ecosystem around a young person.

Presenters:

Keith Waters, Youth Development Australia, (MC)

Dr. Amanda Stafford, Emergency Medicine specialist from Royal Perth Hospital (RPH)

Elvis Martin, RUOK Day and Youth Development Australia

Cameron Boyle, Orygen Youth Mental Health

Melissa Barber, Youth Advocate

Jason Trethowan, Headspace

Peter Wearne, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)

Session Overview:

Income support for young people is widely acknowledged to be inadequate on several grounds – the level of benefit, its complexity and the fact that even when young people access the CRA, two-thirds are still in housing affordability stress.

What does a Youth Income Support model look like?

Presenters:

Kelly Fawcett, Foundation for Young Australians, (MC)

Kristin O'Connell, Australian Unemployed Workers Union

Dev Mukherjee, National Youth Commission Australia

Damiya Hayden, The Antipoverty Centre

Charmaine Crowe, ACOSS

Session Overview:

Arguably all young people including the most vulnerable young people need support to succeed along pathways of education, post-school training and employment. 

What models of support do young people who experience homelessness need in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods? 

What reforms need to be considered in the Australian training and employment support systems?

Presenters:

Lisa Fowkes, Social Ventures Australia, (MC)

Ellen Jacobsen, Social Impact Manager HoMie

Wendy Caspar, Youth Projects

Maj. David Eldridge, Salvation Army

Emma Cull, Brotherhood of St Laurence

Session Overview:

We're turning the conference over to the young people in the room. Hear from Samantha Wilson, Elvis Martin, Danni Forster, and Ryan Clarke in a discussion about what a national strategy will mean for them and their ideas for policy change. 

Session Overview:

Indigenous Australians including young people are over-represented in the clients of the homelessness services system. 

How might this be addressed to reduce the flow of indigenous young people experiencing homelessness and to improve the appropriateness and effectiveness of the response?

Presenters:

Leonie Patterson, Anglicare NT (MC)

Loki Liddle, Poet

Michelle Lechleitner, Alice Springs Youth Accommodation and Support Service

Maria Mabo, Youth Empowered Towards Independence (YETI)

Kirra Voller, Youth Advocate

Justin Mohamed, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria

Session Overview:

A major driver of young people becoming homeless is domestic and family violence associated with other issues that creates an untenable situation, requiring early intervention relief if that is possible, or an effective crisis response with pathways to supportive housing where early intervention is not possible. This workshop will explore how the national initiatives around addressing domestic violence may contribute directly and indirectly to a national strategic response to youth homelessness.

Presenters:

Dr. Lisa Harris, RMIT University, (MC)

Kelly-ann Tansley, DV Connect Qld

Associate Prof. Silke Meyer, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre

Di Mahoney, Service Delivery Director BYS

Jo Howard, Family Violence/Adolescent Family Violence consultant

Kelly Broadhurst, Unison

Session Overview:

Australia has one of the most developed homelessness services systems in the world (the Specialist Homelessness Services or SHS system), however, the SHS remains largely a crisis accommodation and support system. 

Investing in more crisis services cannot conceivably reduce homelessness but what innovation might render the crisis response more effective and efficient?

Presenters:

Liza Windle, Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (MC)

Pam Barker, YFoundations

Ryan Clark, Youth Advocate

Donna Bennet, Hope Street

Sherri Bruinhout, Homelessness and Accommodation Support, Department of Health and Human Services (VIC)

Session Overview:

There are some specific cohorts of young people that may require a targeted response. 

What are the issues that need to be considered when deciding on the appropriateness of a special needs response as opposed to a generic support response? 

What evidence-based models are available?

Presenters:

Jahin Tanvir, Youth Advocate, (MC)

Queenie, Youth Advocate

Kai Schweizer, Youth Pride Network WA

Harpreet Dhillon, MYAN NSW

Lorna Robinson, The Constellation Project

Peter Wearne, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)

Session Overview:

A long-standing issue has been the capacity of the status-quo of systems to respond to U-16 years-olds who experience homelessness due to family breakdown. Homeless services are not funded nor authorised to support children in this age group as clients in their own right, nor is a response from Care and Protection services, which are authorised to respond, typically something that can be depended upon.

Presenters:

Bryan Átherton, Uniting Communities SA, (MC)

Dr. Catherine Robinson, Social Action and Research Centre (SARC), Anglicare Tasmania

Dr. Justin Barker, Youth Coalition ACT

Annemaree Callander, Brisbane Youth Service

Dr. Elizabeth Watt, Yfoundations