NYHC2021 Program
Please note, we are updating the program page on a regular basis as sessions and activities continue to be announced. Register for NYHC2021Day 1 - 15 June 2021
9:30 am
Plenary
Welcome to Country
Aunty Georgina Nicholson
Welcome to Conference
Adongwot 'AD' Manyoul, Conference MC
Prof. Brian Burdekin AO, Former Federal Human Rights Commissioner
Hon. Michael Sukaar MP, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing
10:00am
Plenary
Creating a New Way Forward
A series of short keynote presentations from:
Associate Professor David MacKenzie, Upstream Australia Project
Dr. Stephen Gaetz, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Melanie Redman, A Way Home Canada
11:00am
Breakout Sessions
Early Intervention – It's a Must
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
COVID: the crisis and the opportunity
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
One Size Does Not Fit All – Place-based System Reform
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
Youth Homelessness In Rural & Regional Communities
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
12:30pm
1:00pm
lunch and networking opportunity
Lunch time session
Special Session: In Conversation with Fiona Patten MP and Associate Prof. David MacKenzie
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.
1:30pm
Keynote
Housing First for Young People
Joint Keynote:
Melanie Redman, A Way Home Canada
Dr. Stephen Gaetz, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
2:30pm
Afternoon Tea
3:00pm
Breakout Sessions
Social Housing for Young People
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
THE FOYER SUPPORTED ACCOMMODATION MODEL
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
Housing First For Young People – Time For An Exchange
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
4:00pm
Youth Debrief
Reflecting on the Day
This session is reserved for young people to meet, debrief and discuss the events of the day in a private and safe space, and will be facilitated by our young conference MC.
Day 2 - 16 JUne 2021
10:00 am
Keynote Panel
The Alliance we need to bring about change
Paul McDonald, Home Stretch Campaign
Néha Madhok, Democracy In Colour
Melani Redman, A Way Home Canada
Kate Colvin, Council to Homeless Persons
Professor Eóin Killackey, Orygen Youth Mental Health
11:00am
Breakout Sessions
YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING CARE – DOING THE RIGHT THING
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
YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND DUAL DIAGNOSIS – Between the cracks
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)
WHAT DOES A LIVEABLE INCOME SUPPORT MODEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LOOK LIKE?
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
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT FOR AT RISK AND HOMELESS YOUNG PEOPLE
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
12:30pm
1:00pm
lunch and networking opportunity
Lunch time session
Special Session: Hear from young people on what a national homelessness strategy look like for them
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.
1:30pm
Breakout Sessions
INDIGENOUS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS – A CONTINUal NATIONAL DISGRACE
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
Family Violence, IPV and Adolescent Violence in the home
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
Youth Homelessness Crisis Response Models
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)
ENSURING NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND – COHORT SPECIFIC RESPONSES
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)
THE CHALLENGE OF RESPONDING TO Under 16 YEAR OLDS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
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
3:00pm
Plenary
Next Steps – Developing a National Strategy To End Youth Homelessness
Adongwat 'AD' Manyoul, Conference MC
Associate Professor David MacKenzie, Upstream Australia Project
Melanie Redman, A Way Home Canada
3:45pm
Youth Debrief
Reflecting on the Day
This session is reserved for young people to meet, debrief and discuss the events of the day in a private and safe space, and will be facilitated by our young conference MC.