Ringwood

Outreach support is flexible in lots of different ways.

Outreach means YSAS drug and alcohol workers can come to you. They will meet you in your own space or in your own community; wherever you feel safe.

Outreach workers support you how you want to be supported and make sure that the help you get is matched to your needs.

If you’re between 12 – 25 years and have problems with your drug and/or alcohol use an outreach worker can help by:

• Assessing your needs and making a support plan with you
• Alcohol and other drugs support and education
• Referrals and linkages
• Practical support (getting Centrelink sorted, organising a doctor’s appointment)
• Family support
• General counselling
• Justice support
• Harm minimisation

Outreach is a good option if you:

• Have a lot of other things going on in your life as well as use of drugs and alcohol
• Need practical support to get stuff sorted while working on your drug and alcohol use
• Find it hard to make it to an office to catch up with a worker

Things to think about

Sometimes you will still need to organise an appointment to meet up with your outreach worker. The appointment may be in the office or somewhere in the community that you feel comfortable.

Youth Support Services connect you with a youth worker who can help you make changes so that you don’t keep getting in trouble with the police.

If you are between 10 – 17 years, have recently been in contact with police and could be at risk of entering the youth justice system this program can help.

Youth Support Service can help you if you have/are:

• Recently been in contact with police
• Been doing risky things lately (running away from home, getting into fights)
• Finding it hard to cope
• Experiencing homelessness
• Experiencing family conflict
• Have Court coming up and need some advice
• Want to make changes
• Need general support

YSS is voluntary, which means that it is up to you whether you are part of the program. It is separate from the legal process and is here to support you and your family to reach your goals.

YSS can help you and your family to deal with problems before they get too serious.

Referrals are made by Victoria Police, schools or other youth organisations/agencies who have gotten consent from you and/or your parent/s to reach out to you.

Things to think about If you have been referred to YSS by police you will get a phone call from a worker to make sure that you want our help and to find out what has been going on for you. A time to talk on the phone again or an in-person appointment will also be organised.

The YSAS SHERPA program runs out of Ringwood.

If you are between 12 -21 years, have significant problems with your drug and/or alcohol use and want to get involved in some activities and make connections this program can help.

The program aims to reduce drug and alcohol related harms, increase connection to work or education, build meaningful connections to community and improve physical wellbeing.

Included in the program is; one-on-one appointments with a worker to focus on your particular goals and needs, weekly community based activities, such as cooking and adventure based sessions.

The types of activities/sessions that are chosen change depending on the needs and interests of group members.

The Alcohol and Drug Youth Consultant (ADY-C) provides access to alcohol and drug support services for young people in residential out of home care and adolescent community placement. The ADY-C also provides secondary consultation, professional development and capacity building to statutory services to ensure a more coordinated and integrated service response to young people with alcohol and drug issues.

The Alcohol and Drug Youth Principal Practitioner is based in Ringwood and covers the eastern region of Victoria.

The ADYPP works collaboratively with Eastern Metropolitan region Out of Home Care, Child Protection and Youth Justice professionals to provide specialist drug and alcohol assessment and advice for high-risk young people exiting Out of Home Care, Secure Welfare or Youth Justice Centres.

The Principal Practitioner also consults on care planning, education and support for case managers and care treatment teams, while facilitating complex care coordination for young people.

Reconnect is based in Ringwood, covering the eastern metropolitan region.

The program can support young people aged 12 – 18 years who have significant drug and/or alcohol problems and are at risk of homelessness due to family issues.

Reconnect focuses on improving connections with family, work, education and community, while also working on the reasons for and impacts of the substance use and how to make healthy changes.