Youth Housing & Reintegration Service (YHARS)
The Youth Housing and Reintegration Service (YHARS) aims to reduce homelessness affecting young people under 21 years of age who are:
- Exiting, or transitioning from, the care of the Child Safety System
- Exiting care after being subject to statutory intervention (17-21 year olds)
- Transitioning to the community following a period of sentencing or remand in a Youth Detention Centre
- Homeless, at risk of homelessness or living in unsuitable or unsafe housing
Support Channels
YHARS provides two channels of support:
How to Access
To access support service from YHARS, an eligible young person must first become a client of the service.
Referrals for new clients are accepted from:
- Youth/Case Workers
- Social Workers
- Guidance Officers
- Detention Centre Transition Officers
- Youth Justice Support Workers
- Self-Referrals (young people who feel they need assistance)
Support Service Contacts
Townsville
1. Support Service
Townsville & Mt Isa only
The YHARS Support Service provides case management, support and brokerage to assist young people under 21 years of age who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and assists them with transitioning to a position of greater stability and independence within their region.
The service achieves this by working with each young person to support them with:
- Applying to and accessing suitable accommodation
- Reconnecting with family or carers (if applicable)
- Engaging in education, training and employment
- Developing skills to maintain tenancies
- Improving knowledge and skills to function independently and successfully
- Provide positive social experiences, improving interpersonal skills and networks
- Linking them to other support services or specialists
- Planning for long-term housing and other future personal goals
Participation in this service is voluntary, therefore acceptance to, and continued support from, the service will be based on the young person’s willingness to engage.
Government departments (i.e. Youth Justice, Child Safety) who wish to make referrals to the service must work collaboratively with YHARS to meet the needs of an identified young person. In doing so, copies of the following must be provided with every referral:
- Case plans
- Exit plans
- Transitional plans
Mt Isa
Priscilla Lane
Team Leader
2. Aftercare
North, Far North & NORTH WEST Queensland
YHARS Aftercare provides individualised support to young people receiving case management from external agencies via the provision of brokerage on a case by case basis.
This service focuses on assisting young people who are exiting, or have already exited, care following a child protection order (Child Safety) young people between the ages 17 – 21 sleeping rough or risk of homelessness.
All potential Aftercare clients must be receiving case management from external agencies who will assist in making and managing referrals to our service.
Service Delivery Catchment (After Care)
How to Access
To access aftercare service from YHARS, an eligible young person must first become a client of the service.
Referrals for new clients are accepted from:
- Youth/Case Workers
- Social Workers
- Guidance Officers
- Detention Centre Transition Officers
- Youth Justice Support Workers
- NGO’s
