An informal chat can make all the difference when it comes to troubled youths.
The Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) has welcomed more than 120 young people from Greater Dandenong and Casey to its Southern Melbourne Empower Youth Project (SMEYP) drop-in sessions.
They’re run on Wednesday nights in Dandenong and are designed to bring young people and youth workers together to connect with positive role models, services and resources.
Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos in October announced a $550,000 State Government boost for the project.
“We’re employing youth workers to help support young people in low socio-economic areas engage in positive activities that will see them become more productive members of their communities,” she said.
Therapists attend the drop-in sessions to facilitate informal referrals through the project’s partnerships with Mission Australia and Foundation House.
A full-time youth worker has been hired and has recruited participants and generated new partnerships with referral agencies in the health and youth justice spaces.
