Youth Homelessness Matters Day 2013 will be held on Wednesday 10 April this year, and once again will draw attention to the plight of young people who do not have a permanent home.

The YHMD website currently has some ideas about how organisations and individuals can support this initiative. This year YHMD is seeking people to become activists or advocates for the cause. And organisations are invited to become supporters or partners. For further information, go to the website at: http://www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net/

Nearly half of the 105,000 people who are homeless in Australia on any given night are under the age of 25.

(Source: Youth Field Express, February 2013)

 The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has published the results of a study into the skills and training for supervisory staff that are most effective in preventing young people from reoffending.

Effective community-based supervision of young offenders contains the results of a study in which 46 NSW Justice Department staff were observed during interview sessions with 117 young people, whose ages ranged from 12 to 18.

The study found that there is a marked relationship between the use of rewards by supervisors and low reoffending. It also found that a strong client–worker relationship was important for effective supervision, as was a non-blaming approach. The findings of the study will have implications for the recruitment, training and roles of those who work in the youth justice system.

Download this AIC Trends and Issues in Criminal Justice paper no. 448 from the AIC website: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi.html

(Source: Youth Field Express, February 2013)

 Community organisations across Australia can apply for Australian Government funding to establish new Family Mental Health Support Services (FMHSS) to provide early intervention and intensive support to vulnerable children and young people affected by mental illness and their families. Applications for new FMHSS sites close at 5:00pm (Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday 4 April 2013.

About FMHSS Support Services
Each New FMHSS service will provide three levels of support to vulnerable children, young people and their families:

• Intensive, long term, early interventions specifically for children and young people, and practical whole-of-family assistance to improve the long-term outcomes for vulnerable children and young people at risk of, or affected by, mental illness. This can include targeted therapeutic group work.
• Information and referral for families requiring short-term immediate assistance, and
• Community outreach, mental health promotion/education and community development activities to increase local capacity to understand and respond to children or young people and their families/carers.

How much?
The Australian Government has committed $61 million over five years to 30 June 2016 to expand the FMHSS initiative.
This round of funding will establish 20 additional FMHSS service across Australia
For further information on this initiative, click here.

Who to contact?
Email: FMHSSApplications@fahcsia.gov.au

SOURCE: NTYAN enews 26/2/13

***PLEASE QUOTE YANQ AS YOUR REFERENCE IF YOU APPLY FOR THESE CARDS***

Telstra is pleased to introduce a new Everyone Connected program offering a regular supply of $20 Telstra Pre-Paid mobile recharge cards to community agencies that assist victims of domestic violence or homeless young people who depend on a Telstra Pre-Paid mobile for their communications. The program is intended to provide short-term support, not a long term supplement, to enable people to move beyond a current crisis situation. See invitation letter and agency agreement attached. Please note that your organisation must be an incorporated association to apply.

Before 30 June 2013,  we would greatly appreciate member feedback on the program by considering and responding to the following questions;
1.     What proportion of your clients were eligible for assistance as they were Telstra Pre-Paid mobile customers? 
2.     How helpful has the Telstra Pre-Paid Recharge Card  been for your clients welfare?
3.     Client story. A typical situation faced by your client/ agency where access to a Telstra Pre-Paid mobile recharge card assists.

For further information please ask members to direct their inquiries to consumer.affairs@team.telstra.com.

By Lucas Walsh, Senior Research Fellow at the Foundation for Young Australians.

Getting a job is a major concern for young Australians. Last year’s National Survey of Young Australians showed a large rise in the proportion of young people valuing getting a job, from 16% in 2010 to 22.7% in 2011. The recently launched 2012 Youth Survey, which focused on young people aged 15 to 19, suggests that some need to find work to help pay for household bills, school books and other necessities.

For many young people, getting a full-time job or even enough part-time work is a challenge. Youth underemployment is in part linked to long-term changes to the labour force, as well as more recent instability in the wake of the GFC.

Read more....

Source: The Conversation digest 26/2/13

Did you know?
Children born in Australia to parents who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents may qualify for Australian citizenship on their 10th birthday if they have lived most of their life in Australia.

Does my child qualify?
Just answer these questions to see if you should apply for your child to become an Australian Citizen:

• Was my child born in Australia after 26 February 2001?
• Has my child spent most of his or her life in Australia?
• Is my child 10 years or older?

If you answered YES to all three of these questions you should apply for your child’s Australian Citizenship.

  In May 2012, the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition and Reconciliation Australia launched the Yarn About Youth program to find out what issues matter to young people and how young people and the youth sector can progress reconciliation. This report comes from the first ever national survey of young people’s attitudes to reconciliation and broader consultations with the youth sector.

From May to July they consulted with 740 young people aged 15 to 26 via an online survey. In August they brought together representatives from 22 key youth sector organisations for a roundtable to discuss the survey findings and a way forward for youth sector organisations around reconciliation. Over half of the participants were engaged and active Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young leaders. When it comes to reconciliation, young people have a clear vision of what they want Australia to look like and there is energy to achieve this vision. However they need support to get there.

To access the report in full, click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser:

http://www.ayac.org.au/uploads/YarnAboutYouthReport2012.pdf

Source: NTYAN Feb enews

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal have small grants of up to $5,000 available for projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for communities, with populations of 10,000 or less,  living in small rural and remote locations in Australia. Applications close on the 2nd of April, 2013.

Grant priority areas:

• Social and community welfare development
• Economic
• Environmental
• Health
• Education
• Cultural

Applications are invited from not-for-profit, incorporated community organisations. Organisations should have an ABN or Incorporation Certificate, and projects must be for a charitable purpose (benefit the whole community).  Deductable Gift Recipient status (DGR) is not required for this grant program.

For more information and to apply, click here

Source: NTYAN Feb enews

The National Dental Foundation is providing free oral health care to needy community members in March. If your organisation is keen on being involved, please download the forms attached below and return to adminqld@nationaldentalfoundation.org.au.
Please note the upcoming Dental Rescue Days scheduled and where they will be held:

• 6th March 2013, Cornerstone Dental, Darra Qld 4076
  
• 21st March 2013, Boondall Dental Care, Boondall Qld 4034
  

• 22nd March 2013, Nina Bambino Dental, Ashgrove 4060

• 5th April 2013, Noosaville dental, Noosaville Qld
  
• 15th May 2013, North Gold Coast Dental, RUNAWAY BAY 4216
  

www.nationaldentalfoundation.org.au