YSAS SUNSHINE
You will find Sunshine YSAS is on a busy street, surrounded by an abundance of food choices, and right near public transport. While this is the primary location for the West team, another base can be found at Hoppers Crossing Youth Resource Centre.
There are many programs that run from this small and dynamic office, including many involving partnerships with other organisations which respond to the diverse needs of the region.
Reach out to YSAS Sunshine by giving us a call at 03 8080 8040
The following YSAS programs can be accessed at this location:
+ FORENSIC YOUTH OUTREACH
The Forensic Youth Outreach program runs out of Sunshine.
If you are between 12 – 21 years and have significant problems with your drug and/or alcohol use and are involved with the justice system this program can help.
YSAS drug and alcohol workers can meet you in your own space and in your own community; the places where you feel safe.
The type of support you can get from Outreach includes:
- Assessing your needs and making a support plan with you
- Referrals and linkages
- Practical support (getting Centrelink sorted, organising a doctor appointment)
- Family support
- Information and education
- General counselling
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.
Who is this best for?
This program 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
+ YOUTH SUPPORT SERVICE (YSS)
Youth Support Service (YSS) runs out of Gippsland, Ringwood, Dandenong, Frankston/Mornington Peninsula, Sunshine/Western Metro region, Preston and Collingwood.
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.
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 who have got consent from you and your parent/s.
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.
When you meet your worker they will ask questions about different parts of your life so they can support you in the best way possible and make goals that are right for you.
YSS often works with you and your family (where possible) because we understand that for good and not so good, they have a big effect on you (and you have a big effect on them!)
Who is this best for?
This program is a good option if you:
- Have recently been in contact with police
- Have been doing risky things lately (running away from home, getting into fights)
- Have Court coming up and need some advice
- Want to make changes so you don’t keep getting in trouble with police.
+ SPECIALIST PROGRAMS
Specialist Programs aim to support and meet the unique and specific needs of particular groups of young people.
The programs vary from region to region, which is a reflection of their communities.
The focus for all specialist programs is to provide help for young people who may otherwise miss out or not get the kind of help they need in other programs or services.
There are a number of specialist programs based in YSAS Sunshine including:
Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)
The Youth Empowerment Project runs out of Sunshine.
It works with young people from CALD backgrounds who are experiencing significant problems related to their drug and alcohol use.
The project focuses on supporting young people who are dealing with homelessness, complex relationships issues (including family violence), immigration issues and justice related issues.
Mobile Health Access Project (MHAP)
The Mobile Health Access Project is a mobile health service that runs out of Sunshine.
This project is a partnership with Co-Health. It offers drug and alcohol focused outreach and health support, provided by youth workers and a qualified nurse.
Embedded Youth Outreach Program (EYOP)
The Embedded Youth Outreach Program (EYOP) runs out of Dandenong and Werribee.
The project is a partnership with Victoria Police and provides after-hours assertive outreach support for young people coming into contact with Police.
The role of the youth worker is to help police connect more positively with young people and to responsively assess their needs so the right support and referrals can be offered.
Reach Out Program
The Reach Out program runs out of Sunshine.
The program supports young people experiencing high levels of risk who also have historic or current engagement with Child Protection, or are moving from Out of Home Care to independent living.
Workers help young people to link into the right services, such as Youth Justice, Family Violence, Homelessness or Mental Health and local youth services.
Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC)
The Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) runs out of a recreation space in Werribee.
The program enables young people to participate in boxing, mentoring and social activities while also having an opportunity to build a strong and positive relationship with police.