Through the Lens: Early Intervention & Youth Homelessness, Does It Matter Anyway?

Australia has had something of a lead focus internationally in the research and practice agenda in homelessness. The Burdekin Inquiry mapped out some of the points of connection and disconnection of young people who went on to be homeless. It talked about the importance of family, of being in state care, a range of connections to education, employment and so on.

Post this family and student at risk services emerged followed by the Youth homelessness Pilot Program out of which came the Reconnect program as a program focusing on implementing early intervention strategies. The effort here seems to be the only explanation as to why the homeless cohort of 12 -1 8 was the only one to shift downwards in its rate of homelessness with a drop of 16%.

This has all been taking place within a significant shift from an individualized to a ‘connected’ frame for young people, mirroring young people’s changing relationship to work, school and family toward a greater dependence on community connections later into their lives. Early intervention became a necessity.

The White Paper has a target of assisting 9000 additional young people between 12 & 18 years to remain connected to family.

But what is early intervention and is it different to prevention? In this presentation, Phil Crane and Mandy Baxter discuss early intervention and its place in homelessness responses.

Listen to the presentation from Dr Phil Crane and Ms Mandy Baxter.

Right click this link and 'save as' to download the audio file.