Homeless support for young people
Independent Living Programs
Wesley Mission’s Independent Living Programs provide medium-term accommodation for young people, 16 to 22 years, who are unable to reside at home and are motivated to living independently. Young people entering these programs have generally been living in various types of accommodation for a period of time, or are first time out of home. The programs are also an excellent starting place for young families who need assistance to move into independent living.
The aim of Independent Living Programs is to assist young people to gain confidence, learn living skills and develop community networks in the context of safe accommodation.
Wesley Mission provides a series of steps toward personal independence which include:
- Accommodation which offers young people case worker support, staggered independent living skills development and assistance to meet personal goals.
- Training and mentoring by youth workers in living skills including preparing a healthy meal, developing a budget, shopping within the budget, priority setting and management, understanding the consequences of our actions, time management, self awareness and interacting with others in a respectful and constructive manner. Young people are assisted to take increasing responsibility for their lives by saving money, paying rent, securing employment and/or education, registering with Centrelink (if appropriate) and taking care of their homes and their own health. Sometimes we care for young parents or expecting mothers and in these cases we assist with child development issues, parenting skills and appropriate community links for the child and parents.
- Exit planning and aftercare helps young people to identify rental accommodation options and practice entirely independent living with minimal case worker support. Once the young person moves from the Exit House to their own private rental property, they then become part of the aftercare program where they can still come back to ask questions and seek general support as they settle into their new lives.
Wesley Mission’s Independent Living Programs are located in
Referrals can be made by the individual or from a service on behalf of the young person.
