Matilda, Carmah, Holly, Jeff, Carolyn, Rhys, Mitchell, Hayden and Rachelle attend the workshop.THE voice of Casey’s youth is being heard through a program aimed at representing young people living in four growth municipalities.
About 75 young people attended the latest workshop – Southern Sense Making – held recently at council chambers as part of the Interface Councils project.
Casey is part of the Interface Council group, which comprises growth municipalities in both outer metropolitan and regional Victoria, and focuses on a range of community issues and to lobbying collectively for increased funding and support.
Casey’s manager of youth and family services, Lee McIntosh, said: “This youth workshop was an opportunity for young people of Casey, Cardinia, Mornington and Yarra Ranges to respond to the Interface Councils’ Staying Connected report, which explored the needs of young people living in interface municipalities and the capacity of the service system to meet those needs.”
The Staying Connected report identified significant service gaps for young people living in the interface areas and developed nine recommendations that target services where the gaps are clear.
These include a call for:
• Generalist youth workers based in interface municipalities;
• Adolescent health teams;
• Education: prevention and early intervention strategies including curriculum options;
• Mental health services for prevention, early intervention and crisis management;
• Development of local youth services partnerships;
• Youth service plans;
• Continuum of care for families, children and young people;
• Addressing the specific needs of growing populations of culturally and linguistically diverse and indigenous young people and their families.
Following the report, the Interface Councils conducted a survey of 300 young people and those who care for them living in the interface areas by collecting stories about their experiences in accessing services.
“At the recent forum the participants reflected on the survey results and provided further feedback on their personal experiences, which will form part of the report to be provided to the Interface Council group for their consideration,” Ms McIntosh said.
For more information on the Interface Councils project contact Mark Biggs on 9705 5200.
