Youth support services

Our department invests approximately $20.6 million in youth support services across the state. Previously funded Youth at Risk and Addressing Volatile Substance Misuse services have been refocused into a single youth support approach to ensure they more responsively meet the needs of young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Youth Support services are targeted specifically at young people aged 8 to 21 years of age who are at risk of:

• disconnection from their family/community/support networks
• disengagement from school, training and/or employment
• harm, including self-harm
• homelessness

Youth support services focus on 4 key results, which are to help young people:

• connect to positive family support
• get a job or engage in training or education
• lead a healthy and violence-free life
• have a safe, stable place to live.

Youth support service types

Youth support service providers usually deliver up to 2 service types: access services and support services.

• Access services provide information, advice and referral to services the young person needs (e.g. drug or alcohol, mental health, housing, legal, education, and domestic and family violence services).
• Support and case management services provide case management and case coordination, one-on-one support and assistance, including referrals to young people who need additional or specialised help (e.g. working with them to identify goals and strategies for re-engaging with their family and school, entering the workforce, or developing coping mechanisims or parenting skills).

This prevention and early intervention approach looks at the individual needs of the young person and provides access to appropriate supports and services. Service responses then bring together the required support in a collaborative and coordinated way. This partnership approach encourages less duplication and gaps across programs and systems and enables services to be delivered in a moreintegrated.

Support for service providers

Funded youth support service providers have access to:

• a shared client information system - YSCIS - Youth Support Client Information System and User Manual expectations (see document downloads on this page)
• a common assessment tool and a practice guide outlining the assessment and service delivery expectations (see document downloads on this page).

Find a youth support service

We have a searchable list of youth support services on the Queensland Government Youth website. Young people aged 8 to 21 can find support by searching by suburb or postcode, or distance from their home. Find a youth support service.

More information

For further information about the changes to youth services, please contact your closest regional service centre.