Northern NSW Homeless Youth Assistance Program (HYAP)

This service supports children and young people aged 12 to 16 years old who are homeless or at risk of homelessness through relationship-based case management and coordination across health, wellbeing, education and justice sectors in the Northern NSW area.

It provides support and accommodation options accessible to young people across the district. Flexible brokerage is also offered to meet case plan goals, build personal capacity and prevent clients cycling though multiple services, ensuring that client needs are met in a timely and effective manner.

The service helps clients to stay in or return to the family home though family therapy and mediation. It provides case management responses that include, intensive case management and work with the whole of family to restore a child to their family. The intensive case management will work to support the child or young person being reconnected with family, relatives, support networks, or transitioned to independent living or sustainable care arrangements.

This service has a strong focus on Aboriginal young people and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.