Newcastle Youth Service (NYS)

Newcastle Youth Service (NYS) has been informing, educating and empowering the young people of Newcastle and the Hunter since 1965. Funded by NSW Health and the NSW Department of Community Services, we continue to provide a wide range of free, professional and holistic services for young people, 12 to 25 years, their families and communities in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and the Lower Hunter. NYS provides casework, counselling, crisis intervention, information and referrals, advocacy, outreach, community education and early intervention and prevention group work programmes.

The expected outcomes for the program include:

• Improved functioning for young people provided with a service from the Program.
• Improved networks for young people.
• Enhancing young people’s resilience as indicated by school, community and family connectedness.
• Strengthening individual and family resilience by reducing risks/harm minimisation.
• Protecting against harm.
• Integrated service delivery/networks.
• Effective service pathways for young people.
• Developing community capacity/capability: creating social capital.

Homeless

Wesley Mission Newcastle Youth Service supports young people aged between 12 and 24 who are in crisis and homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, to address their housing needs.

Youth Development and Life Skills Programs

"I have really become a lot more confident in life!”

We work together with local schools and services to provide school and community programs to young people within an experiential framework. Our programs include:

• Girl Vibes (anger management group work)
  
• Rock & Water
  
• CCC Sailing Team Building Program
  
• A group work program for young people 16 – 22 years of age with issues of gender and/or sexuality - developed and facilitated in collaboration with the Hunter Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON). 
  
  

School and Community Education

Wesley Mission Newcastle Youth Services School and Community Education program provides services to five local high schools. We are working collaboratively with school welfare teams to deliver self development and alcohol and other drugs programs.

This initiative of Wesley Mission encourages the school community to identify how we can assist in other areas. Our approach is innovative and creative, enhancing the already-existing support systems offered by the schools individually.

We add value to the school community systems by:

• providing on-site referral and information days
  
• offering individual counselling, working collaboratively with welfare staff
  
• holding information sessions for staff and parents, tailored to address issues of concern
  
• outsourcing programs where appropriate, taking away the arduous coordination process for an already time-strapped community
  
• having a willingness to listen and respond to needs where our expertise and resources allow.

Secondary Harm Minimisation Program

We are helping to reduce the sharing of injecting equipment and the potential transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C by providing clients access to:

• sterile injecting equipment (all injecting equipment is distributed in approved containers that store used needles safely to facilitate safe disposal)
  
• safe sex resources (for example, condoms)
  
• education and information on the reduction or management of drug use
  
• referral to drug treatment, health, welfare and social services
  
• safe disposal facilities for the collection of used injecting equipment
  

Through our Harm Minimisation Program we can engage with young people and offer them assistance to help them deal with problems related to their drug use.

Our premises are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. There you’ll find the offices of our three youth workers, our drop-in/training centre The Kage, fully equipped internet café facilities and a comprehensive resource library for workers, volunteers, young people and the wider community.

To find out more, contact:

Wesley Mission Newcastle Youth Services
14 Wood Street
Newcastle West NSW 2302
Tel: (02) 4962 2188

Wesley Mission Newcastle Youth Service Staff:

Jenny Wallace: Youth Worker
David Gibson: Youth Worker
Christie O’Leary: School & Community Development Worker
Michael Wright: Coordinator/Youth Worker
Tel: 0402 975 941