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Media Release, Aug 02, 2022

Unsafe, Unsuitable, and Unsustainable: What’s The Plan for Crisis Housing for Young People?

This Homelessness Week (1 – 7 August) with the theme, “To end youth homelessness we need a plan,” youth workers are scrambling to find often unsuitable and unsafe crisis accommodation for young people experiencing homelessness, leaving them fatigued and frustrated with an exhausted system that appears to be failing the most vulnerable. While the new […]

Media Release, Jun 20, 2022

Safety Beyond the Rainbow For Many LGBTQIA+ Young People

LGBTQIA+ young people account for one in four people supported by Brisbane Youth Service (BYS)* and are twice as likely to experience homelessness and have higher rates of family and intimate partner violence and poor mental health than their cis-heterosexual peers**. A six-year analysis (table 1) shows that while rates of mental health issues for […]

Media Release, Jun 02, 2022

New CEO Announcement: BYS Welcomes Pam Barker

Brisbane Youth Service is delighted to announce the appointment of Pam Barker as Chief Executive Officer. Pam brings a wealth of experience across youth services, homelessness prevention, mental health programs, corporate finance, and policy reform. She has worked with vulnerable young people and children for 18 years, catalysing change through a mixture of advocacy and […]

Media Release, Apr 19, 2022

Breaking the cycle of violence this Youth Homelessness Matters Day

This Wednesday 20 April 2022 is Youth Homelessness Matters Day – the annual national day to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and advocate for greater support for young people experiencing homelessness. Domestic and family violence are well recognised as common causes of homelessness. In 2020-21, 72% of young people who presented to Brisbane Youth Service […]

Posted Mar 10, 2022

Brisbane Youth Service CEO Annemaree Callander Steps Down

Message from BYS Board President: I am sad to announce that Annemaree Callander is moving on from her position as CEO of Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) in May this year.  After 11 successful years, Annemaree has decided to take a career break and move onto new challenges.   Annemaree has given so much to BYS. […]

Posted Oct 21, 2021

Q&A with Clinic Registered Nurse, Karren Simpson

Seven questions with BYS Clinic Registered Nurse, Karren Simpson. What do you do here at Brisbane Youth Service? I’m lucky enough to be the Clinic’s Registered Nurse The best part of your job? Young people face many challenges and are often raising themselves, being part of a compassionate team helping them transition to […]

Posted Oct 19, 2021

Q&A with the Manager of Young Women and Young Families Team, Louise Baker

Seven questions with the Manager of Young Women and Young Families Team, Louise Baker. What do you do here at Brisbane Youth Service? I manage the Young Women and Young Families Team. The best part of your job? Supporting my workers on the frontline to do their best work – they look after […]

Media Release, Aug 04, 2021

Daggy Jumper Day helping young people with nowhere to go

Brisbane Youth Service is calling on the community to dig out their silly sweaters and support vulnerable young people for Daggy Jumper Day, Friday 6 August, as part of Homelessness Week. This year’s official Homelessness Week theme is ‘Everybody Needs a Home’, a message that is particularly pressing for under 25 year old’s who make […]

Posted Jun 23, 2021

A Couch is Not A Home – New screening tool helping support young couch surfers

A targeted Risk Screening tool available to workers engaging with young couch surfers has been developed by Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) through an evaluated trial of a dedicated Couch Surfing Hotline and Support Service. The trial run by Brisbane Youth Service and funded by the Queensland Mental Health Commission (QMHC), commenced service delivery in October 219 and […]

Media Release, Apr 19, 2021

Youth homelessness at crisis point in Australia

Homelessness services are struggling to meet escalating demand, with Brisbane Youth Service recording a 336% jump in requests for support from January to March 2021 in comparison to the same period last year. This increased demand is putting extreme pressure on an already stretched frontline team, while at the same time the Federal Government has […]

Media Release, Mar 10, 2021

Innovative partnership provides keys to five new futures

Five vulnerable young people, including a young parent, supported by Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) are moving into brand new homes this month thanks to an innovative partnership between BYS and Community housing provider Brisbane Housing Company (BHC). The partnership provides an allocation of five homes specifically for young people supported by BYS in BHC’s new […]

Posted Feb 22, 2021

Furnishing Young Futures Partners’ Day

Sponsors of the Furnishing Young Futures initiative came together on Thursday 18th February to put finishing touches on five homes for young people supported by Brisbane Youth Service in BHC’s new Cornwall St development. BYS and BHC put the call out for sponsors to help furnish the units late last year and were […]