ABSTRACT
Laura Christie, Brisbane Youth Service Centre for Young Women
In response to a lack of safe spaces for young women to both connect and access supports, Brisbane Youth Service Centre for Young Women has developed a unique group program open to women aged 12 to 25 years who have had an experience of homelessness. With the goal of creating a ‘community of intent’ this model draws from perspectives, frameworks and approaches such as community cultural development, intersectionality and trauma-informed practice.
Brisbane Youth Service Centre for Young Women (CFYW) works alongside young women aged 12 to 25 years who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Through a transitional housing program, outreach and centre-based supports, CFYW strives to meet young women ‘where they are at’ and tailors individual support plans that best suit each young woman’s self-identified needs.
Through our support work, we identified that social isolation is a key and recurring theme experienced in varying degrees by all young women accessing our program. As support workers we also acknowledge that social connection is a major link in supporting young women through homelessness and a key element needed for an individual’s increased sense of wellbeing and safety. With this knowledge in mind, consultations with young women commenced and paved the way for our group program – Connect, Create and Celebrate.