Specialist Family Violence Youth Worker Program Pilot – A Dual Case Management Model.

The Specialist Family Violence Youth Worker (SFVYW) Program was an initiative of Quantum Support Services piloted from 2021 to 2023 in Gippsland, Victoria. The SFVYW Program covered the inner and outer areas of the region, specifically the Latrobe, Baw Baw and Wellington local government areas.

The Program offered individualised specialist case management to young people aged 12 to 17 years involved in violence in the home. A unique feature of the Program was its delivery of dual case management, where the adolescent response was concurrent with Quantum’s specialist family violence case management for caregivers (usually mothers) identified as adult victim survivors at entry into the service system.

The SFVYW Program had capacity to identify and support the needs of young people “AVITH”, as victim survivors of current adult family violence. What made the Program unique, was its capacity to respond to young people and caregivers in this fuller context in which AVITH is known to occur and offer supports to those who otherwise might fall through the system’s gaps. The Youth Worker had capacity to provide longer-term individualised case management targeted to young people as their primary clients and sole focus, while working closely with Family Violence Case Managers supporting adult victim survivors. Dual case management was available for 20 weeks on average, on the condition that safety was maintained for all concerned. The Youth Worker and Family Violence Case Managers had responsibility for their respective clients but maintained a whole-of-family view through collaboration and coordination.

Adolescent choice and adolescent voice were a strong focus area in this pilot. The Youth Worker’s initial engagements with young people offered them the time and space they needed to feel safe and respected. From these initial engagements, it was then the client’s choice to continue with the work in the best way that suited them. Adolescent case management was all about supporting each client to set their own goals and course of action: for young people to share their own experiences with their own worker, to be supported in their own decisions and self-determination including to continue with the work or not. Areas of support included- Ongoing safety planning and assessment of risk, housing, health and wellbeing, family, social and community connections, employment and education, financial/material aid and transport, justice and legal.

Speakers: Quantum Support Services

Page Williams

Manager Family Violence Case Management, Quantum Support Services

Mandy is a researcher and social worker with 20 years’ experience in Victorian domestic violence, sexual violence and women’s health services. Mandy is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She has significant experience in undertaking interviews, focus groups and qualitative research analysis.

Pania Craik

Team Leader, Family Violence Case Management

Pania has 10 years leadership experience within the Community and Family Violence sectors and has a passion for keeping children at the forefront of the work, recognising children as victim survivors in their own right.

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