‘Mentoring as a bridge’: Collaborative practice across systems for young parents

‘Mentoring as a bridge’: Collaborative practice across systems for young parents | Brave Foundation

The stigma associated with parenthood at a young age is recognised as a major barrier to young parents’ engagement with necessary supports and services. Nonjudgemental, relationally focused practice that recognises young parents’ strengths and supports their autonomy to make decisions about their own and their children’s lives can address this engagement barrier. However, research has consistently found that adults in positions of power struggle to effectively partner with young people in way that genuinely supports their autonomy, and foster genuine collaboration – placing their voices, choices and strengths at the centre of service delivery.

Brave Foundation’s Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) program operates within a complex ecosystem of health, education, housing, and social services. Facilitators will share how Brave’s Model of Mentoring not only supports young parents directly but also acts as a relational bridge—coordinating with other services to ensure holistic, wraparound support. This includes:

• Cross-sector collaboration with schools, maternal child health services, housing providers, and youth-focused agencies to co-design pathways that reflect young parents lived realities.
• System navigation support, where mentors help young parents interpret and access services, advocate for their needs, and build confidence in engaging with professionals.
• Integrated practice, where Brave works alongside other practitioners to align service responses, reduce duplication, and ensure continuity of care.

Participants will engage in interactive activities that draw on practice wisdom, lived experience data from SEPT participants, and existing research to identify common principles of autonomy supportive youth participation. The session will also explore how these principles can be embedded within multi-agency partnerships to strengthen outcomes for young families.

By showcasing Brave’s collaborative approach, this session highlights how relational governance and autonomy-supportive practice can be scaled across systems—reinforcing the symposium’s call to work Together for Families in complex service environments.

Speakers

Catherine Cooney

Head of Programs, Brave Foundation

Catherine is a registered Social Worker with over 20 years experience in developing and delivering programs for the flourishing of women and their children. She has had a long-term interest in developing best practice principles from evidence and research.  Catherine has responsibility for the delivery of the SEPT program and supporting the front-line staff.  Catherine started her own parenting journey at 20 and is aware of the barriers that young parents can face, to reach their full potential.

Christina Rowlands

Mentor, Brave Foundation

Christina has worked within the community services sector for over seven years, with a broad background across out-of-home care, youth accommodation services, employment services, education support, disability support, and aged care.  Christina is deeply committed to collaborative practice that centres the voices and lived experiences of young people and is committed to working collectively and rationally – across disciplines, communities, and systems, as a collective drive to meet young people where they are, and walk alongside them as they shape their futures.