Reconnect

Reconnect is a Youth Homelessness Early Intervention Program funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Reconnect aims to re-connect young people aged between 12 and 18 with their parents/carers, where there have been recent family hassles. When appropriate for the young person, Reconnect also aims to connect them with education, training and the community. A phone counselling service is also available. Reconnect workers are also involved in a wide variety of community development activities aimed at supporting individual communities to build their capacity to reduce the risk of youth homelessness.

Client Feedback
- “My son left home, and has returned and although it is still very tough, at least he is home. I learned that I had to be realistic. Reconnect helped me through a really difficult situation and I did not have the tools to cope. I felt connected to my worker and she was unbiased which made talking a lot easier. I know my son developed a good relationship with his worker also. Thank you for all the support, and for knowing that my worker was only a phone call away.” Parent
- “I would recommend Reconnect because I think it can really help you. I was unsure about talking to someone but I felt comfortable talking to my worker. Reconnect gave me someone to talk to and someone who could understand where I was coming from.” Young Person (14)

The service also offers the extremely successful program for parents and carers, “Tapping Inner Strengths”.

Tapping Inner Strengths
This program emerged from the experiences gained from providing parent support groups in past years and Action Research in response to feedback from stakeholders requesting a parent program model.
The program promotes opportunities for parents to recognise their own strengths, grow a better understanding of the world their teenager lives in, and consider a range of parenting strategies.
The free, six week program includes valuable information on identifying traps parents can easily fall into and how to avoid them, teenagers making decisions and taking on responsibilities, connecting with teenagers and rebuilding relationships.

Client Feedback
- “My relationship between me and my young person has improved because I feel confident and more strong and I stop to think about the situation (conflict) I’m in and try to approach it differently.