Employment

Veritas House, in partnership with Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, has been funded to establish a world-first Trauma Informed – Individual Placement and Support (TI-IPS) program. This program supports young people in managing their trauma responses while balancing work and/or study by developing strategies and maintaining communication with employers and service providers. TI-IPS supports young people aged 16-24 who are leaving Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) or experiencing homelessness, helping them transition into employment.

The program centres on Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and involves the co-location of vocational specialists, referred to as Employment and Education Mentors (EEMs), at Veritas House. These mentors work collaboratively with caseworkers and personal advisor teams to support young people with vulnerable backgrounds into work and study.

The program is founded on a strengths-based and person-centred approach, integrating vocational assistance with mental health support. IPS places the employment preferences and strengths of the individual at the heart of how it identifies, seeks out, obtains, and maintains employment.

The TI-IPS EEMs spend a large portion of their time in the community, creating and maintaining networks with employers, education providers, and other career support services. This helps create new opportunities for young people in the program. The strong connections and reputation Veritas has built in the region over the past 40 years will be instrumental in ensuring the program’s success.

As part of the partnership, Orygen evaluates the program every six months and conducts research to measure the effectiveness of this model in meeting the vocational needs of young people who have experienced trauma. The results could inform employment programs for young people nationally and internationally.