Supported Independent Living
Achieving independence is a milestone moment in a person’s life.
We help young people prepare for adulthood by providing the opportunity to experience the realities of independent living with the security and assurance of on-hand support. Our SIL program helps young people transition from Out-of-Home Care (Foster Care) to independent living. With experienced caseworkers, participants gain skills and confidence to manage their own lease by the end of the program.
Key Features:
- Skills Development: Learn to pay rent, manage bills, buy groceries, cook, clean, and maintain a home.
- Support: Caseworkers assist with tenant rights, budgeting, meal planning, setting up essential services, and education/employment mentoring.
- Flexible Support: Tailored to individual needs, with a gradual reduction in support as independence grows.
Eligibility:
- Aged 16-17 at entry
- Assessed as having Low or Medium needs
- In statutory PSP or exiting PSP to live independently
- Capacity to live independently after tailored support
What can be expected from Veritas House through SILS?
Veritas House Support:
- Provides a caseworker and stable, affordable accommodation
- Establishment furnishing and grocery support
- Rent subsidies and property maintenance
- Living skills training, education, and employment assistance
- Ongoing support up to age 25
How to make a referral
Complete the SIL Referral Form from DCJ and email it to mfwwplacementrequest@dcj.nsw.gov.au. CFDU will determine eligibility and forward suitable referrals to Veritas House for review.
Referral Process:
- Referrals through CFDU via DCJ
- Must include a comprehensive leaving care plan, financial assistance access, and an independent living skills checklist
Youth Initiative
The Youth Initiative (YI) aims to prevent homelessness among young people leaving Out of Home Care (OOHC) or Permanency Support by diverting them from the homelessness service system. Veritas House is delivering the program in Western NSW in partnership with youth specialist housing provider, My Foundations Youth Housing. Young people are provided with a combination of personal advice, education and employment mentoring, transitional accommodation and support to secure long-term accommodation.
Objectives of YI
- Identify and target young people leaving OOHC in Western NSW, who are at risk of homelessness, before they enter crisis – enabling services to intervene early and divert them from entering the homelessness service system altogether, where possible.
- Ensure young people in Western NSW who do not have established networks and case managed aftercare support are supported by a Personal Advisor. This support will continue for the duration of the initiative, and aims to support a young person leaving OOHC to:
- implement their leaving care plan
- establish a life-long habit of growing and maintaining personal support networks
- navigate mainstream and specialist services as required
- manage crisis and change effectively.
- Provide support to young people in Western NSW to establish single occupant and shared accommodation via subsidised head-leased properties. This objective will enable young people to remain in locations where they have established support networks, following the end of or exit from YI.
- Provide transitional support to young people in Western NSW to build their capacity to establish and maintain long-term accommodation. There will be an emphasis on building capacity to establish and maintain share accommodation. This transitional support will be provided for up to three years of the YI initiative.
- Support young people via education and employment mentoring to build their financial capacity and growth in opportunity. This support is aimed at increasing the young person’s educational attainment and employment outcomes, so that at their exit from YI the young person can maintain their housing and independent living.
How can young people join the program?
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) Central Office Referrals
The criteria for entry to YI are that the young person is:
- 16 years – 21 years old
- leaving or preparing to leave statutory OOHC
- likely to be homeless or at risk upon leaving care
- leaving or preparing to leave OOHC and identifies as Aboriginal
DCJ will use ChildStory data to identify all DCJ and NGO OOHC case-managed young people who will leave Statutory Care in the locations that YI is available who are at risk of homelessness. Risk factors for young people becoming homelessness include:
- leaving residential OOHC
- leaving OOHC with placement instability
- leaving a permanent OOHC placement
- leaving OOHC after being in care 12 months or longer. Young people who are identified as eligible will be invited to participate in the YI program after confirmation of eligibility with their allocated OOHC caseworker i.e. that the young person is still in statutory OOHC and living in a YI location.
Community Referrals
Service providers may also take Community Referrals from medical professionals, educational institutions, and other service providers and government bodies. Community referrals allow service providers or caseworkers to refer clients directly into the YI program who are not eligible through the vulnerability screening process.
Eligibility of Community Referrals:
- have a child protection history / history of OOHC
- aged 16-21 Years
- referred by medical professionals, educational institutions and other service providers such as specialist homelessness services
- leaving residential care
- leaving an institution including Youth Justice or Refuge
Please complete the Community Referral form and email it to YIcontact@veritashouse.org.au
To find out more or to speak to a team member regarding our independent living servicesplease use the below contacts: