Youth Advocacy Centre

YAC is a community legal and social welfare centre for young people aged 10 to 18 years generally, particularly those involved in, or at risk of involvement in, the youth justice and/or child protection systems living in and around greater Brisbane (more limited assistance to young people outside Brisbane – info, advice, referral)

We provide information, representation, advice and referral on range of legal issues.   Our social welfare assistance, including homelessness, can extend to young people aged 19/20 years

We offer an holistic approach with focus on addressing legal and welfare, social, family issues, particularly where the non-legal problems are leading/ likely to lead to involvement in legal systems or processes

YAC is child/client centred.

All services provided are:

• Free
• Confidential
• Voluntary - young person must want to work with YAC

YAC works on the instructions of yp and only with yp’s consent (where the yp is “Gillick competent”)

YAC provides the following specific services/programs for young people and their families:

Youth support services

• Support for young people engaged with the Youth Justice system or experiencing legal issues who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Assisting young people with education and income hassles
• Court support
• Prepare a report to assist a young person's case at court
• Provide outreach support including visiting young people in detention
• Transitional support, advocacy and practical assistance to young people within the child protection and youth justice systems
• Victim of crime support
• Case management

Legal services

• Legal advice on a range of matters including criminal charges, child protection, school suspensions and exclusions
• Court representation  - Childrens Court and sometimes higher courts in relation to child protection or criminal law matters
• Visit young people in detention
• Assist young people in relation to suspension or exclusion from school

Family support services

• Assist young people having difficulties at home
• Work with families in relation to a young person’s issues and their relationships (Three R's -rebuild, relationships respect - working on family relationships and the young person's issues within and external to the family)
• Individual and family counselling
• Court support for young people and their families
• Prepare a report to assist a young person's case at court
• Assist where young people are having difficulties at school including suspension and exclusion matters
• Advocacy on behalf of individual young people within their families as well as in relation to court and school
• ParenTEEN program (6-8 week peer support program for parents)
• Case management

Youth Bail Accommodation Support Service

YBASS works with young people from all cultural backgrounds currently remanded in custody or at risk of being remanded in custody because they are having difficulties locating and maintaining accommodation.

YBASS aims to:

• Reduce the number of young people in detention on remand
• Facilitate culturally appropriate placements and intervention for young people on bail
• Provide courts with a legitimate supported accommodation option to remanding young people in custody

Integrated Youth Court Assistance Program

Provides assistance to young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and/or who come to the attention of police and courts and their families where appropriate through:

• offering information about court process
• giving support through court
• working alongside solicitor to develop court support plan
• writing court reports
• giving information referral and assistance (including linking with other services)
• providing after court support (housing, school, family issues)
• rebuilding family relationships
• working out issues at home
• assistance with life skills and parenting skills
• finding emergency housing
• establishing stable accommodation

Legal education services

• legal information sessions for young people at schools, youth services and the youth detention centre on young people's legal rights and obligations.
• legal resources for young people and workers (fact sheets, postcards, videos)
• lectures, workshops and papers on request in relation to young people and the law.
• practical workshops for those who work with young people on legal issues relevant to young people and  the possible legal impacts of working with young people.