Mission Australia's Nada Nasser: The importance of wrap around services and strengthening communities to respond to child and youth homelessness.

Mission Australia supports young people and families in crisis and assists in preventing homelessness through a variety of programs aimed at strengthening communities.

Nada Nasser is speaking at the National Children and Youth Homelessness Conference in the breakout discussion, ‘Reimagining social housing for young people,’ alongside other key leaders in the youth housing space;? including MCM CEO - Vicki Sutton , Kids Under Cover - CEO Stephen Nash and My Foundations Youth Housing Ltd - CEO Rebecca Mullins .?This breakout discussion will take place on the first day of the conference Monday the 24th of July and will be available virtually.

Nada has spent her career committed to helping those in need and empowering communities. As the State Director for Mission Australia in ACT, Victoria and NSW, Nada has extensive experience delivering housing and wrap-around support services to young people and families experiencing homelessness and working to help communities thrive.

We spoke to Nada to learn more about child and youth homelessness and the role Mission Australia plays in responding to at-risk families and young people.?

How did you become involved in Mission Australia??

I started at Mission Australia in 2018 in the role of State Director, NSW/ACT and Victoria. ? ?

What is your background in working with people at risk of homelessness??

I am passionate about social justice, ending homelessness, and building community strength. Over the past two decades, I have been working to address and end homelessness through service delivery, program management, policy development and system reform.? I am deeply committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable people and supporting them to thrive.? Having stable and affordable housing is an essential foundation to achieving that.??

Can you tell us about Mission Australia? ?

Mission Australia aims to end homelessness, ensure people and communities in need can thrive and strengthen communities. Everyone should have access to safe, secure accommodation and a place to call home. We have 160 years of experience working with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to deliver the full spectrum of services – from early intervention with at-risk populations to the provision of housing. Last year, we supported 23,755 people through our homelessness services and 7,388 through community housing.??

Homelessness can affect children and their parents. Can you tell us how Mission Australia supports Australian children presenting to services? ?

Mission Australia supports families with children facing homelessness in a number of ways.? We provide crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.?

We also provide an extensive network of family support services to assist vulnerable families, many of them at risk of homelessness.? Mission Australia supported 20,862 parents and children through our children and family services.? We support families through a range of other programs including targeted early intervention, Communities for Children and Family preservation. ? We are committed to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations: to creating environments where the safety and wellbeing of children and young

People are at the centre of our thoughts, values and actions. We are building an organisational culture where children and young people, families, communities and everyone who works with us feels safe and confident to have a say and raise any concerns.? ??

Why is a safe and secure home important for people that have experienced sudden homelessness due to domestic violence? ?

Homelessness can compound the trauma of experiencing or witnessing domestic and family violence can be compounded by homelessness. The constant moving from place to place without a permanent home can impact young people and children well into adulthood. The lack of a safe home dramatically disrupts a child's and young person's lives. Homelessness can force children and young people to move away from their school and friends, leave behind much-loved pets, and forgo hobbies and social activities. Research shows that children and young people experiencing homelessness have poorer physical and mental health and lower educational outcomes than their peers.?

How can a home help a family with young children get back on track, and how does Mission Australia support this? ?

We help find homes for families and link parents to support and educational opportunities, help find employment and help settle the children into a new school. With Mission Australia’s support, families can be supported to stay safe and start their journey to independence, and children can thrive in a stable and secure home environment. ?

What are some of the methods Mission Australia uses to foster positive relationships with children and their families in the broader community? ?

Early intervention and prevention are at the heart of our work; we address issues before they become major setbacks. We support parents and guardians to be the best they can be. We run playgroups, literacy, financial education programs, and other activities that help families – including grandparents and other carers – feel supported and a part of a community.

Mission Australia collaborates with other organisations providing systemic responses to address the entrenched disadvantage. Place-based community-led initiatives are collaborative, long-term approaches to building thriving communities where many people and organisations work together towards a shared vision for their community.

We collaborate with other organisations to strengthen communities through programs such as Communities for Children and Targeted Early Intervention. Mission Australia also supports women and children in crisis through our safe houses, other homelessness services, and Family Preservation Programs using a Trauma Informed Care approach.?

Why is it essential to have wrap-around service support from organisations like Mission Australia for families that are vulnerable to homelessness??

All children and young people deserve a happy, healthy start to life. Mission Australia helps provide the security, care, and support vital to the development of children and young people and strengthening communities. Wrap around service support is very important to connect vulnerable families to the supports they need to access and sustain housing. From our experience, families need access to a range of support services to address disadvantages, trauma and other complex needs.? Our approach is client centred and trauma informed with the safety of children and young people at the heart of everything we do.????

Australia needs a national plan to address child and youth homelessness; how do you see Mission Australia's experience in this area as a benefit to the broader community? ?

We are deeply concerned by the lack of investment in housing, support and innovative models that prevent and address homelessness. We are strong advocates for more investment in social housing and in prevention and early intervention. ? This includes the need for tailored and targeted responses for children and young people at risk.??

We advocate for a commitment to more Youth Foyers nationwide to provide housing, education, and employment opportunities for young people who are homeless or at risk to thrive. They have been proven to break cycles of homelessness and disadvantage.

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With an emphasis on early intervention, Mission Australia approaches the complex and traumatic experience of homelessness to ensure young people and families access the support they need.? We need a national plan to address child and youth homelessness. Take part in the action to combat child and youth homelessness at the #NCYHC.

Learn more about Mission Australia Australia and other great organisations responding to the crisis of child and youth homelessness at the National Children and Youth Homelessness in July at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.?#NCYHC

Register today to attend the National Children and Youth?Homelessness Conference?at:?www.youthhomelessnessconference.org.au

Sign the change.org petition at:?www.change.org/p/develop-a-standalone-national-strategy-to-end-child-and-youth-homelessness?