Practice

Youth homelessness work constitutes a unique sub-sector of the broader homelessness and community services sector. Practice is focused on young people in the context of homelessness or being at risk of homelessness. Practice includes understanding youth and adolescent development, the meaning of family and the importance of a young person’s relationship with their worker, as well as having an understanding of homelessness, its causes, effects and impacts on young people.

Youth homelessness practice takes place in the context of organisational cultures and in a range of program and service settings and policy environments. Youth homelessness practice is a specialised area of expertise with specific skill sets in case management, interpersonal communication and theoretical understandings.

The Practice section of the website is intended to provide workers with access to information and resources on a wide range of topics and issues that are relevant to, and impact on, practice.