1. The My Life Program Berry Street Victoria
Provide intensive outreach support to young people with an intellectual disability whom display high risk behaviors and have complex needs.

2. My Life Program Presentation Content
Background
Evolution of the program
The My Life Program
Target group
Goals of the Program
Service Specifics
Conclusion

3. The My Life Program Background
High Complex Needs Project 2000.
The clients didn’t fit into any existing service type.
Thus DHS Disability Client Services funded the My Life Program as a 2 year pilot project.
This program has now received ongoing funding and is now in its fifth year.
It has long been recognised by The Department of Human Services Victoria
DisAbility Services that the support and care provided to that small group of
older adolescents with a mild disability was not adequate.
 The Department therefore carried out a project entitled the “High Complex
Needs Project 2000” It sought to identify the characteristics of adolescents with a disability
who had complex needs that resulted in severe challenging behaviours.
 This group of young people have such challenging behaviours that they were
found to lead
·      Segregated lives, Have little opportunity to interact with others
·      Have little opportunity to participate in normal activities.
 The project focused on those adolescents that display recklessly indifferent
behaviours, such as offending behaviours and drug and alcohol use/misuse.
 The needs of this group are different to those of adolescents who had highly
complex needs that arise from a specific identified developmental or psychiatric
disorder.
 These young people identified by the project did not fit any existing service type
and would often experience difficulties accessing mainstream services that exclude
people with a disability claiming that the nature of the service was not appropriate.
 The Youth at Risk initiative generated from this report funded the My Life Program is program.
 So what is the My Life Program developed and run by Berry Street Victoria?

4. The My Life Program Mentoring Youth for Life
Neil Morison - Manager – Youth and Community Support Programs
Georgina Sullivan – Team Leader
Dougal Braithwaite – Outreach Support Worker
Kellie Wishart – Outreach Support Worker
Adam Withers – Outreach Support Worker

5. Mentoring
Qualified professionals employed to provide intensive outreach support by…
Modelling appropriate behaviours
Assisting in daily problem solving
Establishing a caring relationship
Engaging in educational, cultural and recreational activities
Assisting to access community support
Encouraging community and family connectedness
Advocating
The workers care for, communicate with and provide advice to young people in need.

6. My Life Program Referral Criteria
Must be currently case managed by the Disability Client Services (DHS)
Between the ages of 13 and 21
Living at home or independently
Willingness to engage in the program
Borderline to mild intellectual disability

7. My Life Program Target Group
Early exclusion from school.
Unemployment.
Low self esteem.
Low motivation.
Social isolation.
Lack of social skills
Anger management issues.
Negative peer relationships.

8. My Life Program Target Group
Family disorganisation.
Victims of abuse.
Offending behaviour.
At risk of Juvenile/criminal justice involvement.
Sexualised behaviour.
Substance use/abuse.
At risk of homelessness.

9. Goals of the Program Provide a proactive response
Support community inclusion
Encourage ongoing development
Move towards greater independence
Supporting family connectedness

10. Service Specifics
A reliable, skilled resilient adult figure who can engage and “stick with” the young person no matter what.
An outreach, less formal yet nonetheless, highly skilled intervention style.
Advocacy and support.
Assistance and mediation with or on behalf of the young person in relation to the maintenance, development and consolidation of family and social connectedness.

11. Service Specifics cont.
A strong commitment to normalising the young persons experience.
The skilled therapeutic use of activity based interaction to build relationships.
Support the young person in regard to setting and reaching their goals they establish in their case plan.
Focus on ensuring that the young person has access to information and assistance regarding their personal health and sexuality.
Supporting and assisting the young person to attend appointments or educational/vocational opportunities.

12. Working with the Department
The regional DHS workers refer to the program via Northern Disability Client Services.
After 3 months (if appropriate) case management is transferred to the My Life department case managers.
Weekly phone contact with the case managers
3 weekly update meetings
3 monthly secondary consults
Annual GSP (general service plan) & IPP (individual progress plan) review

13. Questions
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