Junction Australia (JA) is a leading independent provider which offers community support and housing services. Their goal is to strengthen lives and communities in Australia.

Key features offered at Junction Australia:

Children and Youth

Junction Australia has numerous programmes available to help youths in crisis, or struggling with their lives.

• Nexus is a programme available for 6-10 year olds who may be exhibiting harmful or negative behaviours, or are having problems in school. Nexus builds on the child’s communication skills, problem solving, and social skills. They support the child at their home, school and community environment, to ensure the child’s overall well-being.
• Parent and adolescent counselling is available for 12-18 year olds and their families. The aim is to reduce conflict in families, who are experiencing challenges. The program hopes to prevent the families from further break down, and the possibility of youth homelessness.
• Youth connectedness program offers group activities and one-to-one- mentoring, for all children and young people who reside with JA, under the Guardianship of the Minister.  The program’s aim is to improve social skills and personal development.
• Flexible learning outcomes support children to improve school attendance and educational outcomes throughout the Onkaparinga and Lower Fleurieu regions.
• Supported accommodation program Helps young people and children who are homeless. One of their accommodation programmes; Junction House, support up to eight homeless youths at a time. When living at Junction House, the youths need to learn independent living skills, and engage in a form of educational pathway. This accommodation is short-term, offering a three to sixth month stay. During their stay the youths will be supported to re-connect with their communities, and arrange for a longer term home.
• Education House offers three secondary students or older, supported accommodation whilst they finish their studies at school, or higher education facility. The support offered involves day-to-day essentials and running a home.
• Next step house is a shared accommodation for three young people who have previously lived in Junction House, and are ready to live more independently. For this program to be successful, structured support is continued for day to day living. This gives the young person the greatest success of developing their abilities to live independently, and the best chance at not becoming homeless again in their future.
• Specialist youth homelessness programme; The Outer Southern Youth Homelessness Service (OSYHS) supports youths to transition to independent living. Young people, aged between 16 and 25 years old who are currently homeless, transient or at risk of homelessness, can be referred to OSYHS to discuss their situation with an outreach employee (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).
• Therapeutic Support Service Accommodation (TSS) is for children and young people who under are the Guardianship of the Minister. The houses comprise of emergency care, and short term care, through to long term and respite care. The children are given stability and individual holistic care.

Families

Junction Australia offers support to struggling families in South Australia through these programmes.

• Effective parenting program provides a parenting course targeted at support for families to develop current parenting skills, and encourage healthy, and successful family life.
• Who’s in charge, is a program designed to support parents and family members, who are being abused by a child or adolescent in their family (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).
• Step Up for SA program offers a thirteen week group program were parents and adolescent come together. The program uses the Cognitive Behavioural model and Restorative Practices, to build skills in responsibility, accountability, and family safety.
• Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Domestic Violence Service is an outreach program providing case management to support women and children, living with, or escaping from family and domestic violence. The program provides counselling, safety action plans, and support finding alternative accommodation.
• Specialist homelessness service program is situated in Southern Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The Fleurieu & KI Homelessness Support Services (FHSS and KIHSS) are outreach programs which provide short to medium term support, for families and individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.
• Intensive tenancy support program is for families, couples or individuals living in the Onkaparinga region, living in Housing SA accommodation, who are at risk of eviction or are in crisis (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

Counselling services

• Sexual abuse counselling service offers support to individuals and families to cope with the impact and trauma of sexual abuse. This service also offers information on keeping children and youths safe, and referrals to other relevant programs and organisations.
• Parent and adolescent counselling, and effective parenting courses; as discussed earlier, are offered under the services of counsellors at Junction Australia (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

Homelessness

• The Outer and Inner Southern Generic Homelessness Service is a joint partnership between Lutheran Community Care and Junction Australia. It is funded by the National Affordable Housing Agreement. This program provides supported housing to people living in the outer and inner southern areas of Adelaide. Support is given through referrals to other agencies, advocacy and future housing applications and grants.

Supported housing programs

• Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Domestic Violence Service
• The Fleurieu & KI Homelessness Support Services (FHSS and KIHSS)
• The Outer Southern Youth Homelessness Service (OSYHS)
• Junction House
• Next step
• Education house (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

The six programs above have all been discussed earlier in this paper.

Community Participation

• Community Connections Hackham Centre provides programs and opportunities for residents and their families which live in the Onkaparinga area. The program offers a wide range of services from crèche, playgroups, and parenting courses. From cooking, financial budgeting, to workplace advice.
• Kangaroo Island Community Centre is a collaborative centre which enables Junction Australia to work with other community and government agencies. It offers a varied range of support and intervention services.
• Volunteers are able to get involved with a diverse range of programs in the community (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

Specialist Support

• The exceptional needs program delivers intensive outreach support to clients with numerous high, and complex needs. Clients may have numerus diagnoses’. These might include psychiatric, mental health or physical disabilities. They might also consist of alcohol and drug use, plus homelessness, or risk of homelessness. Because of the client’s multifaceted needs, they may not readily be able to access conventional supports.
• Emergency relief program offers clients in crisis, emergency Helpance with food vouchers, food parcels, and household goods. The program also helps with financial budgeting and referrals to other agencies.
• Hoarding and squalor services give information to Help people to navigate services and strategies when dealing with squalor (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

Housing Services

Junction & Women’s Housing (JWH) manages 17,000 homes across South Australia. They help low to middle income families, and women escaping domestic violence. JWH aim to empower their tenants and their communities. They aim to generate safe environments, and sustainable homes, for tenants to be able to live, work and thrive in their communities.

Housing options available dependent on client criteria

• Community housing
• National affordable rental scheme
• Supported social housing
• Supported tenancy scheme
• Housing and urban development
• HomeABILITY strategy (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).

Consider the clients need and difficulties. How might this client be helped by the programs offered by Junction Australia? Also which other organisations will be a good source for referrals?

The client Jane is a 28 year old mother of two children; Connor a 12 year old boy, and Summer a 7 year old girl. They are currently in crisis, are homeless, and escaping from domestic violence. Both children are not coping with their environment and are exhibiting traumatised behaviour.

Unfortunately Junction Australia do not offer crisis accommodation to homeless women and children. Jane and her children need an immediate referral to Bramwell House, which is maintained by the Salvation Army (Salvationarmyorgau, 2017). It offers emergency accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence and who are homeless. This will enable the family to live in a safe environment whilst accessing programs at JA. Jane needs to be referred through the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (SA), which is a Family Relationship telephone assessment and advice referral service, funded by the South Australian government (Familyrelationshipsgovau, 2017).

Once accommodation has been sourced, JA have a Specialist Support Intensive outreach program for clients with complex needs. Jane has complex needs; she has previously been addicted to the drug ice, is now struggling with alcohol use, and smokes weed for chronic pain. In the past Jane has had suicidal thoughts, and was diagnosed with depression several times. She is exhibiting signs of depression presently. This outreach program offers the right support for Jane’s immediate requirements.

Jane and Connor would also be able to access the parent and adolescent counselling service together, and Step Up for SA, which teaches young people about the impact of their violence towards family members, in a group setting. Who’s in Charge?, is a second program which aims to empower parents, provide strategies to use with their aggressive child, and reduce parental guilt.

Jane’s daughter Summer, requires a referral to support her emotional trauma and attachment issues which she is displaying. Together 4 Kids is a child focused, individualised support program, run by Relationships Australia. The program supports young children’s mental wellbeing and development. They help children cope with transitions, homelessness, and an understanding of their experiences (Rasaorgau, 2017).

Jane is the single mother of a low income family, escaping domestic violence, and is homeless with ongoing mental health issues. Based on JA criteria’s, Jane will be eligible for housing and support to acquire mid-term, and long-term housing through Junction & Women’s Housing (JWH), which is Junction Australia’s registered community housing provider (Junctionaustraliaorgau, 2017).