from YAPRap September 2006
Nambucca Valley Shire is on the mid-north coast of NSW. The Resilient Young Peoples Program (RYPP) is a joint initiative of Nambucca Shire Council and Reconnect. The project is ongoing, and runs alternatively throughout the year in three schools in the Shire - Bowraville Central, Macksville High and Nambucca Heads High.
Why RYPP? 
In response to the concerns expressed by local schools and the wider community, Nambucca Council formed a partnership with Reconnect to deliver a three-tiered, early intervention approach to providing community support to young people engaged in school. The model for service delivery involves:
Whole of School
To increase young people's awareness of available community services, an introduction barbeque is hosted by Nambucca Council and Reconnect.
Round table discussions with student and teacher representatives also take place. Schools also receive additional resources that can be accessed by all year groups.
Intensive 8 week program (RYPP)
Targeted specifically at year nine students, RYPP aims to improve personal awareness, confidence and self esteem through education and life skill development.
One on one outreach
Provide assessment and supported referral to young people in a confidential, supportive setting. A referral process is set up to suit each school and workers also accept self-referrals.
Flexibility is a key aspect of this model as each school community is diverse and requires differing support.
Goals
The main goals of RYPP are to increase awareness of available community resources, services and activities and to improve the personal awareness, confidence and self esteem of young people participating in the program.
Increasing awareness of available community resources, services and activities
Within the structure of RYPP, we introduce the young people to a number of individual service providers. These include local GPs, Ted Noffs Foundation and Child & Adolescent Mental Health.
Young people also receive a resource pack filled with youth friendly resources such as stickers, youth website details, wallet cards and community services information booklets.
At the end of every week we stress the message that the young people have the right to access all available services, and encourage them to do so.
Improving the personal awareness, confidence and self esteem of young people
RYPP was specifically designed to improve the personal awareness, self esteem and confidence of the participating young people through the provision of information on issues that have a great impact during adolescence. Weekly topics include:
- Introduction to Nambucca Shire Council Youth Services and Reconnect
- Relationships
- Sexual Violence
- Sexual Health
- Drugs & Alcohol
- Mental Health
- Conflict Resolution
- Excursion & Presentation Day
Outcomes
By the end of RYPP the positive outcomes have included:
- knowledge of local community support
- increased awareness of mental health issues for young people
- increased awareness on the effects of drugs & alcohol
- increased awareness on sexual health issues
- developments in self esteem and confidence
- developments in creating & maintaining healthy relationships.
Outreach
The outreach service aims to give young people one on one contact with community youth workers, as well as give youth workers the opportunity to promote community events and projects to young people.
Rather than a counselling service, young people make contact for various reasons such as to get help with Centrelink, ask where they can get support with health issues, or just to have a chat about issues at home or in relationships. When appropriate, the youth worker can also support the young person when there needs to be a referral for more intensive support - such as child and youth mental health.
This approach to youth work in schools works well with the existing welfare support structures. Young people can now access alternative support while still engaged in the traditional school environment.
What's in the future?
One of the crucial elements with RYPP is the importance of sustainability. The project has been going for one and a half years in Nambucca Shire and it's still going strong. Both Nambucca Council and Reconnect have a long-term commitment to the project, ensuring it isn't a one-off but is sustainable and it will continue to advance, extend and strengthen.
More information
Reannan Loughlin, Youth Development Officer, Nambucca Shire Council
(02) 6568 0254
reannan.loughlin@nambucca.nsw.gov.au
Nambucca developed the program in-house, using other resources for ideas and inspiration, such as:
- Kinks & Bends (no link available)
- Rock & Water
