SideStreet Counselling Service
SideStreet offers counselling support and information
to young women and men who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness
and
dealing with the experiences of violence and sexual abuse.
SideStreet's
consultancy role also seeks to assist service providers respond
to young people who have experienced
abuse.
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Clients
Clients are referred through youth accommodation services,
other youth service providers and through self-referral.
Referrals to the service can be made directly
by young people or by workers if young people have disclosed
sexual and or physical
abuse and are seeking counselling around these issues. However
referrals can also be made if the young person is known to
have experienced sexual buse but is wanting to talk with
a counsellor
about issues directly or indirectly related to the effects
of abuse i.e. relationship, family or drug and alcohol
issues.
SideStreet commenced in 2001 to respond to
the high numbers of young homeless people who have had
experiences of sexual
abuse. It was developed in a response to report "Appropriate
Service Responses to Assist Young People Who Are Homeless
and Have Been Sexually Abused" by Maxine Joy and Rob
Hall- 1998.
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Services
The service offers direct counselling to support young
women and men in metropolitan Adelaide and consultancy/training
support service for youth workers in rural and metropolitan
youth services.
The service consists of a central team with an active outreach
that is able to provide the flexibility needed to work with homeless
young people, while also providing a central base for young people
to access if they are moving around. The team consists of five
workers, a team leader, one male and three female counsellors
who may also provide an outreach or home visiting service.
The SideStreet Counselling team operates within a framework
that allows opportunities to facilitate;
-
stability in the lives of young homeless
people who have been sexually abused
-
decrease in the effects of the abuse
such a guilt, shame and self blame
-
increase greater equity, accessibility
and relevance of service for young homeless people
-
increase awareness amongst the community
and service providers around the prevalence and effects
of sexual abuse and its link to homelessness
In addition to providing counselling the
service will also be involved in advocacy, group work,
training and resource development
around the issue of sexual abuse. Consultancy will be provided
to workers and agencies in the metropolitan and country regions
regarding issues such as making referrals, accessing resources
and dealing with disclosures. The Consultancy service can
also assist workers in other agencies to provide initial
or ongoing
support to young homeless people who have experienced sexual
abuse.
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Volunteers
Due to the nature
of SideStreet's work there are no volunteers in the
service.
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Costs
All services are free.
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Contact Us
UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide
14 Pitt Street
Adelaide 5000
Ph 8202 5871
Fax 8202 5869
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for Young People
