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UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide is an agency of the
Uniting Church in Australia.

Uniting Church in Australia 
©Copyright 2003-2008
UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide

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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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