Open Family Australia

Open Family Australia has been providing outreach support and services to homeless and at-risk young people for more than 30 years. The core of Open Family Australia's business is providing assertive outreach - that is, we engage one-on-one with at-risk and homeless young people to provide individualised support rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. This model of providing comprehensive ongoing support in all aspects of a young person’s life, rather than just concentrating on one issue is successful, as it provides the young person with support from an outreach worker who is available for all their needs and who also works to integrate them into mainstream society. By being directly on the street, our street outreach workers are often the first point of contact for many transient and at-risk young people. Open Family Australia is a non-government, non-denominational organisation which provides support to young people between 12 – 25 years, focusing solely on the complex issues facing young people. Over 80% of these young people are in this situation due to family break down or family conflict. This issue goes across all socio-economic groups and may result in homelessness, criminal activity, drug abuse, mental health problems and disengagement from school or employment.