Youth services

It got so bad that I was scared to face my problems.

18-year-old Paula was referred through the justice system to our Y-Shac program for youth crisis accommodation. She had a tough, complex, and traumatic background, which revealed itself in difficult behaviour and poor decision-making.

Paula had witnessed horrific family and domestic violence all of her young life, up to the age of seven, when the family finally escaped and her father was prosecuted. However, the family’s safety was seriously threatened by a severe backlash from the father’s family.

By the time Paula was referred to Y-Shac, she had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, a long-term pattern of an unstable sense of self, emotions and relationships, and was self-medicating by using drugs and alcohol to try to escape the pains of her childhood trauma.

Paula left and returned to Y-Shac on more than one occasion during her journey towards healing, and we stayed by her side for as long as she wanted us to. Her first visit lasted two months – a major accomplishment for Paula. It was the longest she had stayed anywhere for many years.

During this first stay, Paula’s mental health deteriorated and we assisted in connecting her to appropriate services for help. Following a stay in hospital, she returned to Y-Shac. By this time we had been able to build a relationship of trust with her and she felt safe and supported by Y-Shac staff. In fact, she now tells us that Y-Shac was the only place she had felt safe in a very long time.

With stable accommodation and support, Paula was able to reconnect with her mother and step-father, who now live inter-state and Paula has moved to be with them.