Stating the obvious: The social and financial benefits of investing in early intervention among young people in growing municipalities Russell Hopkins Director Community Services City of Whittlesea August 2009 VCOSS Congress 2009

About the City of Whittlesea The City of Whittlesea is 20km north of Melbourne At the metropolitan fringe sharing aspects of both urban and rural communities Current population is over 139,000 Since the 2001 census over 21,000 people have moved into the municipality and over 10,000 dwellings have been built Growth is predicated to remain strong with previous estimates of 240,000 by 2031 Recent expansion of the Urban Growth Boundaries additional 100,000 + people

Who are the Interface Councils? In an arc around Melbourne, the nine Interface municipalities are: Cardinia Shire Council City of Casey City of Whittlesea Hume City Council Melton Shire Council Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Nillumbik Shire Council Shire of Yarra Ranges Wyndham City Council

Interface Councils’ population trends and forecasts Over the past five years over 46% of Victoria’s population growth happened in the Interface Councils 2009 data indicates 1.23 M people live in Interface areas, ie. 31% of Melbourne’s population. Projected to increase to 1.88 M by 2026 (38%) Expansion of UGB – additional 284,000 householders across the Interface Interface Councils’ typically have pockets of high socio-economic disadvantage Growth is largely families with children and young people Many Interface municipalities have high indigenous and CALD populations eg City of Whittlesea has one of Victoria’s most culturally diverse populations: –residents from over 140 countries –around 45% of residents speak languages other than English –fourth highest population of ATSI people in metro Melbourne

Current provision of services Concentration of DHS funded CSOs* in inner suburbs  Primary CSO sites  Secondary CSO sites * Excludes kindergartens Whittlesea N&WMR Hume Melton Wyndham Casey Cardinia SMR

Interface Councils’ Challenges and Opportunities Managing urban areas, rural areas, rapid growth, social disadvantage and high levels of demand and projected growth rates Distance, spread of population, limited public transport, car dependent Service provision is not keeping pace with growth and demand Need for outreach services to access dispersed populations in rural areas, as well as serving existing communities Human service systems need to be responsive, flexible, resourced and timely Investment opportunities lie in the fact that current planning is for future communities. The opportunity exists to ensure the social and physical Infrastructure reaps the best well-being outcomes for the community.

Young people at the Interface By 2031 more than 1 in 4 young Victorians will be living in Interface Councils In Whittlesea, 53 % Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents are under 19. Also, of the refugees who settled in between 2004 – 2009, 49% were under 19. Staying Connected shows that in Interface Councils’: –Year 12 retention rates are falling - increasing the gap with metropolitan counterparts –Lower participation in post-secondary education (especially boys) –Young people largely employed in the manufacturing, construction, retail trade and accommodation and food services industries. –Higher: disengagement from work and school incidence of depressive symptoms rates of deliberate self-harm risk of homelessness levels of unemployment

Putting the case forward for young people at the Interface 2006 Interface Councils’ Human Services Directors developed a campaign around young people. Commissioned Staying Connected: Solutions for addressing service gaps for young people living at the Interface. Report highlights the disadvantages of young people at the Interface and brings attention to the personal and social costs, in the absence of effective intervention. Staying Connected: –Identifies gaps in the overall policy and service framework for young people –Identifies the role of Generalist Youth Work in prevention, proposes a benchmark 1:3000 –Proposes elements towards developing a service system for young people –Recommends a baseline range of services required for young people in Interface Councils.

Staying Connected: preventative framework built on ‘what young people need to grow and live successfully’ A positive start to life Healthy physical, emotional, mental, intellectual and spiritual development Positive family and peer relationships Active participation in the community Strong communities that welcome and engage young people Coherent service system for young people, their families and the community Services based on a risk and protective factor framework, evidence, best practice, and tailored to specific communities A service system across prevention, early intervention and tertiary levels with strengths based universal platform, and capacity for tailored responses Policy responsive to adolescent development and vulnerability of young people.

Staying Connected: 9 recommendations for government investment in young people The responses recommended are based on research on effective interventions and form the basis of a coherent service system for young people. These responses must be locally based in Interface municipalities: 1.Generalist Youth Workers 2.Adolescent Health Teams 3.Education: prevention and early intervention strategies, including curriculum options 4.Mental health: prevention, early intervention and crisis management services 5.Local youth service partnerships 6.Youth service plans 7.State policy and strategies focussed on early adolescence, 9 to Continuum of care for families, children and young people 9.Tailored strategies for Indigenous and CALD young people and their families. Estimated costs $67.5M in nine Interface municipalities over four years.

Advocating for a service system grounded in prevention: Interface Councils’ key messages in the Generalist Youth Work campaign with YACVic and VCOSS, and policy submissions to the Australian and State Governments A system of care that surrounds young people enabling healthy development and connection to family and community Young people planned into the social and physical infrastructure Youth engagement, the voice and expertise of young people observed at the highest levels Support for families to support young people Application of the knowledge of adolescent developmental stages and critical transitions Application of the knowledge of adolescent brain science. Linking Early Years sector to the Youth Service System

Advocating for a service system grounded in prevention: Interface Councils’ key messages in the Generalist Youth Work campaign with YACVic and VCOSS, and policy submissions to the Australian and State Governments A universal platform for prevention and early intervention, plus primary, secondary and tertiary services Generalist Youth Work central to prevention and early intervention Indicators, benchmarks and Tools for measuring prevention and early intervention Sector development - Support to strengthen the Youth Work Sector Clarity in the roles of the three levels of government, cross sectoral and whole of government practises Local solutions

Interface Councils’ priority areas: Staying Connected Recommendation 3: Education: Prevention and early intervention strategies Interface Councils’ research shows that young people in Interface municipalities are: –More likely to leave school early –Have lower TER scores –Less likely to attend tertiary education –More likely to disengage from work or school City of Whittlesea research shows that family factors are a key reason why young people disengage. Service Delivery model: Staying Connected to School and Learning- Strengthening (Communities through) Schools –Focus on young people in years 5-9 and their families –Early detection of disengagement and vulnerability –Support to young people and their families –Community strengthening and connection –Attention to points of transition –Links to tertiary support –Integrated curriculum

Interface Councils’ priority areas: Staying Connected: Recommendation 4: Mental Health: Prevention, early intervention and crisis management Interface Councils’ research shows that young people in Interface municipalities are more likely to: Demonstrate self harm behaviours Exhibit depressive symptoms Be at risk at homelessness Service delivery model: Interface Councils’ Preventative Mental Health –Key characteristics: Local and accessible Age focus 12 to 25 Involving a range of partners Appropriate length of care Benchmark of one Holistic Youth Health Service per 100,000 population

Economic benefits of implementing Recommendation 3: ‘Education’ in Staying Connected Education Access Economics' research considered: –Year 10 and 12 completion rates –Post secondary education –Attendance at University or other tertiary education institutions –Youth disengagement from education or employment – Interface Councils’ fill 8 of the top 15 metro places (Nillumbik excluded) Findings: –Interventions that reduce youth disengagement could potentially return 23.6 times the government’s initial investment to society and 7.6 times directly to the government through increased taxation revenues.

Economic benefits of implementing Recommendation 4: ‘Mental Health’ in Staying Connected Mental Health Access Economics' research considered: –Mental health disorder rates –Alcohol and drug related mental health disorders –Risk and protective factors related to: –CommunityFamily –SchoolPeer/Individual Findings: –In a four year time frame ( ), investing in mental health services for young people indicates a benefit of over $1.2 billion This analysis confirms investing in early intervention can deliver significant social and financial outcomes

Interface Councils’ Campaign Outcomes Contribution to - Submissions to the State Government: –Structure of Youth Direct and the revised RYAN Guidelines –Response to the Victorian Youth Service System KPMG report –Response to the proposed Vulnerable Youth Framework –Staying Connected to school and learning: Strengthening (communities through) schools service delivery model –Interface Youth Mental Health model Submission to the Australian Government on the proposed Australian Youth Forum and National Youth Peak

Interface Councils’ Campaign Outcomes Better Youth Service Pilots State Government Better Youth Service pilots (BYSP) Phase 1 –In 2008 the State Government announced Wyndham was one of three sites to be selected to participate in the BYSP - a cross- department State Government initiative which arose after a Ministerial Forum on Vulnerable Youth (April 2008) –Key questions: How can vulnerable young people be identified and supported earlier and more systematically? What data is needed to enable better planning of local services to improve outcomes for vulnerable young people? What can be done to improve existing State Government funded youth service co-ordination and delivery?.

Interface Councils’ Campaign Outcomes Better Youth Service Pilots Key learning from Phase one of the project includes the need for: –Local co-ordination of service provision –Clarity regarding responsibility for co-ordination/planning of services that cross local, state, federal government as well as not for profit –Coordination of initiatives between State Government departments –Schools to have a key role to play in the support and development of young people - role of education providers needs to be clarified. Phase two In June 2009 the Minister for Youth announced the extension of the Better Youth Services Pilot in the original sites, including Wyndham, as well as three additional sites including Yarra Ranges. The purpose of phase two is to: –Explore simplifying access to support for young people –Establish data sets for planning services –Work with the State Government to align service delivery to local needs –Formalise co-ordination and provision of services.

Reference Material Copies of the reports can be found at Human Service gaps at the interface between urban and rural – RMIT Centre for applied social research Staying Connected: solutions for addressing service gaps for young people living at the Interface Nlt consulting Staying connected: A cost benefit analysis of Early Intervention - Access economics City of Whittlesea YouthPlan2030 Interface Council’s Living on the Edge