Community Involvement
Accessing Community services are services that are largely funded from within the community to provide something that is desirable but not profit making.The easiest way to access community services is to use the telephone directory or the internet.However, it must be remembered that since many of these services receive little or no government funding, places may be limited and cases can be prioritised on a needs basis.
Contributing to the Community:
Community services cannot function without assistance from the community. There is a need for individuals to put something back into the community. This insures that highly desirable services, such as volunteer fire brigades and the Smith Family, are fully staffed and funded.Governments are unable and unwilling to fully fund many of these community services. This means that to survive they must not only provide their services but also be fundraisers.
By involving yourself in a community service,you are not only helping others but you can also meet new people, gain worthwhile experience and increase your own well-being and self-esteem.
Ways that individuals can contribute to the community include:
• Joining a volunteer organisation — this could be anything from the local cricket club to a bushfire brigade
• Making donations to community services groups
• Donating blood to the Red Cross — this is safe,
easy and could save someone’s life
• Signing up for organ donations
• Placing unwanted clothing in recycling bins such
as those provided by St Vincent de Paul and
Lifeline
• Encouraging friends and family to be community
minded
• Supporting community fundraising efforts, from
simple actions such as buying a raffle ticket
or some goods from a stall at a fete, to actively
selling the raffle tickets and making goods
yourself to be sold at the fundraiser
• Passing on your expertise and skills free of charge to community groups.
Contributing to the Community:
Community services cannot function without assistance from the community. There is a need for individuals to put something back into the community. This insures that highly desirable services, such as volunteer fire brigades and the Smith Family, are fully staffed and funded.Governments are unable and unwilling to fully fund many of these community services. This means that to survive they must not only provide their services but also be fundraisers.
By involving yourself in a community service,you are not only helping others but you can also meet new people, gain worthwhile experience and increase your own well-being and self-esteem.
Ways that individuals can contribute to the community include:
• Joining a volunteer organisation — this could be anything from the local cricket club to a bushfire brigade
• Making donations to community services groups
• Donating blood to the Red Cross — this is safe,
easy and could save someone’s life
• Signing up for organ donations
• Placing unwanted clothing in recycling bins such
as those provided by St Vincent de Paul and
Lifeline
• Encouraging friends and family to be community
minded
• Supporting community fundraising efforts, from
simple actions such as buying a raffle ticket
or some goods from a stall at a fete, to actively
selling the raffle tickets and making goods
yourself to be sold at the fundraiser
• Passing on your expertise and skills free of charge to community groups.
Support Services
For Young Parents:
There are several support services for young parents such as Parenting payment, Helping Young Parents Program and Child Care Benefit.
Education and training:
Employment:
Centre link: Offers a range of services and payments to job seekers like Youth Allowance and Newstart.
JobAccess: Provides free information and advice about the employment of people with a disabilities. They assist disabled people, employers, service providers and the community to access information about services, financial assistance and work place solutions.
Health:
There are several support services for young parents such as Parenting payment, Helping Young Parents Program and Child Care Benefit.
Education and training:
- Centre link: Centrelink gives payments and provides information to assist young people between the ages of 15 to 24 years of age. It allows the continuation of training and education. For example the Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY
- Australian Apprenticeships: Australian Apprenticeships offer opportunities so that young people who study, train and earn an income at many different qualification levels in most job areas as well as traditional trades
- The Skills for Education and Training :
Employment:
- Jobactive: Jobactive is run by the Australian Government to get more of the population to work. It helps job seekers and employers connect and is delivered by a network of Jobactive providers in 1,700+ locations nationally. It also is a free and online website for Australians to help job seekers to into employment with quality staff
Centre link: Offers a range of services and payments to job seekers like Youth Allowance and Newstart.
JobAccess: Provides free information and advice about the employment of people with a disabilities. They assist disabled people, employers, service providers and the community to access information about services, financial assistance and work place solutions.
Health:
- Medicare provides payments and services that can help when a person uses health care services or buys medicines. Young people aged 15 or older, can have their own Medicare card.
Medicare Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Line is a free telephone service that helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living anywhere in Australia to access Medicare services and programs. - Health Care Card provides concessions on health-care costs. This means cheaper prescription medicines can be obtained through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and medical services funded by the Australian Government. This card can also give access to concessions provided by State and Local Governments as well as some private businesses, including household, education, and public-transport costs.
- The mindhealthconnect website provides a range of mental health resources including online programs, fact sheets, audio and video, and online support groups.
- Personal Helpers and Mentors program provides increased opportunities for recovery for people aged 16 years and over whose lives are severely affected by mental illness, by helping them to overcome social isolation and increase their connections to the community.
- The Mental Health Respite initiative provides a range of flexible respite and family support options for carers of people with severe mental illness/psychiatric disability and carers of people with an intellectual disability.
- Family Mental Health Support Services target prevention and early intervention, with a particular focus on Indigenous families and those from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
- Housing and accommodation
- Centrelink offers financial help that can assist young people who receive Centrelink payments with costs of rent, such as Rent Deduction Scheme and Rent Assistance. Centrelink also provides access to Community Engagement Officers who can help people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, access income support.
- The National Rental Affordability Scheme provides people on a low to moderate income with an opportunity to rent homes at a rate that is at least 20 per cent below market value rent.
- Reconnect assists young people stabilise their living situation and improve their level of engagement with family, work, education, training and their local community.
- Managing money
- The Financial Wellbeing and Capability activity helps people address immediate needs in times of financial crisis, better manage their money and plan for the medium to long term and provides access to safe, affordable funds that may not be available through mainstream financial services. This includes Emergency Relief, Commonwealth Financial Counselling and Financial Capability services.
- Centrelink provides the Financial Information Service — a free, confidential service that provides education and information on financial and lifestyle issues to all Australians.
- Moneysmart website offers free advice and independent guidance so people can make the best choices for their money. There is a section for young people offering advice on things such as buying a car, moving out of home, first job and getting a first big bill.
- Community support services
- The organisations listed below are provided for your information. They do not constitute the department's endorsement of these services or any associated organisations or products.
- Lifeline —24 hour telephone crisis support service is available to anyone needing emotional support on one national number – 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue —provides information about depression to consumers, carers and health professionals. Includes causes, treatments, personal stories and forum —1300 224 636
- Youth Beyond Blue —aims to empower young people aged 12–25, their friends and those who care for them to respond to depression and anxiety — 1300 224 636
- Mensline —24 hour telephone and online support, information and referral service, helping men to deal with relationship problems in a practical and effective way — 1300 789 978
- Kids Help Line — free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25—1800 55 1800
- SANE Australia — provides information about symptoms, treatments, medications, where to go for support and help for carers — 1800 18 SANE (7263)
- Eheadspace — online and telephone service supports young people and their families going through a tough time —1800 650 890
- ReachOut —provides young people with the information, help, support, advice and connections they need to manage mental health difficulties such as stress.