Sam ’ s Story
berry street victoria annual report 2006 page 7
children & young people
BEST @ The Shed in Morwell became our second registered campus . The Shed is a hive of activity for the 30-40 young people who attend each week .
Through our partnership with local secondary schools , some of the students come to us for part of the week for specialised work . A number of “ young mums ” continue their education through the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning . Groups focussing on self-esteem and anger management are run in local schools and a special program for young Aboriginal boys ( Future Dreaming ) was developed with advice from the local Aboriginal community .
Going beyond the “ classroom ”, our Wilderness Program in Gippsland challenges young people to re-think what they want out of life . After a demanding 7 day wilderness trip , we provide “ reconnect ” days and support for 2 years .
The program has been very successful with more than 80 % of the young people having remained in school or found employment .
Sam ’ s Story
Sam was 13 when he was referred to our Northern My Life program . Like a similar program in the Southern region , this outreach program works with young people with an intellectual disability who are at high risk .
Sam was initially referred because he was completely isolated , with no friends or day activities . His mother was depressed and also had an intellectual disability . She couldn ’ t help Sam care for himself properly .
The first priority was to teach Sam how to look after his personal hygiene – to shower , wash his clothes and make his bed . His worker , Georgina , also taught him how to shop and connected him to State Trustees to manage his money and outstanding debts . He also joined a model steam train club .
Sam was also linked to a volunteer mentor so that he would have support when we stopped working with him .
Today Sam is unrecognisable from the “ outcast ” of 5 years ago .