Where we are up to
The Aboriginal Youth Justice Program is delivered through 15 funded agencies. Thirteen of these agencies are Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, one is a community service organisation (Anglicare), and one is an Aboriginal owned company (Dardi Munwurro).
The suite of programs provide preventative, early intervention and case managements services for Aboriginal children and young people at risk of youth justice involvement, or subject to a Youth Justice Order or a Children's Court Youth Diversion Order.
The program suite includes the following:
- Community Based Aboriginal Youth Justice Program
- Aboriginal Early School Leavers Program
- Aboriginal Youth Support Service.
Additionally, the Department of Justice and Community Safety employs Aboriginal Intensive Support Workers in 5 locations across Victoria, Aboriginal Liaison Officers and a Koori Court Advice Worker.
Community Based Aboriginal Youth Justice Program Additional Funding
Following expansion of the Community Based Aboriginal Youth Justice Program in 2020-21, Aboriginal Youth Justice extended contracts of 13 agencies until 2024-25. Organisations delivering the Aboriginal Youth Support Service had their funding brought in line with the Youth Support Service delivery, therefore one organisation has the Aboriginal Youth Support Service and Community Based Aboriginal Youth Justice program extended until 2022-23 (MDAS), while a second did not require an extension for the Aboriginal Youth Support Service (Dardi Munwurro).
In June 2022, an additional one-off payment of $10,000 was offered to all agencies delivering the Aboriginal Youth Justice Program as flexible brokerage and is in the process of being distributed.