History
Brisbane Youth Service was formally constituted in 1976, and commenced operation in February 1977 as a detached youth service providing outreach, referral and follow-up support services to disadvantaged and homeless young people on the streets in the inner-city area, particularly those harming themselves and the community through drug and alcohol abuse and dependency, prostitution, violence, and other offending behaviors.

Structure
BYS uses a team management structure, with all staff accountable to the Director through the Team Coordinator. The Director and the Team Coordinator operate as a management team and report to the Management Committee on a monthly basis. Outreach and support staff members participate in regular professional supervision with an external consultant.

Key Milestones In The Development Of The Service

Year Milestone

· 1979 Employment of first female youth worker to focus on young homeless women;

· 1980 Emergency Relief funding, and first production of Getting By In Brisbane –
A Survival Kit For Young People;

· 1980 Provision of medium–term accommodation (4 x flats);

· 1981 First Aboriginal youth worker to focus on needs of Aboriginal young people;

· 1983 Transfer of Aboriginal staff to the Aboriginal & Islander Child Care Agency;

· 1983 Establishment of supported accommodation at Kedron Lodge;

· 1986 Establishment of support service for pregnant and parenting young people;

· 1987 Employment of first community artist;

· 1987 Funding of first youth HIV/AIDS & Sexual Health Program;

· 1990 Funding of the Innovative Health Service providing a primary health care treatment centre; sexual
health care; ante-natal and family planning services, and an alcohol and drug harm reduction
program using peer education methodologies;

· 1991 Provision of culturally relevant health education resources and workshops for young people and
youth workers in the greater Brisbane area, focusing on harm reduction in relation to drugs
and alcohol, nutrition, and sexual health;

Key Milestones In The Development Of The Service, continued/-

Year Milestone

· 1991 Establishment of a needle exchange targeting young people;

· 1993 Funding of an outreach and referral service to prevent vulnerable young people entering the sex
industry and to intervene in response to sexual exploitation;

· 1994 Extension of health education program statewide, including distribution of booklets, posters, games
and kits as learning tools;

· 1997 Outposting of a Centrelink Customer Services Officer at BYS to determine new claims, review
actions, and liaise re case management, Austudy and Abstudy;

· 1998 Hosting a mental health outreach service provided by the Child, Youth Mental Health Service,
Queensland Health;

· 1987-00 Conducting a wide range of community arts projects, such as theatre, radio, graffiti, video and
music productions, and visual art in public spaces, focusing on harm reduction and education in
relation to sexual health, crime and drug use;

· 1998 Use of premises for Narcotics Anonymous meetings;

· 1998-99 Funding of Specialised Drug Treatment Team to target young homeless people under the age of
25 years in the inner city area of Brisbane who are injecting illicit drugs and engaging in other high-
risk behaviours. The team is co-located with the BYS Health Clinic, and provides specialised drug
treatment services;

· 1999 Funding from Brisbane City Council to:
· conduct a pilot project in Keong Park, Stafford;
· produce a new edition of Getting By In Brisbane
· implement a suicide prevention project in conjunction with Indigenous Youth Health Service;
· implement High Drama - a Forum Theatre project targeting injecting drug users which was performed for 16 agencies, 286 young people and 61 workers;
· recruit a team of young people to clean up discarded syringes and other hazardous waste in the inner city area; and
· coordinate a peer-based safe needle disposal education program in Brisbane.

· 1999 Funding from Queensland Health for a Hepatitis C prevention program;

· 1999 Brizburn Fire Event - an end of millennium visual and musical spectacular;

· 2000 Hepatitis C Peer Support Program established;

· 2000 Mobile Outreach Clinical Service established in collaboration with Drug-Arm and St Lukes;

Key Milestones In The Development Of The Service, continued/-

Year Milestone

· 2000 Expansion of focus of the HIV/AIDS program to produce education resources for young people in
the target group state-wide, and train youth workers south of Mackay;

· 2000 Produced and printed educational resources such as the Saucy Sex Scale and a range of other
health and hygiene posters and booklets to prevent and reduce HIV transmission;

· 2000 BYS won a scholarship to present a paper at the International AIDS Conference in Durban;

· 2000 Partnership with BCC to develop Brunswick Street Youth Space which will showcase young
people's artwork;

· 2000 Collaboration with Mater Hospital to establish a specialist clinic for pregnant and parenting young
women with drug dependencies;

· 2000 Music program funded by Gaming Machine Community Benefit Fund;
·
· 2000 Young Dad's Group funded by the Queen's Trust to develop a peer education resource;

· 2001 Community Liaison Officer (12 months) to progress recommendations in the Fortitude Valley Drug
Safety & Awareness Subcommittee report;

· 2001 Employment Project Worker funded by Dept. of Employment & Training;

· 2001 Sponsorship of Open Doors Reconnect Service for Gay and Lesbian young people at risk of
homelessness in schools;

· 2001 Funding by the Department of Families of an activities program aimed at crime prevention;

· 2001 50%-funding by the Australia Council of an arts coordinator position located at BYS;

· 2001 Funding of the Joint Inner City Homelessness Response for 3 months by Queensland Department
of Families, Department of Housing and Brisbane City Council;

· 2001 50%-funding by BCC of an Arts Coordinator position at BYS;

· 2002 BYS 25th Anniversary Celebration at the PowerHouse (Walking on the Wall performance by
homeless young people);

· 2002 Re-funding of the Joint Inner City Homelessness Response for 3 months by Queensland
Department of Families, Department of Housing and Brisbane City Council;

· 2002 Funding of short-term project to research and educate young people about chroming in the CBD;

· 2002 Parents YES – a 12 month early intervention trial funded by Department of Families under the
Future Directions Strategy;
Key Milestones In The Development Of The Service, continued/-

Year Milestone

· 2003 Gambling Machine Community Benefit Fund annual funding for Community Liaison Officer position
to develop networks and further community priorities between government departments, private businesses and community organisations;

· 2003 Queensland Health funding renewed (annual, then triennial):
· Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs (ATODS)
· Innovative Health Services to Homeless Youths (IHSHY)

· 2003 Department of Health & Ageing funding renewed (triennial):
· National Illicit Drugs Strategy (NIDS))

· 2003 Department of Families funding renewed (triennial):
· Supported Accommodation Assistance Programme (SAAP)
· Youth At Risk Outreach Service (YAROS)
· Family Work

· 2003 Department of Families funding renewed (triennial):
· Parents YES Programme

· 2003 Further re-funding of the Joint Inner City Homelessness Response for 12 months by Queensland
Department of Families, Department of Housing and Brisbane City Council;

· 2003 AERF funding for a Chroming Project for 24 months;

· 2004 Further re-funding of the Joint Inner City Homelessness Response for 12 months by Queensland
Department of Families, Department of Housing and Brisbane City Council;

· 2004 Twelve months funding by the Department of Communities of the Inner City Youth Response – a joint project between BYS and Indigenous Youth Health Service targeting homeless Indigenous young people who are chroming in the inner city area.

· 2005 Three years funding by the Department of Communities of HART 4000 – a Homelessness Assessment and Referral Team sponsored by New Farm Neighbourhood Centre and involving five other partners, including BYS, West End Community House, Better Housing Projects, Inner Northern Community Housing and Wesley Mission.