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 CMY Reconnect
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What is CMY Reconnect?
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What are some of the issues facing young people and their families from refugee and newly arrived backgrounds?
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Making a referral to CMY Reconnect
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Resources
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Contact CMY Reconnect
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What is CMY Reconnect?
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CMY delivers the Reconnect Young Refugees and the Reconnect Newly Arrived Youth Services (NAYS) programs in the Cities of Dandenong, Casey, Brimbank and Hume.
Reconnect is a federally funded national initiative that aims to prevent youth homelessness.
CMY Reconnect is an early intervention program that aims to prevent young people (aged 18 – 21) from refugee and newly arrived backgrounds becoming homeless.
Combining service provision with community development strategies, the CMY Reconnect program supports young people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, to improve their level of engagement with family, education, training, work and the community. The program incorporates action research with family centred approaches and culturally responsive service delivery that utilises a variety of strategies such as case management, counselling, group work, family mediation and practical support.
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We can provide support if the young person:
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- is newly arrived (in the country less than 5 years) and/or has come from a refugee experience;
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- is living, working or studying in the Cities of Dandenong, Casey, Brimbank or Hume; and
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- is having difficulty at home or school, or has other personal problems.
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Services provided to young people and their families:
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- Personal support - someone to talk to
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- Practical help e.g. filling in Centrelink forms, enrolling in study, or getting to appointments
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- Pathways to resolving conflict with family, friends, or school and help to access family mediation if desired
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- Advocacy with other services if you would like extra help
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- Information about options or issues that concern you
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- Support to link in with other services
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CMY Reconnect maintains confidentiality, which means we won’t talk to other people about your family without your permission, unless we are required to by law.
We work with interpreters and respect your choice about the language you would prefer to use.
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CMY Reconnect is a CONFIDENTIAL, FAIR, SAFE and SUPPORTIVE service.
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What are some of the issues facing young people and their families from refugee and newly arrived backgrounds?
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Being a parent in a new country is not easy. Many newly arrived families find that financial pressure, learning a new language and adjusting to a new environment are already hard enough. When you are worried about your children as well, you can experience a great deal of strain.
Many families in this situation find it can be useful to have someone to talk to about their concerns and support to try new ways of communicating with one another. With help, each member of the family may be able to listen to one another better, and find solutions which are good for everyone.
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Here are some common experiences for many newly arrived families:
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- Your children want to spend more time with their friends than at home.
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- Communication is difficult, and the family is not the way you would like it to be.
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- You have disagreements about money or attending school, doing school work, or finding work.
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- You have different ideas from your children about what is expected, for example about relationships or marriage.
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- You are getting to know one another again after having been separated, or because there is a new marriage or other changes in the family.
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Being a teenager in Australia is also difficult. Many newly arrived young people find it hard to find a balance between what is expected at home, and with their friends or school. They can often feel alone, and like no one really understands what they are going though.
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The young person may be:
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- having problems at home or have left home recently;
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- having difficulty with study, or with their school, teachers or other students;
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- lacking interest in life, or feeling lonely or bored;
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- feeling angry or frustrated, and having arguments;
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- finding things difficult with Centrelink, have no income, or want to find work;
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- getting in trouble with the police or have legal issues.
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Our service is about keeping families together wherever possible. We can’t force a young person to stay, but we will try to help the family find ways to solve some of the problems that causes the young person to feel they have to leave.
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Making a referral to CMY Reconnect
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You can make a referral to CMY Reconnect by completing an online CMY Referral Form.
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Resources
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For a range of useful documents that are designed to support good practice in the provision of Reconnect services, visit the Reconnect Resourcessection.
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Contact Reconnect Young Refugees
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General program enquiries
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info@cmy.net.au
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Tel (03) 9340 3700
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