Addressing Legal, Ethical, and Housing Challenges at a Youth Centre

This assignment addresses legal and ethical considerations within a youth centre environment, focusing on practical application through a case study. The student explores immediate responses to critical incidents, including suicidal ideation and substance abuse, prioritizing actions and identifying support personnel. A risk assessment is completed, and subsequent actions are outlined to prevent escalation. The assignment delves into legislation like the Child Protection Act and Youth Justice Act, detailing responsibilities and reporting procedures. It further examines the role of the youth centre in relation to homelessness, identifying housing options and relevant support services like Homelessness Australia and Brisbane Youth Service. Finally, the assignment describes case management activities, including counselling, rehabilitation planning, and educational support, while considering personal values and attitudes in their implementation.

RUNNING HEAD: Short Question Answers
Short Question Answers
Name of the Student:
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

Contents
Part A.............................................................................................................................................................2
Part B.............................................................................................................................................................5
Part C.............................................................................................................................................................7
References....................................................................................................................................................10

2Part CPart C
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS
Part A
This relates to legal and ethical issues that relate to your work environment at the youth centre. As it is
with any new role, it is important to familiarise yourself with policies and procedures up front so you
know what to do if a critical incident occurs.
a. Write down at least three issues you need to respond to immediately, in order of priority.
Priority 1. Calm Marcus down and get his suicidal thoughts in control.
Priority 2. Arrange help for Julie so that she can overcome her addiction.
Priority 3. Arrange cheaper house under homelessness Act.
b. List two people (include their roles) at the youth centre you could ask help from in order to
provide immediate support to Marcus.
Head Counsellor- to provide counselling to people suffering from emotional and psychological
imbalances.
Housing consultant- to counsel people with cheaper housing options and save homelessness
c. Using all of the information in the scenario complete the risk-assessment in Appendix 1. Page 10.
Make sure that the information is clear, accurate and written in a comprehensive manner.
Appendix 1 – Risk Assessment
SUICIDAL ASSESSMENT - CHECKLIST*
Young Person’s Name: Marcus Date: 6/10/2017Interviewer: _______________________
(Suggested points to cover with young person/parent)
(1) PAST ATTEMPTS, CURRENT PLANS, AND VIEW OF DEATH
- Does the individual have frequent suicidal thoughts? N
- Have there been suicide attempts by the young person or significant others in his or her life? N
- Does the young person have a detailed, feasible plan? Y
- Has s/he made special arrangements such as giving away prized possessions? Y
- Does the young person fantasise about suicide as a way to make others feel guilty or as a way to get a happier

afterlife?
N
(2) REACTIONS TO PRECIPITATING EVENTS
- Is the young person experiencing severe psychological distress? Y
- Have there been major changes in recent behaviour along with negative feelings and thoughts? Y
(Such changes often are related to recent loss or threat of loss of significant others or of positive status and
opportunity. They also may stem from sexual, physical, or substance abuse. Negative feelings and thoughts often
are expressions of a sense of extreme loss, abandonment, failure, sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and sometimes
inwardly directed anger).
(3) PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
- Is there a lack of a significant other to help the young person survive?
Y
- Does the young person feel alienated? Y
(4) HISTORY OF RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR
- Does the young person take life-threatening risks or display poor impulse control?
N
*Use this checklist as an exploratory guide with the young person about whom you are concerned. Each yes raises
the level of risk, but there is no single score indicating high risk. A history of suicide attempts, of course, is a
sufficient reason for action. High risk also is associated with very detailed plans (when, where, how) that specify a
lethal and readily available method, a specific time, and a location where it is unlikely the act would be disrupted.
Further high risk indicators include the young person having made final arrangements and information about a
critical, recent loss. Because of the informal nature of this type assessment, it should not be filed as part of a young
person’s regular school records.
d. Once a risk assessment is completed what would be the appropriate action (next steps) to take to
help prevent an escalation of Marcus and Julie’s issues?
Julie shall have to make to quit her addiction, for which Marcus shall have to understand the plan of
action to be followed. Once she is in a controlled environment, Marcus can helped to focus on himself

4Part CPart C
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS
and his studies. Another task is to help them with a cheaper home with help of other organizations
providing homeless people cheapest possible houses. Marcus shall also be helped with a part time job
to arrange for daily necessities(McGorry, Bates and Birchwood 2013).

Part B
How do the following legal and ethical considerations relate to your work role? Please note that you will
need to identify the name of the legislation that applies to your state/territory and source the information
that you have found (e.g. website link, chapter of a textbook). You can review the Academic Referencing
Guide in your student handbook.
Name of the legislation
(state specific)
Your responsibilities in
the workplace
Source (e.g. link, chapter of a textbook)
a.Child
protection Child Protection Act
1999.
To ensure that the child
gets healthy
environment to grow
and his family supports
him.
Queensland Government, 2017. Child
protection legislation. [online] Child Safety
Services, Department of Communities, Child
Safety and Disability Services (Queensland
Government). Available at:
<https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childs
afety/protecting-children/about-child-
protection/child-protection-legislation>
Who would
you report this
to?
This issue shall be reported to the head counsellor and Youth Protection Officer.
b.
Mandatory
reporting
Child Protection Act
1999.
To ensure that the
mandatory reporters
including me and school
personnel, timely
identify and report any
vulnerable case.
Queensland Government, 2017. Mandatory
reporting. [online] Child Safety Services,
Department of Communities, Child Safety
and Disability Services (Queensland
Government). Available at:
<https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/child
safety/protecting-children/about-child-
protection/mandatory-reporting>
Who would
you report this
to?
This issue shall be reported to the Youth Protection Officer.

6Part CPart C
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS
c. Duty of
Care Youth Justice Act 1992
To ensure the proper
disposition of my duties
as a mentor, reporting
timely to my seniors and
helping the client to best
of my abilities.
Queensland Government, 2017. View -
Queensland Legislation - Queensland
Government. [online]
Legislation.qld.gov.au. Available at:
<https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/ht
ml/inforce/2017-07-01/act-1992-044>
Who would
you report this
to?
This shall be reported to My Senior Mentor and Supervisor.

Part C
a. What is your role within the context of delivering services to those experiencing or
are at risk of homelessness?
My role is to evaluate the safety of the people experiencing homelessness and make
appropriate referrals for them to ensure they meet their safety requirements. I shall refer
them to appropriate people in the organization to provide them direct help and also
counsel them to keep positive approach towards the problem. I shall support them in case
of any discrimination and help them address issue at higher levels (Parsell, Jones and
Head 2012).
b. What are the housing options for Marcus and Julie? Identify at least three options.
Supported accommodation is a short-term option that can help Marcus and his mother to
get back onto his feet.
Independent living option shall help Marcus and his mother owning his home.
Supervised group housing shall allow Marcus and his mother with his daily needs, living
skills, and paying bills.
c. List two services that you can contact and liaise with to help Marcus and Julie with
their various issues.

8Part CPart C
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS
The two services which can be contacted and liaised with to help Marcus and Julie are
Homelessness Australia and Brisbane Youth Service. These two work on the same issues
which are faced by the two of them (Homelessness Australia, 2017). The services
provided by them includes help to young parents, young women, advocacy, emergency
relief in the time of crisis, health services either free of cost or at very minimal charges
and housing facilities. These facilities shall help Marcus and Julie deal with their issues
and get a better life (Brisbane Youth Service, 2017).
d. What is the role of the youth centre as an organisation within the context of the
housing sector?
As an organization, the youth centre acts as an intermediary between various housing
service providers and the people facing issues of homelessness. The youth centre can plan
the housing of various unprivileged people and help construct a community which can
help themselves with the minimum help from service providers in the community.
Further, the centre can maintain a pool of housing service providers and help the people
who need such service in planning of the service they shall avail(Parsell, Jones and Head
2012).
e. Describe three case management activities that would be required to help Marcus and
Julie. Be aware of your own personal values and attitudes when planning and
implementing those activities.

1.
Provide counselling to both - this shall enable them evaluate their current
scenario and plan their future accordingly. Both shall revive their faith on life.
Marcus wants to commit suicide, while Julie sees no hope in her life and has
thus succumbed to drinking alcohol. Counselling shall help Marcus develop
positive attitude towards his problems. On the other hand, Julie shall be
convinced to come out of her grief of the past and focus on her child’s and her
future.
2.
Plan rehabilitation for Julie – Rehabilitation facility would help Julie overcome
her alcohol addiction. It shall be combined with regular counselling and other
therapy sessions to make sure that she is improving and getting back to her
normal self gradually. It shall also make her overcome the years of abuse faced
by her. She shall also be motivated to work and sustain her family to earn a
better life.
3.
Plan school and part time job management for Marcus – Marcus has not been
attending school frequently. Despite being good at his subjects, he has not been
performing well. To overcome this, the teachers shall focus on him for a time
being. Along with his studies, Marcus shall also work part time to earn his daily
bread till Julie is recovering from her addictions. With Julie doing well in her
treatment, Marcus shall be able to focus on his life and career better(McGorry,
Bates and Birchwood 2013).

10Part CPart C
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS
References
Brisbane Youth Service, 2017. Brisbane Youth Service | Helping Homeless and At-Risk
Youth. [online] Brisbane Youth Service. Available at: <http://brisyouth.org/> [Accessed 6
Oct. 2017].
Homelessness Australia, 2017. About us | Homelessness Australia. [online]
Homelessnessaustralia.org.au. Available at:
<http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/about/about-us> [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017].
McGorry, P., Bates, T. and Birchwood, M., 2013. Designing youth mental health services for
the 21st century: examples from Australia, Ireland and the UK. The British Journal of
Psychiatry, 202(s54), pp.s30-s35.
Parsell, C., Jones, A. and Head, B., 2012. Policies and programmes to end homelessness in
Australia: Learning from international practice. International Journal of Social Welfare,
22(2), pp.186-194.
Queensland Government, 2017. Child protection legislation. [online] Child Safety Services,
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (Queensland
Government). Available at: <https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-
children/about-child-protection/child-protection-legislation> [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017].
Queensland Government, 2017. Mandatory reporting. [online] Child Safety Services,
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (Queensland
Government). Available at: <https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-
children/about-child-protection/mandatory-reporting> [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017].

Queensland Government, 2017. View - Queensland Legislation - Queensland Government.
[online] Legislation.qld.gov.au. Available at:
<https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/2017-07-01/act-1992-044> [Accessed
6 Oct. 2017].