History
Aims
Values
Annual Reports
Constitution
Media Articles

NYAS is a community based, non-government organisation providing crisis, medium and long-term accommodation and support services to homeless young people and young families in the Nepean Region.

NYAS has been operating in the region since March 1989 when it was first incorporated as Penrith Youth Refuge, providing crisis accommodation for homeless youth. Prior to that time the refuge was operated as an unincorporated entity. In 1996 the refuge joined with Penrith Youth Network, which provided transitional accommodation for young males and females in the area. It was on the 16th May 1996 that the entity of Nepean Youth Accommodation Support Inc (NYAS) was formed and incorporated.

Since then, NYAS has added a variety of services for young people and young families.

• December 2005 - Established an intensive support services for young people with more complex needs.
• March 2006 - As part of a consortium, won a tender to provide parenting programs under the Brighter Futures initiative.
• September 2006 - Financial Case Management provided in association with Centrelink.
• Throughout 2006 - Living Skills programs were enhanced with a worker dedicated to developing these services.
• February 2008 - The Department of Community Service announced that NYAS, as part of a consortium, had been selected to provide semi-independent living services for the Out of Home Care program.

Today, the following services and programs form part of our service model:



Accommodation Support
Crisis accommodation - 24 x 7
Semi-supported living for young males
Transition to independent living

Parenting Services
Semi-supported living for young pregnant females
Young Parenting Program in home or groups

Support Services
Intensive Support Service
Brokerage Support
Financial Case Management
Living Skills Programs
• Hospitality
• Vocational Courses
• Family Mediation Support
• Computer Courses

As a partnering agency with the Department of Community Service, NYAS is funded under the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP), Brighter Futures (BF) and Out of Home Care (OOHC). SAAP is a joint State and Commonwealth Government initiative to help young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, while BF is an important component of Department of Community Service’ early intervention strategies, which aims to prevent young families escalating into child protection. Under the OOHC program, NYAS is funded to transition young people from foster care to independent living.

NYAS also receives ongoing funding from Centrelink to provide Financial Case Management to Centrelink clients, an important strategy in preventing escalation into homelessness and aiding self-reliance.

Over the course of it’s history, NYAS has been governed by a community based voluntary Management Committee, overseeing the work of its manager and staff.

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The aims of NYAS are:
To provide a continuum of accommodation options to young people and young families.

To provide outreach support to those living in their own homes and for those who have recently moved out of NYAS’ supported accommodation.

To provide support services that offer young people and their children and partners a comprehensive and holistic range of extension programs to improve their social and economic well being.

To work with other youth services in addressing youth homelessness.

To promote greater community awareness of the issues of homelessness, especially as they affect young people.

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The values of NYAS are:

To meet the needs of our community
To provide a range of accommodation and support services for homeless young people and young families in the Nepean Region. We undertake these services in a caring way that is safe, supportive and non-judgemental. We respect their independence and confidentiality.

To meet the needs of our staff
Our staff are a vital and valued component of our services. It is through their efforts that we can achieve our vision. At the core of our values is integrity, teamwork, ethics and responsible behaviour.

To meet the requirements of our funding providers
To continue to provide a range of accommodation and support services we must meet certain performance measures. We believe in providing quality services that meet the needs of young people, young families, our funding providers and the community through which we serve.

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The following Annual Reports are available for downloading as PDF files:

Year ended 30 June 2008
Year ended 30 June 2007
Year ended 30 June 2006
Year ended 30 June 2005

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NYAS in an incorporated entity and as such has a Constitution which is available for downloading as a PDF file here.

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“No Place Like Home” Penrith City Star 9 Aug 2005
“Finding Somewhere to Turn” Penrith Press 23 Aug 2005


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