Whether it is through research or on-the-ground work with youth at risk, MYSA has a long history of working in partnership with others to improve life chances for multicultural young people.
MYSA was invited to be one of only three states in the national Refugee Youth Settlement Pilot in 2011 by the then Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). This pilot aimed to test a new approach to the settlement of 16 and 17 year old unaccompanied refugee minors (without parents or any pre-existing carer in Australia).
MYSA was one of only three providers nationally to deliver the Refugee Youth Support (RYS) Pilot, a federally funded high-profile project established to provide specialist support to unaccompanied humanitarian minors (UHMs) transitioning out of community detention.
The RYS represented a new approach to the care of UHMs in which minors exiting community detention were given the option of going into state care where they would receive 24 hour supervision from a state-appointed caregiver or participating in new project designed to prepare them for independent living. Under the RYS, MYSA provided reception, orientation, 24 hour on call support, independent accommodation, case management, material and practical support and life and independent living skills to UHMs.
A key goal of the RYS was to equip UHMs with the independent living skills required to effectively transition into the private rental market upon turning 18 years of age. With a reputation as a leader in youth homelessness, St John's Youth Service was the ideal partner for this project.
In 2012, both MYSA and St John's received different awards for their involvement in the RYS.