Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2009 | Page 14

Our Belief in Young People
gaining their trust and confidence

The evidence is now clear that adolescence is a
“window of opportunity” to recover from a traumatic
childhood and rekindle hope for a better future.
We understand that when young people engage in risk
taking behavior they are trying to deal with their pain,
anger and grief.
We understand that when young people drop out of
school, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to learn.
It’s about their lack of confidence in making friends,
their embarrassment that they are academically
behind their peers or a reflection of the chaotic
home life they have had.
We also understand that the only way we can help
these young people become the adults they want to
be is to look beyond their behaviour to the causes
and to build their trust.

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Over the year we worked with 362 young people, all of
whom faced multiple challenges, including profound
trauma, dislocation from family and friends, substance
abuse, mental illness and intellectual disability. This is
a 57% increase on last year and reflects the skills we
have to engage with these particular young people.
We worked intensively with 209 young people and
another 99 young people in supported housing
arrangements. Eighty people were trained as
mentors to provide role models, friendship and new
opportunities for 67 young people. This includes
mentors who helped 14 young people to get their
Learner Driver’s Permit, which is such an important
rite of passage.
We also engaged 131 young people in group activities
such as our Wilderness Program in Gippsland.