We get lots of questions about our support sessions in the B-Heard program. Here are our most frequently asked questions.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, you can reach out to us here.
No, there is no cost to attend support sessions with Brimbank Youth Services.
No. We have a referral form that helps us work out if our service is right for you. We can connect you with other helpful services as needed.
You can talk about anything that you want. The workers are there to support you with whatever topics are most important for you.
Some common examples of what young people have discussed include:
- Mixed feelings about school
- Social pressures
- Navigating friendships and partnerships
- Conflict at home
- Grief and loss
- Managing big emotions
- Feeling unsafe
- And more
Let us know if you would like an interpreter to attend your session; this can be organised with notice. Alternatively, we can try to connect you with a service that can offer support in your preferred language.
Support sessions are a private and confidential space. The only time a support worker would talk to your parents/guardian is if you were at risk of harm to yourself or others. The support worker would aim to speak with you about any safety concerns and call your emergency contact. The emergency contact person does not always have to be a parent, but they do need to be a trusted and responsible adult. The only other time a support worker would speak to your parents/guardian was if you asked them to.
In-person support sessions are available in some local schools, at the Visy Cares Hub in Sunshine or council facilities such as the Sydenham Community Hub or St Albans Community Centre.
We prefer to support young people in-person because it can help to boost engagement, rapport, and trust; it can also be easier to communicate with each other and it gives you an opportunity to see nearby services in the community. After attending some in-person sessions with your support worker, online sessions may be available depending on your circumstances.
Sure. We will let you know if we don’t have a counsellor available in your preferred gender.
Yes, sessions at Brimbank Youth Services are voluntary so you can end them at any time and for any reason. If you feel like ending all of a sudden or after a session that may have been challenging, it can be helpful to reach out and talk to your worker about it. Your feelings matter. Endings can be difficult, but ending in a relational way can be an opportunity for you to work through things differently from your past.
By letting us know, you can avoid follow up calls and text messages.
We understand that you won’t always click with everyone, and we want to make sure that you feel comfortable in your sessions. Please let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to find another work who has time to see you. If our team don’t have capacity to meet your request, we can refer you to another helpful service.
It happens! You may be sick or notice a clash with another important commitment. Please give us as much notice as possible if you can’t attend an appointment, this lets us offer the time to another young person in need. We will offer you another appointment when we can.
If you cancel at the last minute several times, we will have a chat to see if you have any concerns about the support work and whether it is the right time for you to continue sessions. If we do not hear back from you after several attempts to contact you, we will close your file. You are welcome to call us back for support at another time.
Sessions usually take 50 minutes and are scheduled either weekly or fortnightly. This is due to the number of young people requesting support and on the waitlist. We aim to see you regularly so that we can support as many young people in Brimbank as possible. Sessions are provided from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
You can contact your support worker via phone or email on the days that they work. If you cannot reach your support worker, you can contact a member of the Wellbeing and Belonging Team on 9249 4000. Keep in mind that workers cannot respond to messages/calls after hours and we are not a crisis service. If you experience an emergency, please call 000 or visit the emergency department of your closest hospital. Crisis numbers include Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
If you are leading up to your final session and feel like you need more support, chat with your worker about it. If it is agreed that more sessions will be beneficial, your worker will request approval to extend your sessions, or they will make sure that you are connected to another helpful service.
We encourage family inclusive practice where suitable and often find positive results when families are involved in the support sessions.
We also deliver the Tuning in to Teens program throughout the year. The parenting program aims to increase parent-child connection by improving emotional communication in the family. The program provides parents with a greater understanding of their children’s emotional experiences while teaching specific skills that can help in being supportive, empathic, and staying connected with children.
We do not accept friend requests from young people during or after support sessions. We follow ethical codes of practice to avoid dual relationships. We take your support journey seriously and by following these boundaries. We can support you if you need help in the future.
We are open to feedback because it allows us to continue improving the service. If you do not feel comfortable sharing your feedback with your support worker, please contact the Wellbeing and Belonging Team Leader or Brimbank Youth Services Coordinator on 9249 4000. You can also email bys@brimbank.vic.gov.au.
