Northern Homeless Youth Dual Diagnosis Initiative (HYDDI) focuses on developing the knowledge and abilities of youth Specialist Homelessness Services workers in the north of Melbourne, including Hope Street workers, to identify and respond with early intervention to the complex needs of young people experiencing homelessness.
What does the program offer?
The initiative fosters ongoing partnerships between mental health, drug and alcohol and youth homelessness services and provides:
- primary consultation offering a confidential specialist mental health and substance use assessment, with the case manager present to promote capacity building
- secondary consultation advising case managers on brief interventions and strategies, information on referral for specialist treatment, services coordination and clinical problem solving
- individual and group support for case managers on working with clients with a dual diagnosis
- short term co-case management of clients with an emerging or current complex needs or dual diagnosis
- training and development
HYDDI is funded by the Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government. Northern HYDDI is implemented through a partnership between Hope Street and the NorthWestern Mental Health (NWMH), the mental health arm of Melbourne Health. A HYDDI Practitioner is employed by NWMH's Substance Use and Mental Illness Treatment Team (SUMITT) and is co-located at Hope Street.
How can young people enter this program?
Young people must be:
- 16 - 25 years of age and have an emerging and/or impacting mental health and substance use issue (no formal diagnosis required)
- linked via connections/supports (family, friends, school, training, employment, medical, etc) to the North and North-West Metropolitan region of Melbourne
- assigned to a primary youth housing case manager
- not already linked into a government mental health service
Please contact your nearest access point(s) listed on this page to find out more about entering this program.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Learn more about the young people supported, and our impact, from our latest Annual Report.