Kayla, 23, moved into Mind’s Youth Residential Rehabilitation (YRR) service in Rosanna after living with her grandparents for a number of years.
“I need a lot of support and they couldn’t do that and we all needed our own space,” Kayla said.
Moving into a new environment and being around other young people was challenging after living with just her grandparents. Experiences in the past had made it feel unsafe for Kayla to ask for help.
“The first time I walked in here (YRR), it was scary and daunting. I refused to ask for any help and if anyone asked me if I needed help I said no. Asking for help felt very humiliating for me.”
“I saw other people ask for help and they would get it and nothing bad happened so, after the first few times, I asked too and it was fine,” Kayla said. “It felt amazing!”
As well as being a safe space, the YRR is a place where Kayla can build important life skills.
“Kayla’s independent living skills have grown a lot of and she has made great progress with her speech pathologist,” said the YRR teamleader Anja Hanekom. “They are working together on how Kayla can communicate more effectively with others when she is feeling distressed – helping her to better verbalise and act.”
“I’m learning a lot about myself and how I deal with feelings,” Kayla said. “I have some trauma from conflict in the past that made me not know how to deal with it and I’ve learnt a lot about the types of speech patterns like passive aggressive and assertive and what to use.”
Kayla is also being supported with managing everyday skills, such as cleaning.
“I get help a lot with doctor’s appointments, doing dishes, cleaning. They help me with the motivation and I have a bad back so they help with the heavy lifting,” Kayla said.
Anja said Kayla’s challenges are similar to many young people who come to the service.
“We support young people who are struggling with everyday living, family problems, and various mental health issues,” she said. “Many come to us from dysfunctional backgrounds and motivation and routine are common areas people can need support with.”
The service provides individual and group based support that builds resilience, interpersonal and life skills, and a greater sense of being able to make sound decisions, including healthy lifestyle choices. It also supports young people into education and employment.
Today Kayla loves to talk to and mix with people.
“She attends every group and enjoys it – that’s her social interaction,” Anja said. “She enjoys talking with staff and we help her set her routine which is very important to her. We have a shopping group which she enjoys and community meals on Thursday lunchtimes and a baking group.”
“I love all the staff here they are amazing people. I absolutely love catching up with each and every one of them. Everyone is so chilled,” Kayla said.
“I’m good friends with another person who lives here too and they’re amazing – we are silly together and she’s great fun.”
Kayla’s support team is working on the next step for Kayla after her time at YRR is over.
“People stay up to 12 months, but housing is such an issue that it is hard to place them,” Anja said.
This is Kayla’s second YRR placement, as she was unable to find accommodation after a placement at YRR Wodonga. “I didn’t have anywhere to go; there was nothing I could afford,” Kayla said.
The YRR team has been hoping to be able to secure a place at Haven Wodonga, so Kayla could be close to her grandparents and get the housing and support she needs, but unfortunately the NDIS has not provided adequate support. This is a common challenge as the NDIS tries to reduce costs.
In the meantime, Kayla is positive about her time at the service.
“YRR has been an overwhelmingly good experience for me and I have enjoyed every minute,” Kayla said.
Mind provides Youth Residential Recovery services for people aged 16-24 in Victoria, in Rosanna, Wodonga and Traralgon, and in Aitkenvale in Queensland.
If this article raises concerns for you, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders can also call 13 YARN (13 92 76) a 24/7 national crisis support telephone service staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Having meaningful and productive conversations with young people can be challenging, especially when trying to discuss their mental health and what’s going on in their lives.
“We need more places that support mental health and housing, and we need to keep the NDIS. The NDIS has changed my life; every day I wake up happy, I’ve got a very good support worker and my life is going well now.”
This is Andrea’s message for Homelessness Week 2025 – a time to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness and the solutions needed to end homelessness.
