Established in 2004, the Specialist Caregiver Programme provides young people with extreme behavioural problems the opportunity to live in a community family/whanau setting, with specialist caregivers supported by intensive clinical and social work services. Individual programmes are created with the treatment and activities required to address needs and risks, while supporting strengths and culture of the child and family/whanau. The aim is for the young person to return to their family/whanau. 

What’s Involved
While most youth require and receive high levels of supervision and intervention, which may otherwise indicate the need for residential care, it can be life-altering to experience living in a safe family environment, where positive examples can be set and maintained.  Each young person is given an individualised programme that provides for the services and activities required to address the strengths, needs and risks identified in the young person’s Individual Care Plan. Wherever possible young people will also participate in mainstream schooling or, alternatively, they will attend a registered state school that provides education to youth with extreme behavioural problems.

Staff
Specialist caregivers are carefully selected, and are trained to be fair, consistent and capable of managing both positive and problem behaviours. Where it is possible, young people will be placed with foster parents of the same ethnicity, while support is provided for rangatahi (youth people) by Maori staff. The team work closely with the young people on the programme and provide case management and caregiver support 24 hours a day.

Referrals to this service are made by Child, Youth and Family Social Workers via the Senior Advisor, Intensive Services, Ministry of Social Development, Child, Youth and Family. 

For further information please contact Nicholas McCarrison  (Programme Supervisor) on 09 573 0954 ext 241 / 021 673 281 or at nicholasm@youthorizons.org.nz