Lighthouse Foundation Therapeutic Case Manager – Ruby
In the lead up to World Homelessness Day, Notice Board Systems has been running a campaign with Lighthouse Foundation. We are proud to support causes like this on our boards and screens which are close to the heart of many community members.
From an early age, Ruby, Therapeutic Case Manager of Lighthouse Foundation’s Community Connect Program, faced challenges of homelessness and housing instability. But that doesn’t necessarily mean what you might think. Through her work, she’s raising awareness around the misconceptions of youth homelessness, while playing a meaningful role the lives of youth facing challenges no young person should have to face.
Ruby, what motivated you to want to get involved in the issue of youth homelessness?
I think youth homelessness is an incredibly misunderstood and invisible issue, so a large motive for me is to unveil some of the misconceptions. Having a roof does not necessarily equal safe housing. Our mainstream housing systems are already insurmountably flooded by never ending waitlists, and young people are often excluded before even making the waitlist.
The misconception that having a roof is enough is dangerous because it means that so many people are falling through the cracks, as their housing instability is hidden until it reaches the stage of primary street homelessness. So while this is important, in part, the kind of safe housing we’re talking about here is cultural, psychological and it’s very personal.
Every day, we create safe houses [for ourselves] by putting up flags, posters and artworks, by filling our homes with food, books, plants, animals and people that we love and who love us. This inherent and unconditional acceptance in this space allows us to be vulnerable, and to recharge and learn and explore and to heal.
I’m motivated to raise awareness around youth homelessness because we’re seeing a shift in this landscape for young people and this demands attention.
How did you get involved with Lighthouse Foundation?
When I was looking for a role in social work with young people, I was really looking for an organization that honours the nuances of what it means to be without safe housing, and puts the young person first. I was really drawn to Lighthouse’s authentic “person first” and “housing first” model of care, which means they acknowledge that a person needs safe, secure housing first, before any other domain of life such as employment, education and health can be meaningfully addressed.
What does your role as a Therapeutic Case Manager in the Community Connect program entail?
I work in an outreach capacity with young people aged 16-25, who are, or are at risk of being, homeless. Unfortunately we don’t have any kind of magic button that gives people housing, but something really special about the Community Connect program is that we’re not restricted by location or time periods.
This means that when a young person moves around Melbourne, we’re able to provide some consistency and stability that they’re missing from safe housing. And it’s that relationship-based approach which ends up making the biggest impact.
What can locals do to help reduce youth homelessness in their communities?
As a community, we can do a lot to reduce the stigma by doing the work to understand homelessness better, and to be curious and open minded about people’s experiences and journeys. As well as this, there are many amazing charities and programs out there that work to prevent long term homelessness for young people. So donate money, raise awareness, but most importantly, do your research because what the general public sees on a day-to-day is only the tip of the iceberg of the housing crisis in Australia, and young people are often the most vulnerable and excluded from these systems.
Lighthouse Foundation is asking community members to donate $10 in the lead up to World Homelessness Day on Monday October 10th (ten dollars on the tenth of the tenth!) to help keep their programs running.
Notice Board Systems is proud to support their important work.