- The Queensland Government has begun recruiting a new team of qualified staff to provide intensive case management of high risk repeat young offenders in Toowoomba and across the Darling Downs.
- The initiative forms part of a commitment to prioritise and invest in community safety with tougher action on youth crime and its causes.
- The team of eight will deliver intensive case management in the Darling Downs for the Department of Youth Justice, as part of an expansion of the program across several locations.
The Palaszczuk Government has begun recruiting a new team of intensive case managers in Toowoomba to work one-on-one with high risk repeat young offenders to tackle the complex causes of youth crime.
The new investment is part of the government's record youth justice budget, which includes a $100 million expansion of intervention, diversionary and rehabilitation programs to support community safety.
Intensive case management will complement other services including a new co-responder team whose work includes bail compliance checks; connecting young people to health and education services; parenting and family support; drug and alcohol rehabilitation; and detention where there is an unacceptable risk to community safety.
The team will have eight staff – including six intensive case managers who will each provide interventions for up to five high risk repeat young offenders at a time.
Three of the eight positions have been filled, and the service will be provided across the Darling Downs, south to Goondiwindi and west to Chinchilla.
Staff will work closely with young people aged 10 to 17, as well as their families, so they become more accountable and change anti-social behaviours and attitudes, while also ensuring they receive tailored assistance to address their needs.
This typically includes getting teens back into education, helping families improve parenting skills and home environments, and connecting them to support services to tackle issues such drug and substance misuse.
The average amount of time for intensive case management is nine months.
There are ICM teams already in several locations, and they are being expanded in Brisbane North, Cairns, Gold Coast, Logan, Caboolture/Moreton and Rockhampton through the employment of 47 additional staff. New teams are also being launched in Brisbane South and Ipswich. The expansion is being backed by an extra investment of $30 million over four years.
A statewide evaluation of the program found a 51 per cent reduction in the frequency of offending and a 72 per cent reduction in the proportion of 'crimes against the person', such as assault and causing injury.
Quotes attributed to Minister for Youth Justice Di Farmer:
"There needs to be a real balance in the way we treat youth crime.
"Young people need to be held accountable when they persist in harming Queenslanders, and that's why we strengthened our laws this year.
"But we've also got to make sure that we get young people in the youth justice system off a destructive path, so we can stop them from hurting the community and prevent them from eventually ending up in adult prison.
"Intensive case managers will effectively walk alongside young people, giving them the guidance and practical help they need to divert them from crime.
"It's challenging and difficult work, but we know from intensive case managers in other parts of Queensland that this work makes a significant difference."
Quotes attributed to Youth Justice regional director Nima Pulou:
"We are focused on delivering evidence-based programs, and intensive case management is one of those that's been proven to make a difference.
"The strength of this work comes from the fact that case managers work one-on-one with young people, as well as their families, so they can meet individual needs.
"These needs are complex and challenging, and require time and intensive help.
"Residents here made it clear they wanted more measures to help keep the community safe, while also turning around young lives for the better.
"This new team of intensive case managers will be an important part of the package of new measures that will be working to achieve exactly that."
