Youthlaw @ Ballarat Community Health is a Health Justice Partnership between Youthlaw, Ballarat Community Health, Ballarat and Central Highlands Community Legal Service and Federation University. The partnership provides a health justice legal service for young people, addressing the relationship between health outcomes and un-met legal needs. It provides:
- Legal help for young people 25 and under who attend Ballarat Community Health (BCH) / other health services in the Central Highlands Region and who also have legal needs. Health workers, youth workers and other allied professionals can refer young people to the Youthlaw team at Ballarat Community Health with a young person's consent, so that the Youthlaw team can provide onsite legal assistance or outreach as needed. Workers from outside BCH from other agencies in the region already assisting vulnerable and disadvantaged young people can also refer clients to Youthlaw @ Ballarat for legal assistance.
- Assistance for health workers, youth workers and other allied professionals working with young people on how to identify early on, young people who may be experiencing legal problems and how to support young people with legal needs (through free training and tailored consultations). For more information on how Youthlaw @ Ballarat can assist health workers, please see: support for youth workers.
- Collaboration between lawyers and other health professionals supporting young people, to enhance the capacity of both professional groups to better understand the nexus between the health and legal wellbeing of clients.
- Website resources (via www.stuck.org.au) to facilitate access to legal resources for those who work with young people and for young people themselves.
