New data paints a distressing picture of the deterioration in the mental health of homeless children and teenagers. Melbourne city mission says up to seventy percent of young people accessing its services has had a mental health crisis so severe it resulted in presentation to a hospital emergency department.
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00:00 Knitting is one way 19-year-old Ollie is keeping the threads of his life together.
00:06 This one is going to be a sort of cardigan type of thing.
00:11 Ollie, who does not want to be identified, became homeless aged just 16.
00:16 While couch surfing and living in transitional housing,
00:19 he was admitted to hospital emergency departments at least 10 times.
00:24 I was struggling with some substance abuse issues,
00:30 I was struggling with my mental health quite a lot,
00:33 and not having a comfortable place to call home and go back to each day
00:39 was definitely exacerbating that.
00:42 Victoria's biggest youth homelessness provider says up to 70% of 16-24 year olds
00:48 who use their services experienced a mental health episode.
00:52 Many were so severe they ended up in hospital.
00:55 Most of them are escaping family violence.
00:58 Melbourne City Missions Front Yard Crisis Accommodation
01:01 is a home for young people with nowhere else to go,
01:04 but it's a short-term solution.
01:06 Usually accommodation is provided for 6 to 12 weeks
01:10 with a focus on securing housing.
01:13 Now housing is not available.
01:15 More than 122,000 Australians were homeless at the last census.
01:20 Nearly a quarter of those were aged between 12 and 24.
01:24 Advocates say this group has complex needs which aren't being met.
01:29 We're living through the worst youth mental health crisis in history.
01:33 It's heading south.
01:36 The Victorian Government says it's invested more than $6 billion in mental health
01:40 in the last three years and is working on a housing statement.
01:44 Ollie now has a job and a home.
01:47 Adjusting to being a quote-unquote regular young adult.
01:53 Raising hopes for others still suffering.
01:56 sufferings.
01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]