Youth Mentors - Staying on Track program
Bridges Health & Community Care – Bundaberg QLD
Bridges Health & Community Care Ltd is proud to deliver the new Staying on Track (SoT) program, part of the Queensland Government's Making Queensland Safe plan funded by the Qld Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support.
BHCC's SoT catchment area includes the Sunshine Coast (Gympie) and the Central Qld region (Hervey Bay, and Bundaberg with outreach to the North Burnett).
Staying on Track supports young people aged *****, leaving detention to successfully return to their families and communities.
The program will offer up to 12 months of support with at least 6 months of intensive supervision to help youth offenders turn their lives away from crime.
Staying on Track is for young people aged ****** who are remanded or sentenced by a court in a youth detention centre (YDC), or, by exception, held in a watchhouse.
This includes young people who are released on bail, those subject to ongoing statutory community-based orders, and those who have completed a sentence.
The Positions
Bridges is seeking to employ experienced youth mentors to assist in the delivery of the Staying on Track program for youth ages ******* funded by the Queensland Youth Justice & Victims Support.
We have multiple positions for First Nations' cultural workers who identify as traditional owners/custodians of the Wide Bay region available in to commence late September to October ****.
Team Leader, Family Practitioner, Social Worker as well as Youth and Cultural Mentor roles are also available.
Background and staffing
Bridges Health & Community Care Ltd (Bridges) Staying on Track (SoT) service model is grounded in strong local partnerships, cultural leadership, and decades of experience supporting young people within regional Queensland.
We respond to intersecting challenges—such as trauma, disrupted education, co-occurring mental health and substance use, and early justice involvement—through sustained, tailored wraparound support.
All team members receive trauma-informed training, cultural and general supervision, and reflective practice to ensure safe, strengths-based support for high-risk young people.
Service delivery is coordinated by a multi-disciplinary team that includes Program Leads cultural advisors, mentors, and operational support staff.
This team is responsible for referral management, mentoring supervision, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and quality assurance.
Program Leads and Team Leaders ensure quality, risk and compliance in all areas, program fidelity, communication, stakeholder engagement and partnerships, and overseeing data and reporting.
Cultural advisors guide the culturally safe delivery.
Operational support staff provide administrative support to the SoT staff, including processing referrals, capturing data, sourcing supplies and services, and ensuring staff have the resources necessary to fulfil their roles, e.g access to vehicles, IT etc.
Mentors are the primary point of contact for young people, but their work is embedded within a team structure that ensures continuity, safety, and accountability.
Mentors receive regular supervision, participate in reflective practice, and are supported by staff in managing risk and delivering services aligned with the individual's Service Response Plan (SRP).
Central to our SoT model is a sustained mentoring relationship.
Each young person is supported by a dedicated mentor who provides continuity from detention through to 12 months post-release.
Mentors, many with lived experience of justice involvement, cultural disconnection, or recovery, provide continuity, cultural safety, and relational support that underpins every aspect of service delivery.
Change becomes possible when a young person feels seen, heard and respected.
This relationship becomes especially critical during high-risk periods such as the first 72 hours post-release.
We target dynamic risk factors—such as family dysfunction, school disengagement, and substance use—by strengthening protective elements such as cultural identity, trusted relationships, motivation, and community connection.
Our culturally safe, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive approach supports young people with dignity and respect, providing the scaffolding for long-term desistance from offending.
Applications
To register your interest please attach a cover letter and a copy of your CV below.
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