NDIS Youth Employment Services

NDIS Youth Employment Services at Connected Self

Our NDIS Youth Employment Service; Creative Pathways to Employment (CPE), involves empowering young people with the confidence, skills, and real-world experience they need to transition successfully from school into work that is meaningful and most suited to them. Our program is created for high school students transitioning from school and young adults who are exploring entering the workforce for the first time. However, if you are slightly outside this cohort or believe this service would benefit you we are happy to discuss further. You can register your interest through our EOI link below.

Delivered across a year in four 10-week blocks, our program provides a supportive pathway, tailored to each participant’s unique strengths, interests, and goals. We combine practical, hands-on learning with personalised guidance, helping participants build both the “hard” (teachable and technical) skills and the “soft” (interpersonal, relational) skills essential for seeking and securing work. We work to provide specialised and supported pathways to work experience or employment, ensuring every individual has access to opportunities that suit their needs.

Support with a difference

We support young people with disabilities to move toward meaningful employment through personalised guidance and inclusive group programs. Our dedicated employment coaches work one on one with participants while also supporting them within a collaborative group setting.

There are two focused group work streams that take a holistic approach to supporting young people:

Wellbeing stream

This program has been developed with our art and expressive therapists to help participants identify and learn about their wellbeing and mental health needs.

Functional needs stream

This program has been developed with our occupational therapists and supports participants to understand how they work best and what skills they need to develop.
With the additional support of employment coaches who further personalise the group learnings, participants have an integrated experience that is both engaging and enjoyable.

Creative Pathways to Employment aims to:

  • Lead to sustainable employment
  • Build participant pre-employment skills
  • Increase young people’s confidence and career aspirations for employment
  • Support the transition from school to employment
  • Engage providers who understand the needs of participants and are willing to innovate
  • Enable young participants to be informed consumers and exercise choice and control of their services
  • Provide individualised employment related assessment and counselling as needed
  • Engage in employment preparation and support in a group setting

How to Access Creative Pathways to Employment with Connected Self

We are a NDIS registered organisation and for Creative Pathways to Employment we are able to bill under:

  • Employment Assistance (line: 10_016_0102_5_3)
  • School Leaver Employment Supports (line: 10_021_0102_5_3)

How to Access NDIS funding for Employment Assistance or School Leaver Employment Supports

  1.  Discuss at School
    Speak with teachers and career counsellors in the final year of school.
  2. NDIS Plan Review: Discuss adding SLES or Employment Assistance to the NDIS plan with an NDIS planner, Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or Support Coordinator.
  3. Choose a Provider: Select a specialised employment provider to create a tailored a personalised employment plan.

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more about NDIS Youth Employment Services at Connected Self? Please complete the expression of interest form below, or email: employmentpathways@connectedself.com.au

Polyvagal Practices

Polyvagal practices aim to enhance physiological regulation, restore a sense of safety, and promote engagement through autonomic nervous system regulation.

This enhances social and emotional learning, including recognising and regulating emotions (from a physiological lens) and developing empathy for others.

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PACE

Developed as part of attachment-focused family therapy, PACE is a trauma-informed approach aiming to create safe, trusting, emotionally connected relationships with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma or attachment difficulties. PACE stands for:

Playfulness

  • Approaching with an open, ready, calm, relaxed and engaged attitude.
  • Not taking yourself/situations too seriously.
  • Diffusing difficult/tense situations.

Acceptance

  • Unconditionally accepting the current state/mood/behaviour.
  • Accepting that there are things unseen that lie below behaviour.
  • Acceptance supports feeling secure, safe and loved

Curiosity

  • Understanding the child gently and without judgement.
  • Supporting child to bring awareness to their inner life.
  • Wondering statements.

Empathy

  • A sense of compassion and understanding for young person’s feelings and thoughts.

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Expression of experience when words are not enough

Art Therapy does not rely on verbal language. It is a therapeutic approach that provides many different mediums for communication. It is a useful mechanism when clients may not yet have the language to express their experiences.

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Contain difficult feelings and build tolerance

Art making holds or contains the difficult feelings allowing them to be felt and experienced gradually – building tolerance to discomfort.

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