Mitch Brown first worked for Youth Off The Streets during his vocational training in youth work. He joined a team that was evolving and a community that needed more support than it was receiving – and he simply never left.
Today, Mitch leads a team that includes six caseworkers and youth workers, with one specifically focused on supporting First Nations children and young people. Together, they provide case management, capacity building school programs, outreach activities, and vocational programs through Youth Off The Streets’ Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Mitch takes pride in the innovation, dedication – and above all, the heart – that the Hunter team brings to their work. “I think in this sector, we’re called to be resourceful, to be adaptive and to be versatile,” he says.
“If you’re all those things, what you think you can do and what you can do are very, very different things. You just have to be motivated and have a care for it.
When you have a group of people who genuinely have a heart for people, you can trust them to make the right decisions,” he continues.
Whether it be working late to meet an identified need or devising and implementing a specific program with a week’s turnaround, Mitch says the team is dedicated to fulfilling “what this job and what this organisation was built for – doing what you can for young people”.
“So long as there are no safety concerns, we’re willing to go above and beyond for young people, and we’ll always do that.”
The impact: Nick’s* story
Mitch reflects that the focus he leads with today wasn’t always obvious in his childhood. “I’d finish school, head to the shed for a beer and everyone would end up at my place,” he says. “I was the leader of the group but also the mediator – I was always around antisocial behaviour.”
Mitch’s teenage experiences help him connect quickly with the young people he supports. One such young person was Nick*, whose self-confidence had been worn down by his mother, who struggled with alcohol misuse, and her boyfriend, who was verbally abusive. School offered no escape because of relentless bullying.
Because Nick was under 16, his mother’s refusal to consent meant support had to wait until he could seek help on his own. Once casework began, he spent years rebuilding his self-esteem. The trauma from his youth left lasting scars on Nick’s mental health and confidence. All the while, his caseworker supported him to secure a job – and rebuild his self-esteem when his mental health challenges made it hard for him to keep it.
“Then he eventually came to a point where I think something clicked,” Mitch recalls. “He got a little older, he may have been close to 18 at this point, and he just ‘locked in’. He started speaking with the Victims of Crime Counsellor [who comes to outreach once a fortnight].”
Nick secured another job in retail and has held it for a long time now. “His confidence has skyrocketed. He’s still living with Mum, but he’s turned the corner with confidence, so [his home life] has become better.”
Mitch also proudly shares that Nick has stopped drinking alcohol.
“He still checks in now and then, speaks with the Victims of Crime Counsellor,” Mitch says. “It’s just a complete turnaround to the point where he has the confidence to be a member of society. He can catch public transport efficiently. He’s working and has an income. He’s studying through TAFE as well – the whole shebang,” says Mitch. “He’s got it all going on.”
Youth Off The Streets’ Empowered Program
The Hunter Engagement and Support Team runs the Empowered Program, a mental wellbeing and capacity building program delivered in local schools. Supporting an average of six schools each term, the program covers everything from drug and alcohol education, self-esteem building and anger management.
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, with a waitlist to get the program into more surrounding local schools. “Schools and community centres have all communicated with each other, and people know about it now,” Mitch says.
Alongside the practical component, young people are offered a nutritious morning tea and take part in facilitated sporting activities.
With one youth worker or case worker for every five students in a class, and at least one male and one female staff member delivering the program at a time, there is not enough team capacity or funding to meet the needs of the community.
“I don’t want to have a waitlist,” says Mitch. “But the reality is that a lot of time is invested and it’s a lot of resources to have the youth workers and caseworkers there.”
A new school for the Maitland community
In mid-2026, Youth Off The Streets will open a new high school in Maitland, creating more opportunities for support than ever for young people like Nick.
“Working with local high schools and services in the area, Youth Off The Streets was able to determine the need for a Special Assistance School in the Hunter region,” says John Martin, Principal – North Cluster schools.
That need is clear – from day one, 26 students in Years 9–10 will be enrolled, with that number doubling the following year. In 2027, the school will expand to Year 11 classes.
“Our hope for the school is that we provide a holistic and therapeutic educational experience that allows our students to develop a positive sense of belonging in a safe and supportive environment,” says John.
He adds, “We hope to have a positive impact in their lives and connect them with opportunities within the wider school community that then allows them to have a positive impact on those around them.”
More than access to the alternative education these young people need to thrive, the school will contribute to the wider ambition of Youth Off The Streets to offer a seamless, wraparound youth support service.
This also includes services from other community groups. As John explains, it’s through collaboration that we can best support young people.
“We’re excited to form partnerships with local high schools, services, organisations and council to create the most positive experience for young people and to link them in with the community as they graduate from our school.”
Mitch concludes, “What I see here in the Hunter is having young people look at Youth Off The Streets in the community and know that they can walk through our doors and receive any kind of help they want or need.”
