What we hear

What young people tell us.

"Adults talk over you and make plans about your life without asking"
"People tell you what mentoring is instead of asking what you actually want"
"You feel like a case number, not a person"
"Workers change every few months and you have to start over"
"You have been in services that felt like therapy when you did not sign up for therapy"

How we help

What working with SCA looks like.

01

You get a say in who your mentor is, not just handed one

02

We meet you where you actually want to be, not in an office

03

You choose what we work on together, based on what matters to you

04

We show up when we say we will, and if we cannot, we tell you before

05

This is not therapy. Nobody is going to force you to talk about feelings

06

The same mentor keeps working with you, we do not swap people out on you

Mentoring for young people in Western and South West Sydney, done the way it should have been done the first time. If you are aged 12 to 20 and living with a disability, learning stuff, or something rough from the past, we are here for that. But we are going to do it your way, not ours.

Our founder Yosmerys started SCA because she was tired of watching young people get pushed through services that never actually asked them anything. This one is different. You have a real say in it.

What we hear from young people

Adults talk about you like you are not in the room. Workers show up late or not at all. Someone builds a plan for your life in a meeting you did not go to. You get told what mentoring is instead of asked what you need. You end up in a program that feels like school or therapy when you never asked for either.

You are done with people who do not turn up. You are done with being called a case number. You want somebody who is going to be straight with you and stick around.

How SCA works with young people

Here is the deal. You pick your mentor. We show you one or two people and you decide if they feel right. If it is not a match, we find someone else. No pressure, no guilt trip.

We meet where you actually want to be. That could be a cafe, the gym, the shops, a park, the library, a driving lesson, the beach at Cronulla, or the couch at home. Not an office.

You choose what we work on. Maybe you want help getting a licence. Maybe you want to figure out how to get a job. Maybe you want someone who is not your mum to help you sort out a phone plan, budget your money, or handle Centrelink. Maybe you just want a person who checks in and does something normal with you every week. All of that is fine.

This is not therapy. Nobody is going to make you sit in a room and talk about your feelings. If you want to talk, we will listen. If you do not, we will get on with whatever you actually came for. We will not push you.

We show up when we say we will. If your mentor is sick or something goes wrong, they let you know before the session, not after. Same mentor sticks with you. We do not swap people around on you every few months.

What to expect in the first two weeks

First, we have a short chat, in person or on the phone, whichever feels less awkward. You do not have to answer anything you do not want to. Then we send you one or two mentors to meet. You pick.

Second week, first session. You choose what you want to do. It can be small. Coffee, a walk, a drive, whatever. The point is to see if the person feels right. If it does not, tell us and we will change it.

We will ask what matters to you and write it down in normal words, not clinical ones. You get a copy.

How to start

You can text or ring 0480 800 521 yourself. You do not need a parent or a worker to do it for you. If it is easier to have somebody else refer you, that is fine too. Or email info@supportingcommunitiesaustralia.com and just say you want a chat. We will come back to you within a working day and we will not put you on hold.

Real talk mentoring for young people. You set the pace, we show up.