Universal Screening and Supports - prevention and early intervention program for youth homelessness
Homes NSW’s Universal Screening and Supports (USS) is a prevention and early intervention response to homelessness for children and young people.
The Universal Screening and Support (USS) program uses a screening tool that is administered to all consenting students in Years 7-12 within participating schools.
Identifying risk
The tool identifies young people who are at risk of:
- homelessness
- mental health issues
- school disengagement.
Students can also be referred to the program by schools or other support providers or if the student self refers.
Support for students and families
The lead support agencies in each area provide students and their families wrap around holistic support to reduce the risk of homelessness and address any underlying or associated issues.
This support is done through a collaborative model with other local services called the Communities of Schools and Services (COSS) model.
About the screening tool
Upstream Australia holds the intellectual property of the screening tool and the COSS model which are central to the USS program.
Current program location
The program started in 2019 and is currently running in Albury. Yes Unlimited is the lead agency delivering the Albury Project and supporting 3 local high schools.
Learn more about USS
Watch this animation to learn more about USS and how it is helping young people at risk of homelessness.
Evaluation of the USS Pilot
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) commissioned the Social Policy and Research Centre, in partnership with Deloitte and IPSOS ATSIRU, to undertake a process, outcomes and economic evaluation of the USS pilot over 2019-2022. The Evaluation was across the 2 pilot sites:
- Albury
- Mount Druitt.
The final report was completed in 2023 and published in 2024.
A copy of the report can be found at Evaluation of the Universal Screening and Support Pilot.
USS: The Albury Project
We are working with local communities in Albury through the USS program to prevent and reduce homelessness among young people.
Yes Unlimited is leading the Albury Project, supporting 3 local high schools.
Learn more about the Albury Project
Watch this video to learn more about the USS program in Albury.
