Support young people’s communication with their families
Working effectively with young people often involves engaging families, caregivers, and chosen family in complex, time‑limited youth service contexts. Practitioners can be uncertain about how to propose family involvement, manage confidentiality, respond to heightened emotion, and maintain safety.
Developed by Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS) and the Bouverie Centre, Single Session Family Consultation (SSFC): Youth Services equips youth-focused practitioners—including youth workers, counsellors, social workers, and allied health professionals—with evidence-informed, family-inclusive approaches for real-world practice.
SSFC: Youth Services is an online learning module you can complete at your own pace, pause and return to at any time, and review the content. The course features practice theory and examples, interactive activities and reflective questions to consolidate your learning.
At the completion of the module, you will receive a certificate of completion.
Course length: 1.5 hours (CPD hours)
Who is this relevant too?
SSFC: Youth Services is for professionals working within the SSFC practice framework who want to further develop their skills and expertise in developing their practice in youth service contexts.
It is particularly relevant for:
- Direct practice practitioners, including youth workers, AOD workers, case workers, counsellors, social workers, family support workers, community development workers, and practitioners in outreach, residential, and day program settings.
- Supervisors, senior practitioners, and team leaders responsible for supporting or embedding family‑inclusive and youth‑centred practice within services.
- Managers and program leads seeking to strengthen organisational capability in family‑inclusive youth work and SSFC implementation.
The primary client group includes young people and their families, particularly those experiencing substance use, mental health challenges, trauma, family conflict, justice involvement, housing instability, out‑of‑home care, or marginalisation.
Prior knowledge
Single-Session Family Consultation online learning and/or in-practice workshop
Practice experience using the SSFC framework
SSSFC: Youth Services overview
This module builds confidence and skills in family-inclusive practice with young people by providing practical, evidence-informed strategies not typically found in standard youth service training. Drawing on SSFC principles, family- and community-inclusive practice, and relational safety, it offers actionable tools for convening, conducting, and following up on single session work, ensuring practical application of these approaches immediately in real-world settings.
Learning Outcomes
By completing this learning module, participants outcomes include:
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Describe how Single Session Family Consultation (SSFC) can be adapted for youth service contexts.
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Apply SSFC principles to the convening, conducting, and follow‑up stages when working with young people, families, and chosen family members.
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Demonstrate effective ways of proposing SSFC to young people and family members, including negotiating confidentiality and participation.
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Identify and respond to common challenges in youth‑focused SSFC, including high emotion, conflict, safety concerns, and family violence considerations.
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Develop and use youth‑appropriate psychoeducation strategies within SSFC to address families’ prioritised needs and build shared understanding.
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Plan safe and feasible SSFC sessions across different service settings, including home‑based and outreach contexts, in line with organisational guidelines.