Youth Network

Recovery is a lifelong journey

When young people complete residential treatment for substance use, their long-term health and wellbeing rests on what comes next. Aftercare is what carries recovery into the rest of a young person’s life. It gives them a safe and supportive place to land after completing treatment for addiction, empowering them to avoid harmful behaviours that impact their wellbeing.

Supporting recovery through Youth Network

Aftercare is a six-month program that supports young people aged 12–25 as they return to community life after withdrawal or residential treatment.

Since 2022, Martin Youth Foundation has funded the expansion of Aftercare through Youth Network — a collaboration with Mission Australia that supports dedicated aftercare workers across four sites in NSW and WA.

Aftercare helps young people to:

Reconnect with families

reconnect with their families and communities

Maintain health

maintain their health and wellbeing

Secure

secure stable housing

Pursue Education

pursue education and employment opportunities

Aftercare that changes lives

Through Youth Network, young people develop steady relationships with an aftercare worker who supports them to maintain their recovery, wellbeing and goals. A 2025 evaluation of the Youth Network program found that the relationship between young people and their aftercare workers is the single most important factor in sustaining recovery.

Our impact

Four locations across Australia

Youth Network aftercare programs are available at four sites in NSW and WA:

Triple Care Farm (Southern Highlands, NSW)

Triple Care Farm Walawaani (Batemans Bay, NSW)

Mac River Rehabilitation Centre (Dubbo, NSW)

Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) (Perth, WA)

Youth Network aftercare programs are available at four sites in NSW and WA:

Meeting urgent demand

Youth Network emerged from Martin Youth Foundation’s Evolve 2020: Are we doing enough for young people with drug and alcohol addiction? research report. This work highlighted widespread unmet need for youth AOD programs across Australia. Providing aftercare to all young people following residential treatment emerged as a key recommendation. Youth Network was established two years later.

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