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Proactive prevention
Understand each young person's needs, strengths, triggers and stressors, and increase predictability to reduce the likelihood of crisis.
Mackay, Queensland — Therapeutic Residential Care
A home that holds.
Care that heals.
Haven provides therapeutic residential care and outreach support for children and young people in Mackay and the surrounding region — grounded in trauma-informed practice and genuine therapeutic relationships.
Safe Support. Strong Families. Brighter Futures.
About Haven
A home for young people who need it most
Haven Youth & Family Support Services is a therapeutic residential care provider operating in the Mackay region of Queensland. We provide safe, stable, home-like residences for children and young people who are unable to live with their families — at a time when consistency, safety and skilled care matter most.
Everything we do is grounded in trauma-informed practice and the belief that genuine relationships are the engine of change for young people who have experienced complex trauma.
Our team members are skilled, well-supervised and consistent. And our practice is guided by the Haven Framework of Care — a living document that sets the standard for everything that happens in our homes.
"Recovery from trauma happens through safe, consistent relationships and a stable, predictable, home-like environment."
Guided by the Haven Framework of Care
[Indigenous artwork to be provided
by local artist — name TBC]
Artwork by [local indigenous artist name], Mackay region
Why our care is therapeutic
Understanding the young people we support
Young people entering residential care have typically experienced abuse, neglect, family violence, loss and repeated disruption — often complex, developmental trauma occurring within caregiving relationships. This shapes their capacity to trust, regulate and form relationships in profound ways.
Our care is deliberately therapeutic because we understand this. We respond to the young people they are still becoming, rather than imposing consequences or control. When the whole team responds in steady, predictable, attuned ways — that consistency becomes a form of safety in its own right. And safety is where healing begins.
Our Vision
"A future where every young person who has experienced trauma finds safety, belonging and hope in a place that feels like home – and grows toward a brighter future."
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Haven Framework of Care
Our Practice Principles
Haven aligns residential practice to these core principles:
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Relationships as intervention
Safe, consistent and attuned relationships are the primary means through which young people experience safety, develop trust and achieve change.
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Trauma-informed practice
Promote safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment and choice, recognising the impact of trauma and adversity at all times.
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Behaviour is communication
Responses seek to address underlying needs and are always respectful, therapeutic and non-punitive.
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De-escalation before intervention
Prioritise engagement, emotional support, co-regulation, problem-solving and de-escalation before any more intrusive response.
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Least restrictive practice
Use the minimum necessary intervention to maintain safety; prohibited practices are never used.
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Recovery and learning
After incidents or distress, focus on recovery, reflection, skill development and repairing relationships.
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Cultural safety and connection
Recognise, respect and actively support identity, family, kinship, community and connection to country.
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Skilled, regulated and supported staff
Staff are recruited, trained, supervised and supported — and a calm, regulated adult sets the tone for the home.
Our Services
Support designed around the person, not the program
Relationships first, consistency always, and genuine choice for the young people in our care.
Residential Care
Safe, home-like residential properties for children and young people in out-of-home care — staffed 24 hours by trained, trauma-informed care teams who build genuine relationships.
- 24-hour skilled staffing
- Individual Care & Support Plans
- Safety and Behaviour Support Planning
- Education, health & life skills support
- Cultural connection and family contact
Outreach Support
Community-based outreach for young people and families — practical, person-centred support delivered where people are, building skills and connections for a more stable future.
- Life skills & goal planning
- Support to access education & services
- Family contact & relationship support
- Transition & independence planning
- Cultural connection & community links
Our Practice Model
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
A Cornell University-developed, evidence-based model underpinning everything we do.
TCI is a Cornell University-developed, evidence-based model for crisis prevention and intervention in residential care settings. It provides a shared language, shared skills and a shared approach to preventing crises where possible, responding safely when they occur, and supporting young people to recover and learn afterward.
TCI is not a behaviour management system. It is a therapeutic framework that recognises young people's behaviour as communication, prioritises the relationship above all else, and holds de-escalation and least-restrictive practice as non-negotiable.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention is the practice model Haven is building toward — and the standard our homes will be held to as our team grows and develops.
TCI — Cornell University Licensed
An evidence-based model
Used internationally for therapeutic residential care — giving every Haven staff member a consistent, skilled, compassionate approach to crisis prevention and response.
Hope & Healing Framework
Queensland's framework for therapeutic residential care — Haven's practice is fully aligned.
Positive Behaviour Support
Strength-based, evidence-informed approach to understanding and responding to behaviour.
Haven Framework of Care
Our own governing practice document — the standard everything in our homes is held to.
Least restrictive practice is not optional at Haven — it is the standard. Restrictive and prohibited practices are never used as discipline, consequence or convenience. All practice is governed by the Haven Framework of Care, Queensland's Statement of Standards (s122), and the Human Services Quality Framework.
Our Homes
A place that feels like home
Small, consistent, safe — and designed around the young people who live in them.
Consistent adults
Consistent staffing means young people are supported by the same familiar faces — adults who know their history, preferences, strengths and what a hard day looks like for them.
Routine and rhythm
Predictable daily routines — meals, school, activities, downtime — create the structure and safety that allows young people to begin trusting their environment.
Privacy and dignity
Every young person has their own space. Their privacy, dignity and personal belongings are protected — because feeling that your life is yours matters.
Education and community
Support to attend school, engage with community activities and maintain connections to family and culture where safe — because a young person's life extends well beyond their front door.
24-hour support
Haven homes are staffed around the clock. On-call support is always available. Young people are never left without a skilled, caring adult present.
Culturally safe
Haven actively supports connection to culture, identity and country for all young people — and is committed to the ATSICPP in every placement decision.
Cultural Safety & Identity
Culture and identity are central to healing
Culture and identity are central to a young person's sense of self and to their recovery. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, the five elements of the Child Placement Principle guide practice:
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Prevention
The right of a child to be brought up within their own family and community.
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Partnership
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations participate in significant decisions, including service design.
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Placement
Placement with family, kin or community wherever possible.
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Participation
The young person and their family take part in decisions concerning them.
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Connection
Support to maintain connection to family, community, culture, Country and language.
For every young person, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and those who are LGBTQIA+, we recognise and support their identity, develop a Cultural Support Plan where relevant, and seek guidance from family, community and Elders, consistent with Haven's Cultural Safety policy.
Child Safety
Child safety is not a policy.
It is our purpose.
"The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is at the centre of everything Haven does."
Haven is committed to all ten National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. These are not a compliance checklist — they are the architecture of how we operate.
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Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in our leadership, governance and culture.
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Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously.
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Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
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Equity is upheld and the diverse needs of all children and young people are respected in policy and practice.
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People working with children and young people are suitable and well supported.
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Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child-focused and accessible.
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Staff and volunteers are equipped with knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through ongoing education and training.
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Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for harm.
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Implementation of the child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
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Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
Haven operates under and is committed to:
Charter of Rights
Reportable Conduct Scheme
Blue Card Screening
Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld)
Statement of Standards s122
HSQF
ATSICPP
Haven Framework of Care
For Referrers
Referring to Haven
Haven accepts referrals from the Queensland Department of Children, Seniors and Disability Services and other authorised agencies. We aim to respond to all referrals promptly, with the young person's needs at the centre of every placement decision.
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Make contact
Call or email our referral line with a brief overview of the young person's situation and current placement needs.
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Share information
Provide the young person's care plan, risk assessments, cultural support plan and any known triggers or considerations. The more we understand, the better we can prepare.
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Placement planning
We work with you and the young person to plan a transition that is as calm and informed as possible — because how a placement begins matters.
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Ongoing partnership
Haven works closely with case workers throughout every placement — regular reports, case conferences and open communication are standard practice.
Careers at Haven
This work is hard.
We won't pretend otherwise.
But it is also some of the most meaningful work you can do. Haven exists because its founders believed that good residential care — built on real relationships, skilled practice and genuine support for staff — could change outcomes for young people who had experienced too much disruption already.
With over seven years of direct experience as a residential youth worker, Haven's leadership understands from the inside what young people in care actually need, what gets in the way, and what it looks and feels like when it's done well.
If you share those values and you're prepared to do the work well, Haven is looking for you.
All Haven roles require:
- A current, valid Queensland Blue Card
- Relevant suitability screening and police check
- Commitment to trauma-informed, therapeutic practice
- Genuine care for young people and their futures
Ready to apply?
Apply Now →
Send your expression of interest, including your Blue Card and a brief outline of your experience.
Therapeutic Practice
Haven is built around therapeutic, trauma-informed approaches. You'll work within a framework that makes sense of behaviour and prioritises relationship over control.
Reflective Supervision
Regular, structured one-on-one supervision so you're never processing the hard days alone. We invest in your practice.
24/7 On-Call Backup
You are never the last line of support. Haven's on-call system ensures you always have somewhere to turn.
Wellbeing Support
Access to EAP counselling, post-incident debriefs, and a leadership team that asks how you're going and means it.
Consistent Teams
We invest in keeping good people. Low turnover means you build real relationships with the young people in your care.
Meaningful Work
There is no more important work than showing up consistently for a young person who needs it most.
Contact Haven
Get in touch
Whether you have a question about our services, want to talk about a placement, or are thinking about joining our team — we'd love to hear from you.
If this is an emergency
Call 000. For urgent child safety concerns, contact the Child Safety After Hours Service on 1800 177 135. This website is not monitored for emergencies.
Phone+61431 777 478
General Enquiriesadmin@hyafss.com.au
Careerscareers@hyafss.com.au
Service AreaMackay region, Central Queensland
Office HoursMon–Fri 9am–5pm · Homes 24/7
Send us a message
Please do not include sensitive personal information about children in this form.