The Upstreamist Newsletter #001. 30 June 2025.
News, ideas, and insights from Upstream Australia.
Opening Note
Welcome to the very first edition of The Upstreamist Newsletter — a new quarterly newsletter with news, ideas, and reflections from across the Upstream Australia network.
In addition to starting the newsletter, we’ve quietly launched The Upstreamist.
The Upstreamist is a publishing platform from Upstream Australia dedicated to exploring what it means to work ‘upstream’. It’s a space for writings from the Upstream network and the Upstream team on ideas, reflections, and practical insights on:
· Proactive identification
· Prevention and early intervention
· Systems change and collective impact
· Improving outcomes before crisis
· System change
· Implementation
· And much more.
We’re starting small—with a couple of articles already live (see the summaries below) — and look forward to growing the platform over time.
Check it out here:
Join the movement for change — read, contribute, subscribe, and share The Upstreamist.
As well as our collective publishing platforms, I’ve also started (slowly) writing down some of my own thoughts and ideas about the work I am driving and the issues we are facing — youth and adolescent homelessness, system reform, and prevention and early intervention — in another public space, Upstream Musings. You can read and subscribe to Upstream Musings here:
In The Upstreamist Newsletter, you’ll find a round-up of recent articles from The Upstreamist, highlights from the National Homelessness Conference, updates from the Upstream Community of Practice including details on two upcoming webinars, two articles of interest, and important sector news.
Let’s keep moving and working upstream — together.
Tammy Hand, co-founder and deputy CEO, Upstream Australia.
Latest Articles from The Upstreamist
Article 1: Welcome to The Upstreamist
This opening piece introduces The Upstreamist, a new platform dedicated to upstream thinking and practice. It sets the stage for a deeper conversation about systems reform, early intervention, and prevention. It asks: what is an upstreamist? — offering a simple definition: someone who sees the bigger picture, asks the right questions, and works to address problems at their root.
Article 2: The Community of Schools and Services (COSS) Model
This article introduces the COSS Model—an innovative, place-based early intervention approach that brings schools and services together to work upstream. The model represents a raft of systems-level innovations designed to transform fragmented service delivery into a coordinated, integrated response. The model applies a population-level screening approach to proactively identify young people at risk of homelessness before crisis points—offering earlier, more effective support.
Article 3: The Geelong Project Story: The Itinerary
This article delves into the origins and evolution of The Geelong Project, the prototype COSS Model site. It outlines the journey from initial concept to implementation, highlighting the collaborative efforts between schools, community services, and local agencies in Geelong.
Article 4: Population Screening and the Identification of Risk in the COSS Model
This article explores how the COSS Model uses population-level screening to proactively identify young people at risk of homelessness and disengagement from education. By adopting a population health approach, the model aims to detect at-risk youth before crises occur, enabling timely and targeted interventions. Embedding systematic screening processes within schools and community services, the model detects vulnerabilities early—before crises emerge—allowing timely, targeted support that improves outcomes and optimizes resource use.
Read these articles here:
Reach out if you would like to contribute to The Upstreamist: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
Updates from the Upstream Australia Network and Beyond
National Homelessness Conference 2025
The Upstream Australia team recently attended the National Homelessness Conference on the Gold Coast from 17-19 June 2025. It was a great opportunity to connect with our colleagues and collaborators from across the country — united by our shared commitment to preventing and ending homelessness. Homelessness Australia and Homelessness Queensland did a sterling job in bringing this important event together. Also, we want to acknowledge Mission Australia for sponsoring the prevention streams and sessions. We stand with you in publicly acknowledging that preventing (youth) homelessness is where we need to be investing major amounts of resources and effort. Let’s stop treating the symptoms of homelessness and instead invest in effective prevention of youth homelessness to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Federal Minister O’Neill – responding to young people
Federal Minister Claire O’Neill highlighted the importance of responding to young people in her keynote address at the recent National Homelessness Conference in Queensland on 18 June 2025. We applaud this acknowledgment and ask:
- How can this be implemented in a way that can achieve systemic impact?
- How can we reform the current system to actually prevent adolescents and young people from becoming homelessness in the first place?
Federal Envoy Josh Burns – youth social housing
The Federal Government has recently appointed MP Josh Burns as the envoy for social housing and homelessness. An innovative decision that is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to homelessness and social housing. In a recent article for The Guardian, Josh Burns acknowledged that the housing system has for too long been stacked against young people.
This is an issue that David MacKenzie and I have been talking and writing about for a long time, here are some of the key outputs:
· Hand, T., & MacKenzie, D. (2020). Missing out: Young people and social housing. Parity, 33(7), 45-49.
· MacKenzie, D., Hand, T., et al. (2020) Redesign of a homelessness service system for young people. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited.
· Hand, T.& MacKenzie, D. (2020) Young People and Housing Supports in Australia: Income Support, Social Housing and Post-Homelessness Outcomes, UniSA AHURI Research Centre, Adelaide.
· Hand, T., & MacKenzie, D. (2021). Young people, income, and housing support: Keeping young people living below the poverty line and in rental stress. Parity, 34(3), 20-23.
· Hand, T., & MacKenzie, D. (2021). Still missing out: Young people and social housing. Parity, 34(3), 38-41.
· Gaetz, S., Redman, M., MacKenzie, D., & Hand, T. (2021). Housing first for youth in Australia. Parity, 34(3), 58-60.
Young people need access to social housing. For most their social housing needs to be a transitional type of supported housing that provides stability while they get their lives together, complete education and training, and secure a livelihood. Young people are not a homogenous cohort, so the homelessness system needs to better respond to the different needs of different child, adolescent, and young adult cohorts. We mustn’t forget the importance of family reunification work – not all at-risk young people need a (social) housing response if it is realistic and safe for them to return home. These days generally, young people tend to stay with their families for much longer than in the past before venturing to live independently.
Read the Guardian article here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/25/labor-josh-burns-takes-on-new-role-and-new-push-to-address-youth-homelessness
Reach out if you have some news, highlights, or developments that you would like to share with us here: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
Updates from the Upstream Community of Practice
The Upstream Community of Practice does not host activities when our Australian COSS community sites are undertaking the population screening processing, including implementing the AIAD Surveys. This practice seems to be working well for us all.
We are now ready to kick off the 2025 Upstream Community of Practice activities, starting with two webinars on the COSS Model. We have recently had a flurry of new communities and professionals come to us asking about the COSS Model and there are some new staff members in current COSS sites, so two webinars on the COSS Model seems like a great place to start this year. These free webinars are open to everyone; more details are below.
Practice meetings with current COSS Model staff, the early intervention workers, will be starting soon. We have just about finalised preparations with our wonderful Canadian colleague to share with us all about natural and family supports. Watch this space.
Keep an eye out on our LinkedIn page for more details.
Upstream Community of Practice Assembly 2025. Details on our annual practice assembly (COPA25) will be ready to share in the next edition of The Upstreamist Newsletter (September 2025).
Articles of Interest
Review of the Reconnect Program - Final Report (2024)
The Nous Group, on behalf of the Department of Social Services, conducted an independent review — not an evaluation — of the Federal Government’s Reconnect Program. The review investigated the appropriateness, efficiency, and effectiveness of Reconnect.
The report identified the program as “the Australian Government’s flagship investment in early intervention and prevention for children and young people experiencing homelessness” and offered some opportunities for improvement: moving towards a collective impact approach and adopting activities that improve opportunities for “increased impact against investment”. The review highlighted some limitations of the Reconnect Program: large variation in the support services, a weak inter-connection with mainstream SHS, and referral issues.
The report recommended that the Government consider moving towards a collective impact approach, citing the COSS Model as an exemplar of a collective impact approach working in the youth homelessness field.
We have come to call this report the ‘Woolley Report’, after Trish Woolley, the principal consultant who led this review.
Read the Woolley Report here: https://www.dss.gov.au/preventing-youth-homelessness/resource/review-reconnect-program-final-report
What Does It Really Mean to Work Upstream? (2025)
A little piece I wrote for Upstream Musings, this article explores what “working upstream” truly means beyond the familiar upstream-downstream metaphor. Focusing on youth homelessness, it highlights how upstream work involves early, proactive identification of risk before crisis hits, coordinated action across multiple systems, and a commitment to long-term, systemic change. By shifting from crisis response to prevention, upstream approaches offer smarter, evidence-informed, and scalable solutions to transform lives and strengthen communities.
Read the article here:
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
Events for the Community of Practice
Webinar: The COSS Model – An Introduction and Overview
Wednesday 2 July 2025 | 12:00 PM (AEST – Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney) | Online via Zoom
A free webinar introducing the Community of Schools and Services (COSS) Model—an innovative, early intervention approach designed to support vulnerable young people and their families. Learn about the model’s core components. Hear how it’s being implemented in communities across Australia. Explore the evidence and impact to date.
Who should attend? Professionals working in youth services, homelessness services, education, and across local, state, territory, and federal government—particularly those in policy, program, and service system roles. Everyone is welcome.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VOTrObevQ3y-Vf62zdV7dw
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details on how to join the webinar.
For further information, contact: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
Webinar: The COSS Model – Q&A
Wednesday 6 August 2025 | 12:00 PM (AEST – Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney) | Online via Zoom
Ask us anything about the COSS Model.
A free webinar answering your questions about the Community of Schools and Services (COSS) Model.
This is your opportunity to ask the questions that matter most — big or small, strategic or practical — all focused on the COSS Model.
Whether you’re curious about implementation, impact, governance, or how to get started, we want to hear from you.
Submit your questions in advance: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
We’ll shape the conversation around your questions — so don’t be shy. Submit early and tune in for a grounded, honest, and practical discussion on what it really takes to work upstream.
Who should attend? Professionals working in youth services, homelessness services, education, and across local, state, territory, and federal government—particularly those in policy, program, and service system roles. Everyone is welcome.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JwUdC9g-Ss2ZgifnwyENaQ
For further information, contact: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/upstream-australia
Email: info@upstreamaustralia.org.au
The Upstreamist: