When single mum-of-two Kylie found out her son had been suspended from his school for the third time, she didn’t know what to do or where to turn. She had already tried psychological interventions, medication, loss of privileges and even taking leave to support him.
That’s when her school referred Timothy to an innovative new program, Alternative Suspension, run by the Y NSW (a not-for-profit organisation that is part of the YMCA) – a first of its kind in Australia after successfully operating for more than two decades abroad. The program provides a structured environment for suspended students aged 12 to 18.
“Simply suspending a child and sending them home doesn’t address the underlying issues – in fact for my son he saw it as a reward rather than a coercive measure as while he was given no access to a smartphone, the internet or laptop, he would just watch TV all day,” says Kylie.
“Timothy is academic, in fact he is in the top of his year in maths, but as a neurodivergent teen he struggles with motivation in remaining focused for subjects that aren’t his passion and then becomes disruptive and disobedient.”
Nurturing social skills and emotional regulation
In the program, Timothy was able to access positive guidance from youth workers on emotional regulation and social skills. The structure gave him a sense of achievement that allowed him to complete his schoolwork in a setting that better supported his learning difficulties.
“The program offered him tools to manage his emotions and strategies for emotional regulation and just as importantly, for the first time he felt that people outside of school genuinely cared and understood him,”
“After working with the Y, with the support of school he is better at managing his anger, his confidence and self-worth have grown, and he has matured. While there’s still a journey ahead, the program has been crucial in helping him build a stronger foundation for success,” she says.
The Y NSW’s Alternative Suspension program hopes to redefine the future for young people facing suspension, providing essential support and a positive path forward – and for families who have already benefited from its support, it’s described as a lifeline.
The intervention program is designed to address behavioural challenges in a structured, compassionate environment, and offers students not only a second chance, but an opportunity to reclaim their futures and reset.
Creating inclusive pathways help students succeed
In NSW public schools, one in 23 students were suspended at least once in 2023. The cost of suspensions affects more than just the student, impacting on families, siblings, the school, other peers and teachers alike.
Equitable education advocate David Gonski AC is the man behind the Gonski Report and says he supports the Y NSW’s Alternative Suspension program, as it offers not only an alternative, but an essential resource in creating inclusive pathways for every student to succeed.
“This program exemplifies what’s possible when we invest in our youth. It can transform suspension from exclusion and marginalisation into an opportunity for growth, allowing students to overcome challenges with the support they need,” Gonski says.
By creating “real opportunities for students who might otherwise be left behind”, Gonski says the program helps them “build resilience and thrive in ways that the traditional approach to a suspension at home simply cannot”.
Addressing the issues behind bad behaviour
The Y NSW’s youth workers who run the program work closely with referral support services, including psychologists and alcohol and other drug counsellors.
Carlie Dodds is a clinical psychologist who has worked in youth mental health for close to 20 years and is hugely supportive of the Alternative Suspension program.
“This program is essential. Working with disadvantaged young people, I see that many of their behavioural challenges often emerge at school, where they spend most of their time. Having a supportive space where they can work through these issues is crucial for guiding them back into education,” says Dodds.
“School suspensions can have a negative impact on young people, often reinforcing a sense of rejection, making students feel like they’re ‘not good enough’. Different schools approach suspension in different ways, but many families lack the resources to support a suspended student at home.
“The likelihood of a young person going home and dedicating themselves to schoolwork is extremely low. Instead, they’re often left unsupervised which can lead to increased screen time, gaming addiction or more serious choices such as substance use and even crime.”
Suspensions aren’t a sustainable solution
“We know that suspensions don’t work for everyone,” Y NSW Youth Programs Coordinator Mim Wasley told EducationDaily.
“Young people are generally at home getting into potentially more mischief and trouble.”
She says tackling the underlying concerns behind why a child is acting out in the first place is important.
“Suspension doesn’t address those issues.”
The Alternative Suspension program, however, aims to.
“It allows them to catch up on school work during the morning. Then in the afternoon session, we try to get to the core – mental health, lack of motivation. We want to see the whole picture and provide the young person with personal development skills that help them reintegrate into the school community successfully.”
Although the initial hesitancy of the unknown is common for students who are invited to attend the program, Wasley says the success of the service is driven by how inviting the space is.
As youth workers, Wasley says “we pride ourselves on a strength-based approach and we make sure the young people know we are advocates for them and that we are there to support them on their journey – and listen to them.
“The environment is different from school. There’s still elements of school but we make sure it’s a safe space for them.”
Wasley says that sense of inclusion is one of the fundamental components of the program and its ability to help students turn their lives around.
“We’re working with young people who feel disengaged and may feel that they are overlooked,” Wasley told EducationDaily.
“They may feel that there is an impression of them at school because of their history.”
But regardless of the situation that’s led them here and the reputation some of the school community may have attached to them as a result, Wasley says “we’re here to help them” – something she says is “incredibly fulfilling”.
She reflects on a 12-year-old boy from an Afghani refugee background who had been referred to the program by his school, where his behaviour had included angry outbursts, table-flipping, violence and generally negative, impulsive behaviour.
Wasley says that after identifying the boy’s trauma caused by his childhood experience in a war-torn country, he received the support and help he needed to unpack the various experiences that had led to his anger and frustration and, with his mother’s support, was able to return to school and succeed in the community.
“To be able to see a young person three or six months later, who has made the program work them and gone back to school and is doing well is a great feeling – and that’s why it’s so important to see the program expanded.”
Expanding the reach of specialist student support
Y NSW recently announced the significant expansion of the Alternative Suspension Program, made possible by partnerships with the Eureka Benevolent Foundation, St. George Foundation, Department of Social Services, Matana Foundation and the Kimberley Foundation.
This support allows the program to continue its impactful work in Western Sydney and on the Central Coast of NSW for the next three years, undertake an independent evaluation, while also extending vital assistance to more young people in Camden and regional Broken Hill in NSW.
“Several students I’ve worked with have benefited from the Alternative Suspension program, and I hope more schools and parents become aware of it, so that more young people can receive the specialist support they really need to continue their education,” says Dodds.
Nearby NSW schools can refer students to the program for a minimum of three days. Referrals from outside these areas will be supported to participate or be referred to an alternative program.
