Mission Australia works with communities in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, Nhulunbuy, Nguiu, Borroloola, Timber Creek, Kalkarindji, Maningrida, Jabiru, Timber Creek, Apatula (Finke), Imanpa, Mutitjulu and Kaltukatjara (Docker River). We also provide visiting services to many other Top End and Katherine remote communities.

Here are some of the services we provide in the Northern Territory

Pathways away from homelessness:

• Grass Roots Solutions
• Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaM)
• The Intervention and Case Management Service

Pathways through a successful youth:

• Youth Beat in Darwin and Katherine
• Indigenous Youth Mobility Program (IYMP)
• Northern Territory Integrated Youth Service

Pathways to strong families and healthy, happy children:

• Sobering Up Shelters in Darwin, Katherine & Nhulunbuy
• Medical Transport Service
• Rehabilitation and Withdrawal – Nhulunbuy Special Care Centre
• Community Patrol – Nhulunbuy
• Kathering Money Business Program

For more information about the services Mission Australia operates in the Northern Territory, please contact the NT state office


Pathways away from homelessness:

Grass Roots Solutions

Grass Roots Solutions is a mobile service that visits the Darwin and Palmerston indigenous town camps on a daily basis. Outreach workers engage with families and provide them with assistance and information on the services available to them. They also provide transport to services when needed and access to programs which will empower them to create an improved lifestyle. The aim is to ensure children and families are informed of the services available and are empowered to access them, resulting in long-term family benefits.

The Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaM)

The Personal Helpers and Mentors Program is a strengths-based, recovery approach to assist people who have a severe functional limitation resulting from a mental illness. The program helps them to better manage their daily activities and provides access to a range of appropriate services and supports.

The Intervention and Case Management Service

The intervention and Case Management Service assists people living in Katherine who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, camping illegally in public places, or involved in anti-social behaviour. It also helps people who have been released from prison return and re-integrate into their community.

Pathways through a successful youth:

Youth Beat

Youth Beat provides a Youth Outreach Service to young people in the northern suburbs of Darwin, Katherine and the surrounding areas, who are on the streets at night. The service engages and connects with young people with the purpose of building relationships, providing information and referrals, and responding to crises.

Indigenous Youth Mobility Program (IYMP)

This program works with young Indigenous people, aged 16-24, their families and communities to help them access pre-vocational training, apprenticeships or tertiary education in metropolitan centres around the country.

NT Integrated Youth Services

NT Integrated Youth Services provides an activity and diversionary educational based program to four remote Indigenous Communities (Aputula / Finke, Imanpa, Mutitjulu and Docker River / Kaltukatjara) in the Southern region of the Northern Territory. The program aims to:

• Increase the confidence, self reliance, leadership skills and life skills of young people by intensively engaging with them so they take responsibility for their own care and development and move away from welfare dependency
• Counteract negative influences - including those related to substance abuse - by engaging young people in a range of culturally, age and gender appropriate educational, social, cultural and recreational activities
• Help young people to build, and in some cases rebuild, their learning pathways to literacy and numeracy and other forms of accredited training

Pathways to strong families and healthy, happy children:

Sobering Up Shelter

The sobering up shelters, in Darwin, Katherine and Nhulunbuy, promote individual and community well being by minimising the harm associated with alcohol and other substances, through a coordinated range of approaches.

Medical Transport Service

Mission Australia’s Medical Transport Service provides a transport and driver liaison service. The service is available to eligible remote Aboriginal clients in the Top End and clients in Darwin, Palmerston and rural areas who have limited financial means.


Nhulunbuy Special Care Centre – Residential Rehabilitation Unit

This 12-week Residential Rehabilitation Program is holistic in its approach and is designed to provide a range of treatment interventions, support networks, comprehensive discharge plans, aftercare and follow-up services. The unit is accessible to both indigenous and non-indigenous clients through a referral process.

Community Patrol – Nhulunbuy

Nhulunbuy Community Patrol operates from the Special Care Centre on the remote Gove Peninsula. It is based on a pre-existing service provided by the “Strong Women” patrollers from the communities of Yirrkala and Ski Beach. The Patrol offers people voluntary transportation to a place of safety, be that the Sobering Up Shelter, Police Station, Hospital or their community.

Katherine Money Business Program

The Katherine Money Business Program provides indigenous individuals and families with money management information and support. The program builds self reliance and improves individual, family and community well being. It provides clients with the required skills and information to make better money management decisions.