Get advocacy through YDAS

YDAS works with disabled young people in Victoria to make sure you can speak up and are being treated fairly.

Our free individual advocacy service is for disabled young people, aged 12 to 25, in Victoria.

Follow the steps below to get advocacy through YDAS.

Step 1: Contact the YDAS advocacy team

Your first step is to contact our team.

They will ask you to explain the problem that you need advocacy for and how you have tried to fix the problem. They will also ask you for your contact details and the best way to contact you.

Contact us

Email intake@ydas.org.au or text or call 0438 638 734.

Step 2: Complete a Service Access Request Form

After you have spoken with our team, we will send you a A YDAS form that asks you questions about you and the problem you need advocacy for.Service Access Request Form to complete. This form asks questions about you and the problem you need advocacy support with.

Step 3: Join our advocacy wait list

When we have received your completed A YDAS form that asks you questions about you and the problem you need advocacy for.Service Access Request Form we will add you to our A list of disabled young people who are waiting to get advocacy support through YDAS.wait list.

The amount of time you spend on our wait list can vary depending on the advocacy cases we are working on at the time.

While you are on our wait list we can support you with advice and referrals to other services.

Step 4: Complete a Client Intake Form

When our team is able to help you with your advocacy issue, you will be allocated an A professional advocate is someone who supports other people to speak up. It is their job. They make sure people are treated fairly and their rights are being met.advocate.

Click here to meet our advocacy team.

They will ask you to complete a A YDAS form that asks you questions about you and gives you information about how we protect your information and privacy.Client Intake Form. This form asks questions about you and gives you information about how we protect your information and privacy. There are some consent forms for you or your parent or legal guardian to sign.

Step 5: Begin advocacy process

When we have received your completed and signed A YDAS form that asks you questions about you and gives you information about how we protect your information and privacy.Client Intake Form we can start supporting you with your advocacy issue. 

We will work with you directly to find out what you want to achieve. This is called your advocacy goal. We can then support you to work on a plan to reach the outcome you want.

Step 6: End the advocacy process

When we agree your advocacy issue has been completed we will close your file and send you a letter explaining what YDAS did to help you with your advocacy issue. 

At times YDAS may not be the best organisation to help you with your advocacy issue. When this happens we will give you a referral to another organisation that can help with your advocacy issue.

Your rights when you use a disability service

The Disability Act (2006) says that:

• You must be given information that explains your rights whenever you start using a disability service.
• The information must be explained to you in person and in writing.
• You have the right to direct your own disability care plan.

When you get advocacy support through YDAS, we will make sure you understand your rights.

Make a complaint

At YDAS, we want to make sure that we provide a high level of advocacy support to disabled young people.

You can make a complaint about YDAS if you are unhappy with our service.

Click here to learn more about how to make a complaint about YDAS.

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like to start the advocacy process, contact our advocacy team.

The steps above can change depending on the needs of the young person. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Email us at intake@ydas.org.au or text or call 0438 638 734.