WORKING WITH

YOUNG PEOPLE IN AND AROUND

THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

(2 DAY TRAINING)

This training is the first of its kind in Victoria’s youth justice system - co-designed with young people who’ve experienced it directly, and grounded in the evidence-informed, identity-based practices they say made a difference.

Every element of this two-day training has been tested in real time - in custody units, mentoring sessions, and care teams working under pressure. It draws on world-class research in desistance and motivation theory, but it’s not a theory session.

This training meets experienced practitioners where they are - and offers frameworks, questions, and tools that deepen how you see, decide, and support.

Who It’s For

Whether you’re embedded in a system or working at its edge, this training offers something solid to stand on.

What to expect / What you’ll walk away with

Day 1
Shifting Mindsets

A critical unpacking of how young people experience systems, supervision, and support - and what it actually takes to re-orient their sense of identity, agency, and possibility.

You’ll work through:

✓⃝ The conditions that shape behaviour in the current justice landscape

✓⃝ First-hand accounts from young people on what workers got wrong - and what landed

✓⃝ How aspiration, compatibility, and credibility change what’s possible

✓⃝ The underlying theory and real-world application of the 16 Yards Identity Transformation Model

✓⃝ Subtle shifts in relational stance that build buy-in over time

This session is designed to sharpen perception and give practitioners a stronger grasp of the identity-level forces that sit behind everyday behaviour.

Register Your Interest for the Next Session

Day 2
Self-Determination in Practice

A focused, intelligent exploration of what supports real change. This day steps through the tensions of working relationally in rigid systems - and how to stay effective without slipping into control or disengagement.

You’ll explore:

✓⃝ Coaching methods that centre values, clarity, and momentum

✓⃝ Goal-setting that isn’t formulaic - but aligned with lived direction and purpose

✓⃝ The scaffolding required to help young people build structure without removing their agency

✓⃝ Navigating care teams while maintaining your own stance and function

✓⃝ Boundaries that sharpen your role and protect the work

Includes a Lived Experience Panel - an unscripted space for direct dialogue with young people who’ve been through the system, co-developed this model, and now lead mentoring and service design across Victoria.

The 16 Yards
Identity Transformation Model

This model is the backbone of everything we do - a structured way to support mindset shifts and strengthen self-determination in young people.

It’s used weekly by lived experience mentors across justice and community programs.

Explore the model

About the Framework

First lived experience-centred training designed inside Victoria’s youth justice system

✓⃝ Draws from desistance theory, self determination theory, coaching & motivational interviewing, and identity-focused change

✓⃝ Co-developed with young people who’ve experienced the system - and now train others

✓⃝ Delivered by facilitators who are in the work weekly - not theorising from the outside

✓⃝ Designed to meet experienced practitioners at depth, not introduce baseline concepts

✓⃝ Backed by the 16 Yards Identity Transformation Model - now recognised as a leading approach to youth justice and lived experience integration in Victoria

✓⃝ No tokenism. No hypotheticals. Every part has been pressure-tested in practice

  • “Great facilitators? Shayne, Steph, and Zayd nailed it. They kept us engaged, made it comfortable, and created a safe space to contribute. I wasn’t sure what to expect - but it exceeded everything. I learned more than I imagined.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “Top tier. 10 out of 10. The training was practical and structured in a way that actually works with young people. Most trainings throw around big words you’ll never use - but this was real, useful, and grounded.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “You can tell they’re genuinely passionate. That’s why I listened. More than the content, it’s how invested they are in helping others. I’d gladly do more days of this.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “This wasn’t just a professional development session - it was real. It made me think deeper about what I can actually bring to young people and how to do better.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “It shifted the way I see youth work. I’m walking away with a stronger mindset, and a clearer sense of purpose.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “They presented it in a way that felt like real life. It wasn’t polished or preachy - it was built from lived experience and it hit home.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “The dynamic of the course was beautiful. It felt grassroots, like it was made for us - not at us. It gave me pride in my own story and the skills I’ve got to offer.”

    Lived Experience Mentor

  • “It really packed a punch. Life, youth work, personal challenges - everything was in there and it felt intentional.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “It was more than just training - it brought structure to my thinking. Things I’ve felt for years were finally put into words.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

  • “We had real, honest, sentimental conversations - not just traditional casework. That was powerful.”

    Community-Based Youth Worker

Facilitators

Delivered by the core team at 16 Yards:

  • Shayne Hood – Co-founder, lived experience practitioner, trainer, practice development consultant, and service designer with expertise in justice and out-of-home care.

  • Dr. Stephane Shepherd – Co-founder, forensic psychology professor, researcher, and service designer with expertise in justice, risk, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

  • Young people with lived experience of the justice system, now working as mentors and facilitators through 16 Yards

Each facilitator brings direct, grounded insight into what this work really demands—across systems, communities, and moments of change.

Register Your Interest

Our public training sessions are in-person and ticketed, designed for professionals working in high-pressure environments—like youth justice, social work, education, mental health, and community services.

If you want to attend, register your interest below. We’ll let you know as soon as the next session is announced and tickets go live.

Register Your Interest for the Next Session