Special Interest Matter - Teen Challenge Tasmania

Tuesday 23 June 2026

[3.29 p.m.] Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Mr President, today I speak about an organisation which is working hard in the northern community to support individuals and families affected by alcohol and other drug addiction through a variety of prevention, mentoring, education, and family support and recovering pathways.

Teen Challenge Tasmania is a Launceston-based charity that has been making a difference in the lives of Tasmanians since 2015. Operating from its community hub in St John Street, Launceston, Teen Challenge Tasmania works with some of the most vulnerable members of our community, often stepping into spaces where support is needed most. One initiative making a remarkable impact is the Our Place program, a safe after-school space established in response to concerns about the challenges many young people face in the Launceston CBD while waiting for buses and transport home.

Teen Challenge Tasmania recognised that many students were being exposed to bullying, intimidation, violence, drug use and other antisocial behaviour during this time. In response, it opened its doors to create a safe, supervised and welcoming environment where young people can enjoy a snack, play games, complete homework, and connect with caring adults.

Supported by 18 volunteers, Our Place now operates every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and welcomes an average of 23 students each session. Importantly, the program is about much more than providing a safe space. As trust develops, volunteers often discover practical needs that might otherwise go unnoticed. Recently, a volunteer noticed a student's shoes were held together with tape and riddled with holes.

Through Teen Challenge Tasmania's Hope Costumes & Thrift Store, replacement shoes were discreetly provided, reminding us that sometimes small acts of kindness can have a profound impact. These relationships often become pathways into the organisation's Connections Mentoring program. For more than a decade, trained volunteer mentors have been meeting with vulnerable young people in schools, providing encouragement and positive role modelling. Mentors often work with the same student for their entire high school journey, building strong, consistent relationships. Teen Challenge Tasmania is currently working towards eight new mentoring matches with at-risk students across Tasmanian schools.

The organisation is also helping students overcome barriers to learning through Brain School Tasmania, which incorporates the internationally recognised Arrowsmith Program. By strengthening cognitive functions associated with learning difficulties, the program assists young people to rebuild confidence, re-engage with education and create new opportunities for their future.

Teen Challenge Tasmania's influence also extends well beyond our state through the #NotEvenOnce Projects, an alcohol, drug and vaping prevention initiative developed in Tasmania in 2015. Since then, the program has reached more than 200,000 students nationally, helping young people better understand addiction, peer pressure and the importance of making healthy decisions. The organisation has further expanded its support to its Responding Well workshops, equipping school staff and family members with practical tools to respond to alcohol and other drug issues affecting young people and loved ones. At the same time, Team Challenge Tasmania continues its core work supporting people seeking freedom from addiction.

Currently, the organisation is assisting seven Tasmanians as they navigate pathways into rehabilitation programs, including individuals transitioning from the prison system, while three more are expected to graduate from residential rehabilitation in the coming months. The challenges facing young people, families and individuals struggling with addiction are significant. However, organisations such as Teen Challenge Tasmania demonstrate what can be achieved when communities respond with compassion, practical support and hope.