Employment Support

The Community Development Program is the NIAA’s remote employment scheme. CDP supports job seekers in remote Australian communities to build work skills, address employment barriers and contribute to their communities through a range of high-quality activities, projects, employment and intensive case management.

ALPA operates a community-controlled model for the delivery of CDP, ensuring that we are working closely with community members to co-design the priorities of the program and to ensure it meets the needs of the wider community in each area that we deliver.

ALPA delivers in the following locations and engages nearly 4000 people in the program:

• Galiwin’ku
• Milingimbi
• Ramingining
• Gapuwiyak
• Minjilang
• Gunbalanya
• Jabiru
• Nhulunbuy
• Gunyangara
• Yirrkala

In addition, and in partnership with regional Aboriginal corporations, we deliver the CDP in more than 200 homelands across Arnhem Land.

We focus on building strong relationships with each participant and working with them to identify their goals and aspirations and providing high quality tailored supports to achieve those goals. Taking this focus when delivering CDP means that we are supporting community members to make self-determined choices about what their future looks like and what they want to do with it.

DCLS is a free, confidential service. We assist disadvantaged members of the community to protect their legal rights. We work towards a community where everyone has access to legal advice and support. We seek to challenge unjust laws and procedures, and to ensure that people are aware of their legal rights.

General Legal Service

The General Legal Service provides free legal information, advice and representation on most areas of law, including:

• Discrimination
• Social Security/Centrelink
• Employment
• Credit and debt
• Consumer issues and complaints

What to do if you have a legal issue?

Please contact us on 08 8982 1111 to access free legal information or to make a telephone appointment with one of our community lawyers. Appointments are available most weekdays except public holidays.

FREE After-Hours Legal Advice Sessions

Our free after hours advice sessions are held as below, at different locations around Darwin. They are designed to provide one-off initial advice on a range of legal issues. You can talk confidentially about your legal problem with a lawyer, who will give you advice, suggest possible actions, and in some cases may help you to write a letter or prepare other simple documents.

Darwin – every Tuesday by telephone or in person

Walk ins or appointment welcome  – call 08 8982 1111 to book an appointment

Darwin – every Thursday in person – no appointment required
5.30 – 7.30pm
Darwin Darwin Community Legal Service Office
Level 2, Winlow House, 75 Woods Street (corner of Lindsay Street) Darwin City

Casuarina – 2nd Saturday of each month – no appointment required.  Please call 08 8982 1111 to confirm the date of the next session
10.00 – 11.45am
Casuarina Library – Bradshaw Terrace

Palmerston – 4th Monday of each month  – no appointment required. Please call 08 8982 1111 to confirm the date of the next session
6.00 – 7.30pm
Palmerston Library – Goyder Square

Youth Development
At First Step, we partner with various stakeholders, including government entities, community organisations, and businesses, with a mission to enhance employability outcomes and counteract youth disengagement.
We extend our services to young individuals aged between 10 and 18 years, irrespective of their gender or cultural background, and aim to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment.
We are a recognised alternative sentencing and community work provider and deliver alternative education programs in Darwin.

Workforce Development
We support businesses, government, and non-government agencies with a holistic range of tailored services and programs, designed to improve the quality of future and prospective employees.
Our team work to co-design services to address recruitment, upskilling, retention, and/or development needs within the workforce through coordination and delivery of training programs, mentoring and/or consultancy services.

Community Engagement
We deliver services designed to increase social inclusion and prosocial community engagement through:
• Camps (incl. cultural emersion, adventure, leadership, self-identity, and/or goal setting).
• Social support, sporting, fitness, and wellbeing workshops.
• Mentoring and consultancy services.
• Targeted initiatives incl. community clean up days and lawn maintenance.

Supported Accommodation Service
First Step Supported Accommodation Service provides a safe and supportive environment for young people aged 10 to 17.
Our service provides a 24 hour, seven day a week service that engages a therapeutic approach to support participants in the youth justice system.
We provide a home-like environment addressing at-risk behaviour, consequences and restitution for each individual.
We provide a voluntary service that gives participants the choice to access our service.
We work in close partnership with Territory Families, Housing and Communities (TFHC) and Department of Education (DoE) to ensure comprehensive support is tailored to each individual’s needs.
Our service is designed to empower our participants with resilience, promote a sense of belonging, self-determination, positive social connectedness, and purpose to everyday life, whilst addressing the risk factors that perpetuate the cycle of recidivism.
Our committed team provides trauma-informed interventions aimed at delivering personalised care that addresses the emotional, social, and educational needs of each individual, promoting overall well-being.
Additionally, We operate a 24/7 Bail Support Line for enquiries and referrals from Police, the Courts and services providers. Available to police, legal services, and clients.

For general enquiries, please call us on 0494 003 113 or 0493 980 877.
Call 1800 224 533 (1800 BAILED).

Katherine Women’s Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a not-for-profit Community Legal Centre based in Katherine, Northern Territory. We are a specialist women’s legal service providing all women, and those who identify as women, in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region access to free and professional legal and support services, with a particular focus on the reduction of domestic, family and sexual violence. We also provide community legal education and undertake advocacy and law reform work in areas that improve gender equity and address gendered violence.

KWILS aims to ensure that all women in the Katherine region have access to free legal advice and representation in the following areas:

• Domestic, Family and Personal Violence
• Child protection
• Family Law
• Discrimination (age, sex, race, gender etc)
• Employment (including sexual harassment)
• Government complaints (including the conduct of Police, Corrections & Education)
• Health Care Complaints Commission (including the conduct of Health Care, Aged Care and Disability Care Providers)
• Coronial Inquests
• Tenancy Law (public and private tenancies)
• Social Security/Centrelink
• Consumer law (Credit & Debts)
• Victims of Crime and Motor Accidents Compensation

Pre and Post Release Support Service (PPRSS) works with prisoners who are due for release within the next three months, and who want help to reintegrate back into the Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs communities. Following release, PPRSS continues to provide case-management support while participants re-establish themselves in the community, which can help to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

NAAJA’s Adult Throughcare program is a voluntary case management service providing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people incarcerated at the Darwin Correctional Centre and Alice Springs Correctional Centre. Funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), the program aims to help people stay out of prison once they leave.

How the program works

Intensive case managers help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prison prepare for release by discussing their needs and goals and helping them to develop post-release plans.

We help with:

• ongoing counselling and rehabilitation
• obtaining accommodation
• employment
• education and training
• health
• access to pro-social activities and connections
• obtaining identification
• planning to open a bank account or obtain a drivers licence
• addressing outstanding fines
• life and problem-solving skills
• reconnection to family and community.

NAAJA provides clients with ongoing case management following release from prison. Our aim is to support clients in the early, and often stressful, period immediately following release from custody, while also working to empower people to independently navigate “life on the outside”. We do not work with our clients for a defined period post-release and instead remain engaged for as long as it is mutually agreed there is a need.

Participating in the program is voluntary and we work with people who are ready to make positive changes in their lives. Given the demand for services, we prioritise clients most in need.

We accept referrals from people in prison, as well as their family members. We also accept referrals from NT Corrections, NT Community Corrections, the Parole Board, lawyers, and other service providers. Those wishing to make a referral should complete a NAAJA throughcare referral form (DOC or PDF) and forward it to referrals-throughcare@naaja.org.au.

To find out more, contact the Alice Springs-based adult team coordinator on (08) 7902 9311 or the Palmerston-based adult team coordinator on (08) 8931 7400.

We provide free and confidential legal information, referral to other helpful services and legal advice appointments for most legal problems in the NT.

Call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343. The Helpline operator will talk about what type of problem you need help with and connect you to the correct office at Legal Aid to make an appointment. We provide legal advice over the phone, or in person if that is preferred.

Your nearest Legal Aid office runs legal advice clinics in family law, criminal law and civil law matters.

Ongoing legal representation is available to people who qualify for a grant of legal aid.  We require you to meet a financial means test and your legal problem must be something we are funded to provide representation for.

Take your first step towards a solution and call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343

We provide free and confidential legal information, referral to other helpful services and legal advice appointments for most legal problems in the NT.

Call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343. The Helpline operator will talk about what type of problem you need help with and connect you to the correct office at Legal Aid to make an appointment. We provide legal advice over the phone, or in person if that is preferred.

Your nearest Legal Aid office runs legal advice clinics in family law, criminal law and civil law matters.

Ongoing legal representation is available to people who qualify for a grant of legal aid.  We require you to meet a financial means test and your legal problem must be something we are funded to provide representation for.

Take your first step towards a solution and call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343