MYND

What is MYND?

MYND is for young people aged 14 – 18 who are referred to the programme for offending behaviour. It is a highly successful ‘intervention’ programme with a proven track record of significantly reducing the frequency and severity of youth re-offending. MYND is ‘outreach’ with an emphasis on effectively working with the young person in the community context.  Staff will provide support and strengthen a young person’s pro-social bonds to family, education/work providers, cultural and community resources.  This focus provides an opportunity to heal offenders, victims and communities injured by crime.

The MYND programme has two different services, the MYND Youth Development Programme and the MYND Transition Service.

MYND Youth Development Programme works with young people 14 years and over that have high needs and risk, who require intensive developmental work.

MYND Transition Service is designed for  those 17-years old and over with a focus on moving them into independence and employment. 

Every young person has an individualised development plan which focusses on addressing their needs and enabling safeguards that promote resiliency and strengthens a young person’s ability to resist risks or hazards and make good decisions.

MYND is underpinned by this whakataukī (proverb):

Hoatu te matau ki te rangatahi, ka hi te matauranga
Give youth a fish hook, so they can fish for knowledge

  • Why MYND?
  • MYND Research
  • MYND History

Why MYND?

Goal:  Create Attitudinal and Behavioral Change

Objectives:

  1. Increase Life skill development
  2. Increase Protective Factors
  3. Develop healthy pro-social relationships
  4. Engaged in pro-social activities
  5. Recognise thoughts and behaviours which contribute to positive health and well-being
  6. Assist individuals to acquire work ready skills and attitudes

MYND Research

The Graeme Dingle Foundations partners with the University of Auckland. A doctorate student with the school of psychology completed a research project with MYND in 2020.  Click here to read more.

MYND History

MYND was founded in Auckland in 2001 due to the lack of restorative programmes within the Youth Justice system. The programme has always worked in partnership with government agencies and communities to address the multitude of challenges and issues facing youth offenders and continues to strengthen networks and resources to better serve the needs of its young people.

In 2007, the Government asked Graeme Dingle Foundation to look into the youth offending area as there were too few programmes that were effective and sustainable. After much research Graeme Dingle Foundation was directed, by Chief Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft, to MYND which was successfully running throughout Auckland. The programme was doing great things, but its small team was suffering from burn-out and lack of resources.

In July 2008 the MYND programme merged under the governance of the Graeme Dingle Foundation. This merge has enabled the programme to access strong governance, leadership, strategic direction, resources and expertise of Graeme Dingle Foundation’s National Support Office (NSO) and become more sustainable and transparent.

The programme underwent a strategic review in 2009 and was redeveloped in 2010 which included all of the latest literature and research to strengthen the programme’s aim and become more sustainable. A formal review and subsequent changes were once again made in 2020 to ensure the programme remains responsive and relevant to the sector and young people it works with.

MYND