When a young person and their family can't talk to each other any more, and someone needs to be in the middle.
FRMP-funded conflict coaching and family mediation for young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness due to the conflict at home. Statewide, across Victoria.
Family mediation
The situation
A young person is couch surfing, in refuge, or one argument away from being out of home.
The relationship with their family isn't necessarily finished. It's stuck in a loop of arguments and stalemates.
The last conversation ended in a screaming match, and nobody has tried since.
Everyone has a version of what happened, and the versions don't match.
The young person wants contact but not the conditions. Or wants to go home but won't say so first.
A parent or carer is willing to talk, but every attempt turns into the same fight.
Mediation puts a neutral person in the middle, so nobody has to be both the go-between and the support.
What clients and referrers say
We are grateful and very lucky to have your expertise working with our clients in our small town, you have done wonders with this mediation. My client had a chat with me yesterday afternoon. She said she felt like she was able to get everything off her chest, things she probably wouldn't have shared without you there, and she seemed to be in a really positive headspace moving forward. We will be reaching out again if we have another client needing your support/expertise.
Referring support worker
Youth homelessness organisation
I found Mary to be very caring and gentle with her words, but firm when needed. It worked well with making me think about my actions or words. At no point did I feel uncomfortable with opening up with her, I felt it was a safe place and Mary had genuine care and compassion for us. It's a lot to talk about and take in, but she made it seem easy to do.
Mediation participant, business owner
Mary, I always breathed a sigh of relief when I saw you were the conciliator in my case. As counsel, your calm and balanced approach made all the difference for everyone in that room!
Barrister, Victorian Bar
Who this page is for
What is FRMP and what does the funding cover?
If you're a case manager, support worker, lawyer, or other professional supporting the young person. You can see a way back, but you can't be the neutral and their advocate at the same time. You're also the only person who can apply for FRMP funding - see below.
If you're the young person, a parent, carer, or family member. You can call me directly. FRMP funding has to be applied for by a professional supporting the young person, so if there's a worker involved, point them to this page. If there isn't, we can still talk about how mediation might work privately.
The Family Reconciliation Mediation Program (FRMP) is a Victorian Government-funded program, delivered by Melbourne City Mission, that supports young people aged 16 to 25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Its purpose is to help a young person:
stay at home, or return home, where that's safe and appropriate
rebuild a connection with family, significant others, or community
recover from a recent family breakdown or period of conflict
build the capacity to form a family of choice where returning home isn't the answer
FRMP operates across the state — metropolitan Melbourne, Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume and Loddon Mallee. Family mediation is one of the therapeutic interventions its brokerage funds.
Read more about FRMP at Melbourne City Mission →
What the funding covers
An approved brokerage package covers 10 sessions, used flexibly as individual or joint sessions depending on what the family needs. There is nothing for the young person or their family to pay.
Who is eligible
A young person can access FRMP brokerage if they:
are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness
are aged 16 to 25 (there's some flexibility in the age bracket)
have consented to and are ready to engage
have a case plan aligned with FRMP objectives
Applications can only be submitted by a professional providing ongoing support or case management to the young person.
How are the 10 sessions used?
Conflict coaching first, one-to-one. I start with each person separately — the young person, and the parent, carer, or family member. This is where I screen for safety, work out what each person actually wants from a resolution, and give them room to be heard without the other person in the room.
Joint sessions only when it's safe. If it isn't safe, or the young person doesn't agree, we don't do it. We can work shuttle-style instead, with me moving between the parties, or keep going one-to-one. A young person is never pressured into a room with someone they're not ready to face.
The mix is decided by need, not by a template. Some families use most of the ten sessions on individual work. Others move to joint sessions quickly. I'll tell you which way it's heading as we go.
A written record of what's agreed, if the parties want one — practical and specific, not legal.
The Grace + Justice approach to working with young people and families
Reconciliation isn't the only good outcome. Sometimes going home is the goal. Sometimes it's contact on new terms, or a clean and dignified ending that lets a young person stop waiting. I don't push families towards a reunion that isn't safe.
Safety is not assumed. Where family violence is present, mediation may not be appropriate, and I'll tell you that plainly rather than proceed.
The young person is a party, not a subject. They're in the room as a decision-maker with their own interests, and the process moves at their pace.
Voluntary throughout. Anyone can stop at any point, and nobody is penalised for it.
1,500+ mediations chaired, including with families in acute conflict. I'm a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a lawyer by background, and I've spent a large part of my career in child protection and family conflict. So I bring a trauma-informed and empathetic approach to every coaching session and mediation I chair.
How to make a referral
Call me first. We'll talk through the situation and work out whether I'm the right fit for your client, and when I can start. No identifying details needed for a first conversation.
If it's a fit, you apply to FRMP for brokerage. You submit the application.
Once it's approved, I begin. One-to-one conflict coaching first, then joint sessions if and when it's safe to do so.
I take referrals statewide across Victoria.
Grace and Justice Pty Ltd © 2025
0426 535 176
P.O. Box 3089
Doncaster East
VIC 3109