STAFF PROFILE – Archie Darcy is a dedicated member of the Youth on Track team at the JRNSW Mt Druitt site, where he brings passion, lived experience and deep community ties to his work with young people.

Archie Darcy is a dedicated member of the Youth on Track team at the JRNSW Mt Druitt site, where he brings passion, lived experience and deep community ties to his work with young people. Archie began his journey with JRNSW as a Youth Worker, supporting young people with essential welfare needs such as arranging birth certificates and Medicare cards, and helping them engage in programs like group exercise, boxing and cultural activities. After a year in the role, he stepped into a Case Worker position, where he now works closely with young people and their families, providing early-intervention case management, advocacy and referrals aimed at preventing or reducing their involvement with the justice system.

As the third oldest of seven siblings, Archie has always embraced the role of a leader and mentor. He speaks with pride about how his nieces refer to him as their “idol,” and he actively encourages them to explore sport, art and positive opportunities. This sense of responsibility, of setting an example and showing the way drives Archie’s commitment to supporting the next generation.

Archie’s connection to JRNSW began long before his employment. In his younger years, he knew Jess Brown (Youth Engagement Manager) and Daniel Daylight (Manager, Mt Druitt) from his own experiences going through the Parramatta Children Court system. When approached about joining JRNSW, he welcomed the opportunity to use his lived experience to relate to and positively influence young people facing similar challenges.

Before entering the Just Reinvest space, Archie gained varied work experience across the NDIS sector as an Aboriginal support worker, in traffic control, agricultural (Digging and searching for Aboriginal artifacts) and farming roles, warehousing, and general labouring. He holds a Certificate IV in Youth Work and had intended to pursue a Diploma in Community Services before the pandemic shifted his plans. Through these diverse career paths, he came to recognise that Just Reinvest is where he is truly meant to be.

Archie understands the weight of his role: the chance to reach a young person before they make a life-altering decision. He believes many young people know what they want but face barriers that derail their path, and he sees himself as someone who can help remove those barriers. The possibility that one day a young person might look back and remember him as the person who guided them towards the right path is what motivates him.

Seen within his community as a natural role model, Archie describes himself as “a shepherd, not a sheep.” Families often reach out to him for support with young people in their lives, and some parents have even requested that their children work alongside him; something he holds in high regard. Cultural and community connection has always been central to Archie’s life, and through Youth on Track he is now able to share this with young people, facilitating weekly cultural activities and helping them build a sense of belonging.

JRNSW provides ongoing opportunities for professional development, and Archie has embraced training in areas such as mental health awareness, narrative therapy, and “My Journey, My Life”- a framework that helps staff positively integrate their personal stories into their work. For Archie, this training strengthens his ability to connect with young people through honesty, relatability and shared experience: “It’s about normalising the not so-cool stuff to be cool”

For Archie, working at JRNSW is ultimately about standing up for his mob and being someone young people can look up to. Guided by the belief that tomorrow is never promised, he strives to be remembered simply as a good person, and one who made a difference when it mattered most.

“This is critical for connection and relatability with young people – it’s about normalising the not-cool stuff to be cool to talk about, because you’ve been through similar situations as them.” -Archie

For Archie, his work at JR NSW allows him to work for his mob. He believes that tomorrow is never promised, and when it all comes down to it, it’s about being known as a good person.

In this series of staff profiles we highlight how employment can also be a ‘circuit-breaker’. Both for our employees, who often come to our organisation as Youth Ambassadors with lived experience and then go on to develop their careers. But also, for the lives they touch in the day-to-day work – employment at JRNSW allows people to work directly in and for communities. By sharing career stories of some of our employees, we hope to showcase their success, their development and their aspirations.