While the need for holistic health and social service responses is increasingly being articulated in Australia, the discussion is not always matched by improvements in service delivery. This project looked at one service setting where youth workers were encouraged to take a holistic approach to their clients' often-complex needs. Interviews with youth workers revealed five key elements of their approach, and also the challenges and organisational barriers that workers often confront when attempting to collaborate with other services. The paper concludes with several recommendations for informing practice and policy with the aim of developing sustainable models of service collaboration.