“I must have been destined to work with forensic clients. For the last 17 years I have worked in frontline servicing across mental health, child protection, homelessness and community safety sectors, all positions supporting forensic.
“I have worked alongside and advocated for forensic clients as a case manager, coordinator, manager, senior manager and local government officer in far north Queensland. I have a particular interest in working with the First Nations community members on forensic orders. This interest started with my mother, grandmother and great aunt who all worked with First Nations Self-Managed community organisations when I was growing up.”
“I have just finished my first month at ACSO in the role as Lotus Glen Correctional Centre MRS After Hours Forensic Worker. This is a new position and new program and it has been exhilarating settling in and standing up the program rapidly to ensure our clients were being offered the best supports from the outset.
“I have previously worked closely with Community Corrections and the prior CREST team taking discharging referrals from Lotus Glen into the homeless services I managed. Stepping in and completing direct client support is rewarding and continues to engage my love of networking with the wider sector to get the best outcomes for men re-entering the community.”
“I love juggling priorities as the unscheduled discharges flow in. As a single worker at Lotus Glen, I rely heavily on the relationships I make with the correctional staff and external providers to provide seamless timely supports for the men reintegrating.
“No day is the same, and I am directed throughput my day by the unscheduled discharges arriving in my Inbox.
“I meet with the client and explain what MRS AHRS is providing and the services that will be supporting the client along with all the contact details including service maps so it can be as stressless as possible for the client. Working in a remote area of Queensland, many of our men reintegrating are from indigenous communities as far away as the Northern Territory Border or islands in the Torres Straight so understanding their cultural and logistical needs is a primary focus.”
“I work with accommodation providers such as Hotels or Homeless services to organise bridging accommodation prior to the client’s travel home. Luckily, I have been able to secure a 3-month lease with a hotel and place clients into homeless services for immediate and/or longer-term accommodation.
“Coordinating with Return to Country providers and Community Corrections ensures the clients are supported to access other services such as Centrelink and finally transport to booked travel home (plane, train, bus). MRS can also provide the necessary essentials such as a backpack, toiletries and grocery vouchers to make the time between discharge and arriving at their finale discharge address manageable.
“Our supports are all immediate and usually completed within an hour of being notified of the discharge. This is jam packed when I may have two or three all at the same time leaving for Cape York. It is all about planning, coordination and good communication that supports a positive re-entry into community and the best opportunity of reintegration.
“Luckily my Team Leader Emma Somerville who is in Brisbane exuberantly leads me from afar. We complete Teams chats with the other After-Hours worker and phone calls a plenty to trouble shoot throughout our shifts.”
“Outcomes! Outcomes! And by that, I mean client outcomes! I get the biggest thrill when I can work with a client and coordinate services so that all the support gaps a magically filled. The relief on a client’s face when they realise that their needs are covered and someone has listened and completed a plan that works for them, everything falls into place for the client. Winning.”
“Family (including the Pug), friends, cooking, meditating and walking in that order, on a perfect day all of these come together. When I have time for a longer break, I love to complete high country walking and meditation holidays, and I am currently planning another Himalayan holiday on the Indian side after I completed a retreat at 3800-metre in Nepal in 2023.”
“Absolutely, I have felt incredibly supported since I started, which is no easy task working remotely from your senior staff in correctional centre in a brand-new role. So, massive applause to everyone at ACSO from support staff to senior managers for making me feel part of the ACSO family by always being available and so responsive whenever I need anything, amazing.”