Collective knowledge and partnerships: a shared-care approach to addressing homelessness

Strong partnerships are fundamental to our work at Neami. Working effectively with other services, funders and the community is key to providing timely, meaningful supports that meet people’s diverse needs – as is doing it with connection and care.   

Neami’s Towards Home+ is a prime example of effective partnerships in action. The service takes a shared care approach with local partners to provide intensive wraparound care for people experiencing homelessness in Geelong.  As a leading member of the Geelong Zero project, the program has helped house 150 rough sleepers since the project was launched in October 2022.  

A team approach

The Towards Home+ team includes case managers, lived experience case managers, youth case managers, community health nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) case managers. This shared-care approach supports people to stay healthy, connected and safe.  

This year, Towards Home+ Geelong has also been working closely with Neami’s Homelessness Access Program and partners Bolton Clarke, who link rough sleepers to primary health care support.   

Health, housing and connection

Dee Loader from the Homeless Person’s Program (HPP) at Bolton Clarke says, “Many people experiencing homelessness have chronic health conditions and are unable to access health services or attend health centres. By building a trusting relationship, HPP nurses conduct comprehensive assessments to address their health needs and factors underlying homelessness.   

“Our team provides a primary healthcare response to people on the streets, in parks, at food programs, in low-cost hotels, boarding houses, caravan parks or living in crisis accommodation, working in tandem with organisations like Neami.  

“This model of healthcare eliminates the intimidation of clinical settings, encouraging people to seek help for physical and mental health concerns that they might otherwise ignore”.  

Sarah Jones from Uniting Vic.Tas shares how this team approach leads to deeper, lasting change.  

“Our teams have moved beyond just focusing on AOD issues to understanding how housing, mental health and social connections all work together.”  

“What I love most is seeing the real, lasting changes in people’s lives when services work together holistically.”  

Nicola Connolly from Launch Housing agrees that working together helps people get the support they need.   

“Through the collaboration in this program, we can support our clients to best navigate the system and support them to overcome challenges to accessing the services they need”.  

Towards Home+ is supported by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and delivered by Neami National in partnership with Launch Housing, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-op, Uniting, Bolton Clarke, and Melbourne City Mission.  

Find out more about Towards Home+: https://www.neaminational.org.au/services/towards-home-geelong/