Casework client characteristics
An overview of the issues experienced by clients who accessed the CSF casework service is provided in Figure 2 . Clients were considered to be experiencing each issue if the issue was present during the period of casework engagement , or if it was thought to be a contributor to the client ’ s current presentation .
Figure 2 . Issues experienced by CSF casework clients and mental health issues , both of which were current issues during the period of casework . Sarah also had an acquired brain injury , which she felt impacted her memory and thinking skills , and experienced ongoing chronic pain related to a degenerative health condition . She was quite socially isolated , having limited contact with her family and few other supports in her community .
Emergency relief assistance provided :
• CSF provided assistance with food vouchers and food on a number of occasions during the period where Sarah was a casework client .
• CSF provided Sarah with a voucher to purchase a mobile phone , allowing her to be more socially connected with family and friends and enabling her to be contacted by organisations who were supporting her .
Referrals and liaison provided :
A vast majority of clients ( 86 %) experienced both mental and physical health issues which many felt impacted on their ability to work and / or seek employment . Mental and physical health issues were always experienced concurrently in this sample . Close to half of the casework clients experienced alcohol and other drug issues ( 43 %). Involvement with law enforcement and the court system was also common , with legal issues being experienced by 57 % of clients . Three clients ( 43 %) had been a victim of crime .
Newstart allowance was the most common form of income for casework clients ( three clients ), followed by Disability Support Pension ( two clients ). The remaining clients received Parenting Payment ( one client ) and Youth Allowance ( one client ). Significant financial difficulties were experienced by two of the three clients who received Newstart allowance , compared to none of the clients who received another form of income .
Case Study : Female ( 50y . o ) and long-term caravan park resident
Background and presenting issues :
Sarah presented looking for advice and support in the context of several issues which were exacerbating her current mental health difficulties . In particular , she requested support in the lead up to her upcoming private session and submission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse . She also had no home phone or mobile , which meant that she was unable to be contacted by her family and friends or organisations who were trying to support her . In addition , Sarah reported being unhappy in her current accommodation . She was looking for information about housing options and requested support to investigate her options further . Sarah described a difficult childhood , which was largely spent in out of home care . She had a long history of illicit substance use
• Liaised with Sarah ’ s community legal offices in order to provide information that they required .
• Assisted Sarah to apply for the Getting Mobile program , which is a partnership between Better Life and CSF . The program provides a mobile phone and 3 months of free mobile phone usage to eligible clients in order to improve social connectedness and phone literacy .
• Referred Sarah to the Relationships Australia Reclaim Program , which was established to provide support , case management and counselling for individuals registered with the Royal Commission .
Individual outcome :
Sarah remained engaged with the CSF case work program during a 4 month period . During this time she was accepted into the Reclaim Program and was allocated a counsellor whom she had met with and reported feeling comfortable with . She was hopeful that some of her mental health issues would stabilise through regular engagement with the counsellor .
Sarah completed her private session with the Royal Commission during the period of casework . She was due to find out at a later date whether she was entitled to compensation .
During the casework period , Sarah reported detoxing from all illicit substances and she remained illicit drug free at the end of her engagement with the service .
Sarah had aimed to find alternate housing out of the Frankston area . After working collaboratively on a budget and researching housing options , Sarah was able to achieve her goal , finding long term accommodation in an area of her choosing . She had also linked in with the appropriate community support service in her area prior to ceasing casework engagement at CSF .
Sarah continued to use the phone purchased with help from CSF . Her free 3 month period with Better Life had expired towards the end of the casework period , but she had moved out of area prior to completing the post-program requirements .
Community Support Frankston | Annual Report 2017
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