Inner Sydney's community engagement officer in action
New South Wales media release
Monday, 7 June 2010
Vulnerable and homeless people in Sydney are in good hands thanks to Centrelink Community Engagement Officer (CCEO) Sarah O’Bree.
The CCEO program sees 90 specialist Centrelink staff located across all capital cities and many regional centres, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
Sarah’s job is to make sure homeless, desperate and mentally ill people in Sydney, and those at risk of homelessness, will have better access to income support and the many other services available through Centrelink.
"I visit a lot of inner city homeless shelters and drop-in centres as well as rehab unit and hospital wards, making sure that people have access to payments and referrals to services that can help them get back on their feet," she said.
"Together with other Centrelink staff and people from other groups and agencies, I help people find suitable long term accommodation, employment, rehabilitation as well as income support where they are eligible.
"Recently I found a young woman through the Concord Hospital’s mental health unit whose paranoid schizophrenia had meant she was too afraid to have dealings with the outside world.
"She hadn’t kept up her contact requirements and her Disability Support Pension had been stopped. After a lot of work I was able to make a successful case for her to start receiving backdated Disability Support Pension again in recognition of her severe illness.
"She was then able to pay her outstanding rent and stay in her home. It’s these kind of outcomes that make me get up every day, and why I love coming to work."
For more information, telephone the relevant Centrelink media contact.