St George-Sutherland community engagement officer
New South Wales media release
Monday, 7 June 2010
If you’re down on your luck, in a crisis, vulnerable or homeless in St George-Sutherland these days, Centrelink’s Kathleen Stone is here to help.
Centrelink support for crisis-struck, vulnerable and homeless people in the area is in good hands thanks to the Community Engagement Officer Program.
The 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.
Kathleen is the Centrelink Community Engagement Officer for St George-Sutherland, and her job is to ensure local homeless people, or those at risk of homelessness, will have better access to income support and the many other services available through Centrelink.
Kathleen says her background a social worker means she works with service provider groups to support individuals in need, helping them find their feet again.
"I find this work rewarding, as I am working with people who need help in a time of personal crisis - it’s in those times that I can really make a difference for them.
"Recently I’ve been working with residents at a local caravan park, referring people to the local community organisations that support them, organising emergency relief payments if necessary to provide for children, to help pay rent, or for ongoing counselling.
"I help people understand their payments and tell them about Centrepay, where we can make sure their bills are taken care of through their Centrelink payments.
"I enjoy networking with the local agencies and have the benefit of seeing people have positive outcomes, which can develop long term growth and resilience for people".
For more information, telephone the relevant Centrelink media contact.