Outreach Support Team
The key functions of the Outreach Support Team are to provide support and assistance to those most in need in our community, those experiencing homelessness or housing crisis, mental health issues and those with a disability wanting to remain in their own homes.
What we can offer:
The OST exists to assist with a range of issues. They may include assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing, and other housing issues as a result of:
- Family Violence
- Relationship Issues
- Gambling and other addictions
- Mental health issues
- Intellectual/physical disability
- Employment and training needs
- Living Skills/Personal Development Skills
Experienced and professional workers will assist clients to:
- Clarify a problem
- Identify options and
- Develop plans to approach difficult issues in a constructive manner
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Complex Care Needs
This program is funded though individual care packages from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and is aimed at offering a high level of accommodation based support for individuals of high risk to homelessness and within our community without appropriate support.
LMHS provides individual accommodation based support for clients with complex support needs. We provide 1:1 support to assist with the activities of daily living for our clients within a “homeless” environment. Our goal is to provide a welcome, safe and friendly lifestyle from which we can encourage active community participation and positive personal development with our clients.
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Street Soccer
Street Soccer is an initiative launched in Australia by The Big Issue Australia in 2003. The program uses sport (in particular soccer) to promote social inclusion and personal change for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people. It changes lives and gives a great boost in self-esteem and a vision for a brighter future.
Street Soccer games are fast paced and require 4 players per side on the pitch at one time. They have 2 halves that last 7 minutes each, with a minute break in between.
Street Soccer is held in Bendigo every Tuesday from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Long Gully Reserve (behind the BP petrol station). All those wishing to participate can contact:
Jordan Tamblyn - (03) 5445 8103
jordant@lmhs.com.au
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The Big Issue
Loddon Mallee Housing Services support the re-establishing of the Big Issue in the Bendigo area through the partnership with the Big Issue by offering a support worker to implement the return of street vendor opportunities to people in the Bendigo area.
In June 2005 Loddon Mallee Housing Services’ Outreach Support Team met with George Halkias (Big Issue Victorian Regional Development Co-ordinator) to discuss a partnership that would work towards the goal of re-establishing the Big Issue in Bendigo. Loddon Mallee Housing Services recognised parallels between the two organisations values and strong social ethic. These parallels include a belief that disadvantage is perpetuated systemically and therefore solutions to the disadvantage faced by people call for innovative and creative solutions.
It was at this juncture that Loddon Mallee Housing Services and the Big Issue agreed to collaborate in order to create opportunities for people in the Bendigo area to become vendors of the Big Issue. Self determined working hours and the flexibility that this offers ensures that people can take advantage of the opportunity to interact with the broader community (rather then continuing to experience social isolation) whilst managing the complexities of their daily life. Subsequently this gives people the chance to manage the variables that negate peoples choices or options in challenging their disadvantage, such as family commitments, disabilities, physical and mental health issues and the plethora of social and systemic hurdles that are inherent in the lives of those experiencing unemployment, homelessness or social exclusion. Loddon Mallee Housing Services has established their first Big Issue vendor and is looking to support 2 more vendors in the near future.
For more information please contact:
Jordan Tamblyn - (03) 5445 8103
jordant@lmhs.com.au
Visit their website
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QICSA
Loddon Mallee Housing Services delivers support services to homeless people in accordance with the Homelessness Assistance Service Standards (HASS).
LMHS services was successfully reviewed by The Quality Improvement and Community Services and Accreditation organisation(QICSA) under the auspice of The Quality Improvement Council of Australia in October 2008 and awarded its formal accreditation in early 2009.
Visit their website
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