Twenty-eight community service
workers from the NSW South Coast and Southern Tablelands will meet in Goulburn
this Thursday in a concerted effort to break the cycle of homelessness.
The community service workers will
join a one-day training workshop presented by the Public Interest Advocacy
Centre (PIAC) and Legal Aid NSW.
Called Law for Non-Lawyers,
the workshop addresses common legal problems faced by people at risk of
becoming homeless. The workshop gives community
workers the information they need to support early intervention for problems
such as debt, fines, social security and tenancy issues.
‘Workshop participants
hear first-hand accounts of individual experiences of homelessness and the
struggles these people go through to get back on their feet,’ said PIAC Senior
Training Officer, Ms Sarah Ludowici.
‘When you hear
these stories, you begin to appreciate how easy it is for life to get out of
control.
‘The workshop helps
community workers to identify pathways for addressing their clients’ problems before
they escalate into a situation where someone ends up homeless,’ Ms Ludowici
said.
Law for Non-Lawyers also provides information about Legal Aid’s homeless
outreach service.
Legal Aid lawyer, Lyn Larkins, said
the aim of Legal Aid’s homeless outreach service is to assist clients to deal
with their legal issues.
‘This can break the cycle of
homelessness or prevent circumstances leading to homelessness,’ Ms Larkins said.
Representatives from Mission
Australia in Nowra and Moruya, and from Anglicare in Goulburn and the Southern
Tablelands will take part in the workshop, alongside local community workers
from St Vincent de Paul and the Goulburn Family Support Service.
More information about the PIAC training program is available online.
MEDIA
CONTACTS:
Legal Aid NSW (Berry), Lyn Larkins: 4422 4351.
PIAC
Senior Media and Communications Adviser, Dominic O’Grady: 0478 739 280.
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