New Regional Coordinator for Brisbane

Phil Smith joined the Service Integration Initiative in January 2021 as Regional Coordinator for the Brisbane region. Phil has worked in housing and homelessness, alcohol and other drug treatment, and mental health support roles in Brisbane and in the UK for 25 years, and is keenly interested in collaborative, enhanced outcomes for people living with these complex issues. Since returning to Brisbane in 2011 he has managed a multi-disciplinary health team supporting homeless and otherwise at risk young people.

Informed by the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017-2027, and driven by Partnering for Impact and Partnering for Growth, the Queensland Service Integration Initiative aims to create better outcomes for people who are homeless or at the risk of homelessness by enhancing existing care coordination mechanisms, identifying and enabling sector capability building opportunities and encouraging innovation in transforming the housing and homelessness sector. Regional Care Coordinators are based at nine locations across the state – Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane (x2), Redlands, Logan and Gold Coast.

The Brisbane region has several Care Coordination and Network meetings that will work together with the two Regional Care Coordinators. This collaboration will strengthen and enhance existing care coordination frameworks, ensuring that contemporary person/family centred approaches are utilised when coordinating multi-disciplinary responses for people with multiple and complex needs. The collaboration will focus on achieving person-centred outcomes that are place-based and designed to incorporate challenges and opportunities that are unique to the region. This initiative will help drive improved processes and practices responding to the needs of vulnerable people who are homeless or at the risk of homelessness.