Fiona Oates | Regional Coordinator

In March 2020, Fiona joined the Service Integration Initiative team at Q Shelter in the position of Regional Care Coordinator for the Cairns region. Fiona is a social worker with experience in the government, non-government and university sector, and has a passion for supporting agencies develop and implement evidence-based service delivery frameworks to vulnerable population groups. Fiona also has a keen interest in the mental health needs of practitioners who work in trauma-laden environments. In 2018, Fiona completed a PhD (Social Work) which explored the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who work within the child protection service system.

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. Auspiced by a number of place-based organisations through funding provided by the Department of Housing and Public Works, there are Regional Care Coordinators located at nine locations across the state; Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane (x2), Redlands, Logan and Gold Coast.

 The Cairns Housing and Homelessness Network has formed a reference group that will work closely with the Regional Care Coordinator. This collaboration will build on existing care coordination frameworks, ensuring that contemporary person/family centered approaches are utilised when coordinating multi-disciplinary responses for people with complex needs. This collaboration will have a strong focus on achieving person-centered outcomes that are place-based, that is, designed to incorporate challenges and opportunities that are unique to our region.

This initiative will help drive improved processes and practices responding to the needs of vulnerable people with multiple needs who are, or at the risk of homelessness.