Offenders with Co-existing Disorders- Housing and Support
Projects under the NSW Housing and Human Services Accord
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Introductions
 Hughen Edwards, Corrective Services NSW, Project
Officer, Co-existing Disorders Project, Newcastle/Lake
Macquarie
 Kelly-Anne Stewart, Housing NSW, Senior Project
Officer, Client Programs and Partnerships.
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Offenders with Co-Existing Disorders
 Aim of the project
 To reduce reoffending by effectively meeting the
criminogenic needs of supervised communitybased offenders with co-existing disorders
 Definition of co-existing disorders
 An offender with concurrent problematic alcohol
and/or other drug use and/or mental illness and/or
intellectual disability
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Offenders with Co-Existing Disorders
 In 2006 Corrective Services NSW commenced the
project in 5 sites across NSW:
• Nowra
• Gosford
• Sydney
• Bathurst
• Newcastle
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Partnership with Housing NSW
 Corrective Services NSW approached
Housing NSW to form a partnership under the
NSW Housing and Human Services Accord to
link in housing assistance for a sub set of
eligible clients
 The Accord is a framework used for
formalising interagency partnerships.
 In 2007 Operating Agreements commenced at
3 sites Gosford, Nowra and Newcastle
 In 2009 an Operating Agreement at Bathurst
commenced
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Partner Agencies
 Partner agencies include:
• Corrective Services NSW
• Department of Human Services (Housing NSW,
Ageing Disability and Home Care)
• NSW Health (Drug & Alcohol and Mental Health
Services)
• Justice Health
• Various NGOs
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Offenders with Co-Existing Disorders
-Target Group
 Clients referred to the trial were:
• Offenders on community based orders
• Had current or previous AOD issues, plus
mental health disorders and/or an intellectual
disability
• Offenders at a medium or higher risk of
reoffending as determined by the Level of
Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) assessment
tool.
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Offenders with Co-Existing
Disorders-Eligibility Criteria
 Must be under Probation & Parole supervision
 Have co-existing disorders
 Must be eligible for Public Housing and meet
requirements for Priority Housing
 Willing to live in the project area
 Willing to accept support
 Must be assessed and have willing to have support
mapped to meet their needs
 Provide informed consent to participate and allow
partner agencies to share information
Identify potential client
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Complete initial Public
Housing eligibility and Priority
Housing Checklist
Client meets P/H eligibility
criteria-refer
Client does not meet P/H
eligibility-do not refer
Complete Referral
Complete preliminary case
plan (pending housing
location)
Priority Housing Application
process can commence
Tabled for discussion-support
negotiated
Accepted to project
Housing stock identified
Client accepts offer
Referral Declined
Service Level Agreement
finalised by Partner Agencies
Client housed with supports in
place
Client progress monitored at
each Operating Committee
Meeting
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Service Level Agreement
 Each client accepted into the project is required to
have a Service Level Agreement (SLA)
 The SLA details the type, duration and intensity of the
support in place for the individual
 The support is designed to address the offender’s
needs and assist them to sustain their tenancy
 The SLA is a live document and reviewed to reflect
any changes in client’s needs
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Offenders with Co-existing Disorders
Overview
 65 clients have been referred to the Project
 36 clients gained accommodation as part of the
project. Of these:
 27 clients housed in Public Housing
 2 clients in supported accommodation due to intellectual
disability
 7 clients housed in the private rental market
 5 clients are approved and waiting for allocation
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Offenders with Co-existing Disorders
Overview cont..
 Reasons for other referrals not continuing in
project include
 Reoffending
 Relocated out of the project areas
 Deemed ineligible for project due to change in
circumstance
 Refusing to participate in project or engage with
support
 Declining offers of housing assistance
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Offenders with Co-existing Disorders
Reoffending Statistics
Clients housed through project:
• 2 clients reoffended


One reoffended and awaiting sentencing in
community
One reoffended and entered custody
Clients referred but did not proceed in
project:
• 5 clients reoffended


4 entered custody while being referred
1 breach of order
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Offenders with Co-existing Disorders
Tenancy outcomes
1 tenancy relinquished by client
Minor tenancy issues reported and dealt
with via interagency approach
0 failed Public Housing tenancies
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Client Outcomes
 Actively addressing AOD and MH issues
 Positive engagement with support services
 All clients housed have sustained their public housing
tenancies
 Reduction in re-offending
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Case Studies
Case Study 1
Before referral to project:
• Severe mental health issues
• Refusing medication
As a result of the project
• Has accepted support
• Successfully sustaining tenancy
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Case Studies
Case Study 2
Before referral to project
• Mental health and AOD issues
• Violent behaviour
• Chronic history of homelessness
As a result of the project
• Managing mental health and AOD issues
• Successfully sustaining tenancy
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Agency Outcomes
 Better understanding of each agency and their core
business
 Better communication and information sharing
between agencies
 Effective engagement of NGOs with appropriate
expertise
 Improved relationships/partnerships between
agencies, assisting with management of clients other
than those nominated in the project.
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Agency Challenges
 Housing stock availability in locations that are suitable
for clients with complex needs
 Ongoing engagement with complex clients is resource
intensive
 Difficult to engage clients once supervision order
expires
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Lessons Learned
 Agencies to nominate clients who meet all
eligibility criteria and are willing to engage
 Thorough assessment of client needs is
required before accepting referrals
 Clients need to remain engaged with support
services for varying lengths of time, more
complex needs = longer engagement,
requiring flexibility in support commitment
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Lesson Learned cont…
 Housing allocation should consider client’s
issues, location of support and type of
property
 Build client capacity to sustain tenancy and
access support when needed beyond the life
of project
 A longer supervision order is more beneficial
when engaging clients with very complex
needs.
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Future Directions
 The trial period has now finished and the project will
continue in all sites until at least June 2011
 Housing NSW and Corrective Services are conducting
evaluations
 Agencies agree that the project has been of great
benefit to improve the interagency service delivery for
this highly complex client group and in relation to
overall interagency collaboration
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Questions??
www.housing.nsw.gov.au
www.dcs.nsw.gov.au