He is part of a team which has helped thousands of vulnerable Hume residents and now Mark Lazaric has been acknowledged nationally for his individual service to the community. Minister for Human Services Senator Kim Carr said Mark was one of just 20 staff to receive a Department of Human Service (DHS) Australia Day honour. “Mark is a dedicated, skilled and knowledgeable member of the Broadmeadows Case Coordination team, which provides a personalised service for people in need,” Senator Kim Carr said. Federal Member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou said the Broadmeadows Case Coordination team continue to achieve results for people in need and feedback from local community has been positive.
“Since September 2011, the team has assisted more than 2,100 people and on more than 4,000 occasions it has linked people to local services and support organisations,” Ms Vamvakinou said. Mark said he is very humbled by the award and proud of the outcomes he has been able to achieve for vulnerable local residents.
“Working as part of the Case Coordination team means I can speak one-on-one with people in need and take the time to listen and uncover what issues they need to have addressed,” Mark said. “I’ve helped people who have struggled to pay bills, are dealing with substance abuse, experienced health issues, had difficulty finding employment or needed somewhere to live.
“One memorable case was an older gentleman who was referred to us for help paying his electricity bill. During our discussion he revealed he was living in substandard housing, without basic access to essential services, while he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
“I was able to immediately connect him with housing outreach services to investigate his living conditions, and contact his hospital and other community support organisations to address his health and wellbeing. “Within six weeks, he and his wife had moved to new accommodation, resolved their bills and were connected with four new service providers.”
Broadmeadows Service Centre is one of 31 sites around the country trialling Case Coordination.
The centre at 16-22 Pearcedale Parade is open from 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.