Tara, 34, was referred to Juno for housing support after leaving her interstate home due to family violence. She experienced ongoing family violence, including coercive control, with her now ex-wife using controlling behaviours and financial abuse over many years.
Tara had found a way to leave her relationship and move interstate safely, although without a house to go to, she spent months couch surfing with friends before being referred to Juno.
Tara identified several tasks that she needed support with. In particular, she was having difficulty navigating a new service system. She needed support to establish her new tenancy, transfer her work cover claim and link to appropriate family violence support (including counselling).
Tara’s Case Manager explored her needs with her to provide tailored and appropriate support. Tara is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and regularly commented on the need for a service response with an LGBTQIA+ lens. As an intersectional organisation, Juno ensured culturally appropriate support, considering Tara’s identified neurodiversity and her LGBTQIA+ status. During the conversation, Tara expressed struggling with her mental health but that it had improved significantly since learning she would have a place to live, having secured a private rental. Tara stated she was ready to start her new life away from violence.
Her Case Manager was able to apply for a Family Violence Flexible Support Package, carry out safety planning, and ensure Tara had food and essential supplies through material aid support. They also liaised and advocated with other services to ensure they provided appropriate and culturally specific support. Her Case Manager also connected Tara with resources and information to support her recovery and interstate move with a holistic view, such as connection to social groups in line with her hobbies.
“The case worker kept following up and contacting me when I was really struggling with burnout, to communicate, to keep going, and was losing hope. They managed to create a safe space and build trust with me, despite never meeting in person, which is a great feat considering my previous experiences with other support services, people in general and disappointments before that. The case worker at Juno listened to what I needed and provided practical support and helpful solutions while not overwhelming me with unnecessary information or handballing me to other services. The Juno worker could clearly define and prioritise my needs by asking broader and deeper questions. The holistic approach combined with problem-solving skills and teaming it up with practical solutions placed into action and strong advocacy is what made a difference. The biggest factor would be genuine care, honesty and authenticity from the case worker, which enabled the whole process. Clear communication and expectations also helped when I was dealing with a lot of uncertainty.
