Community Development
Community DEVELOPMENT
TASC Community Development in association with both government and non-government organisations spearheads new initiatives that value add to the life of the community, particularly those members significantly disadvantaged.
In August 2009, TASC Community Development focused its attention on community development strategies at the prickly end of the stick, developing cutting edge interventions to some of the harshest social issues.
Here's a smidgeon of what we're working on
Disability Interagency Service Team (DIST)
Presenting DIST to the Toowoomba Magistrates
History of DIST
Imagine parents with a child with challenging behaviours and complex needs. Now imagine those parents dealing with a group of multiple government departments and organizations, each one of them facing their own challenge of identifying areas of responsibility within their funding mandate. You can well imagine everyone in this situation getting caught up in a quagmire. Imagine the family coming to the point of collapse and relinquishment of their loved one. Imagine the various agencies struggling to develop a coordinated response.
Now imagine a vehicle to incorporate community cooperation and collaboration.
The Disability Interagency Support Team (DIST) is an initiative that emanated from such referrals to TASC for such cases. TASC Disability Advocacy proposed to Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) a memorandum of understanding between all government departments that required a collaborative model of case management with the involvement of senior management/decision makers. The Regional Director of DSQ successfully achieved this over a period of time and for the past 2 years this model has achieved great success.
Now, thanks to DIST, collaboration between a range of government departments, such as Disability Services Qld, Qld Health, Qld Police Service, Department Child Safety, Department Education and other community service providers effectively integrates holistic solutions and highly desirable outcomes in case management.
DIST, a better way.
In fulfilling it functions, DIST engages in a variety of activities, associated primarily with co-ordinating responses to people with disabilities who are experiencing issues in accessing participation in mainstream living. The team operations represent only part of the total support response provided to people with disabilities.
• Meetings - monthly or as required. DIST Activities
• Ensure all available information is collected on referred cases.
• Discussion and referral of young people to DIST will occur where a minimum of three agencies are involved.
• Preparation of management plan to provide direction for the person with a disability.
• Identifying key personnel to implement aspects of the management plan
• Review, evaluate and redefine effectiveness of the management plan as necessary.
• Liaison with other agencies as necessary.
• Case closure.
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