BCHS Community Newsletter - Other - Page 3
OF LOVE APPEAL
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Meet the immediate
day-to-day needs of
people experiencing
homelessness in Bendigo.
JANE’S ROAD WITH INROADS
Jane* first sought the help
of the BCHS InRoads team in
September 2024 at the Bendigo
Library (pictured above).
With a history of trauma,
homelessness and a lifechanging diagnosis that left
her with chronic anxiety, she
made it clear the only help she
was willing to accept was non
health related.
When our InRoads Community
Connector first met Jane it had
been 18 months since her last
health appointment. Her main
needs at the time were regular
access to food and hygiene
products and safety planning.
Our Community Connector began
the fragile task of building trust,
letting Jane set the pace to the
interactions with her. The aim
was always to make sure Jane
felt comfortable, heard,
validated and safe.
In this environment it was
possible to give Jane the
basics in life and eventually
move towards receiving medical
care again for her complex
health needs.
expressions of fear or pain
are misinterpreted.
Change has come in its own
time, but there is a notable
difference for Jane now,
thanks to the careful and
considered support from her
Community Connector.
Improving health care access for
those at risk of, or experiencing,
homelessness is what the
InRoads team do. The work is
opportunistic, but the impacts
are viscerally felt by all says
Program Lead Clare Woods.
It9s the gentle reminders, the
warm cuppa on a cold morning
or a nutrient-rich 8up and go9
before an appointment that
makes all the difference. It9s the
ability to sit with someone until
their nerves are settled enough
to walk into the appointment.
For Jane, it9s in the calls to the
services before an appointment
to discuss her situation and find
alternative options to sitting in
the waiting room.
It9s in the way Jane presents
herself now, taking the lead in
her own health appointments
instead of relying on someone
else to speak for her. It9s
knowing she has an advocate
she can trust to step in to deescalate incidents when her
