Introduction

There are some people and families who may have access to more than one of DCJ’s services over their lifetime. Often this occurs when they are experiencing vulnerabilities and intersecting challenges, such as disability, homelessness, domestic and family violence, or persistent contact with the justice system. We refer to the people and families with multiple interactions across multiple DCJ services as our shared clients.

While acknowledging the importance of specialisation within our workforce and in our service delivery, a fragmented and siloed service system may not provide our shared clients with the most efficient or effective services. Their multiple touchpoints with DCJ present us with opportunities to provide a more effective response to their needs.

 Exploring tailored solutions that consider the whole family, adopting holistic and therapeutic approaches, and promoting prevention and earlier intervention, will help to deliver on our collective ambition to fulfill the promise of DCJ.

In some cases, there are opportunities for continuous improvement such as seamless referrals. In others, our work with shared clients will require transformational reform.

Often, DCJ’s shared clients are also shared with other Australian and NSW Government departments and agencies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, and non-government organisations. If DCJ is not the right agency to address the underlying needs for a person or family, for example if the early intervention or therapeutic response involves health interventions, education supports or economic levers, we will work at a cross or multi- agency level.