Katherine Individual Support Program (KISP)

The Katherine Individual Support Program (KISP) is a culturally enriched, evidence-informed support and coordination Service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness, housing overcrowding or living rough while living with severe health co-morbidities including addiction.

KISP works with the individuals, via a case management approach, with the aim to collaboratively provide services to individuals.

It has been shown that people who attend the Katherine Hospital Emergency Department frequently have, as a group, very high rates of homelessness, poor health and alcohol addiction. It is also recognised that due to the enormous social and environmental challenges that these people face, accessing primary care in a holistic way is almost impossible. The KISP collaboration aims at helping vulnerable people who attend the local Emergency Department to get back on their feet again in a supported and carefully tailored case management program.

KISP will provide a holistic approach to addressing the needs of individuals presenting to the Katherine Hospital, who present on multiple occasions with comorbid complexities. The KISP team will work in partnership with clients, and the homeless community to provide a culturally appropriate and comprehensive service.

Wurli KISP has rigid governance frameworks in place that comprises of a Collaborative Case Management team which involves all the key stakeholders meeting routinely to case manage client’s needs. The Reference group oversees the operations issues that arise and addresses those challenges highlighted at any point in time.

KISP aims and objectives is to dramatically reduce the recurrent presentations to the KDH, to improve the health outcomes of those clients identified and accessing support services and to build strong collaborative key-stakeholder frameworks to enable this model of care continues well into the future.

Acknowledgements
The Katherine Individual Support Program is funded by the Northern Territory Government.

How to contact us

Ring 08 8972 9180 to speak to a member of the KISP team.

Walk in and ask to speak to a KISP staff member at our office at 9 Second Street, Katherine.