For this Case Study, we spoke to:
This case study explores how a multidisciplinary practice (MDP) team helped *Mia, a single mother of three, navigate legal, financial and personal challenges stemming from family violence and homelessness. The collaborative approach led to significant positive outcomes for Mia and her children.
Mia is a single mother with three children under six years old. She was referred to the Melbourne Legal Service by a maternal child health service for legal advice related to her parental rights due to ongoing family violence perpetrated by her ex-partner, *John, against whom she has an indefinite intervention order. Mia had mental health concerns stemming from a prolonged period of homelessness. Additionally, her access to essential identification documents, destroyed by John, posed significant barriers to obtaining Centrelink benefits and enrolling her children in school.
Mia faced significant challenges due to ongoing family violence and the destruction of her identification documents by her ex-partner. This not only affected her mental health but also hindered her ability to access financial support and services necessary for her and her children’s wellbeing.
Melbourne Legal Service formed an MDP team, including an integrated program coordinator, social worker, lawyer and financial adviser, to address the needs of Mia and her children. This collaborative approach allowed for flexibility, resulting in Mia overcoming barriers and achieving positive outcomes that might otherwise have been unattainable.
[multidisciplinary practice] breaks down judgments towards other professionals as they identify the skill set that the other professional is bringing and how this can support a better outcome for the client.
The MDP team implemented several initiatives to support Mia, including providing a safe phone and laptop, funds for transport and document replacement, mental health support, legal advice and grocery vouchers. These initiatives enabled Mia to access financial support through Centrelink, compensation as a victim of crime, a carer’s allowance and support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The team also connected Mia with local community services, helped her apply for a driver’s licence and facilitated her exception from job-seeking requirements. Additionally, they successfully arranged for Mia’s debts to be waived and minimised penalties for traffic offenses based on her family violence circumstances. This safeguarded her future employment prospects and aspirations to study midwifery.
As a result of the support provided by the MDP team, Mia was able to access financial resources to cover childcare, transport and motor vehicle expenses. She successfully obtained new identification documents, gained access to various forms of financial support, enrolled her children in school and aspired to study midwifery.
Key features critical to the success of the MDP and outcomes achieved in this case study include:
Centring the voices, interests and choices of victim–survivors across every aspect of service provision.
In this case example, practitioners ensured that Mia accessed a diverse range of specialists without needing to re-tell her story. They also limited their contact with her to a pre-agreed time of day. This approach prevented re-traumatisation, allowed Mia to build a strong relationship with her care team and avoided overwhelming her with multiple calls.
… centring the client avoided Mia receiving four or five calls on one day, so she would not be completely overwhelmed.
Valuing specialist knowledge enhances family safety and wellbeing, while respecting role boundaries improves practitioner satisfaction and retention.
In this case example, the MDP team brought together specialists with distinct expertise to address Mia’s complex needs. Each professional contributed their specialist knowledge in areas such as legal support, social work, financial advice and mental health. As a result, Mia secured financial support, re-established her identification and improved her mental wellbeing, illustrating the effective use of specialisation.
It gives me an understanding of what the lawyers are doing, where they’re coming from and the social work team as well. Everybody that’s connected with the case, it opens me up to everybody else’s practice … and that can only be good.
Engaging respectfully with fellow practitioners, valuing diverse professional backgrounds and being open to learning from different perspectives.
In this case example, the MDP team demonstrated respectful communication by collaborating across their diverse professional backgrounds, ensuring open dialogue and valuing each member’s expertise in legal, financial and social support. This collaboration resulted in Mia accessing financial support, obtaining identification documents, receiving mental health services, enrolling her children in school and exploring study opportunities.
Multidisciplinary practice is all enabled by the respect you have for each other.
Clear governance structure, appropriate resources and a shared understanding of roles and processes create a platform for MDP.
In this case example, the MDP team coordinated legal, financial and social services with clear roles and resources. As a result, Mia regained essential identification documents, accessed financial aid, enrolled her children in school and had her debts waived. She is now pursuing midwifery studies with improved prospects for stability and employment.
Timely and effective exchange of relevant data, insights and knowledge across different professionals involved in supporting the client.
In this case example, the MDP team effectively shared information about Mia’s legal, financial and mental health challenges, enabling coordinated action. By working together, they provided Mia with a phone, laptop, transport funds, mental health support and legal advice. This collaboration helped Mia access financial assistance, replace her identification documents and obtain a waiver for her debts. As a result, she was able to enrol her children in school and pursue her goal of studying midwifery, improving her family’s stability.
The case study of Mia illustrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in addressing multifaceted challenges. The coordinated efforts of the MDP team enabled Mia to overcome significant barriers and achieve stability for herself and her children.
