Work With CRC

Liam is a proud Wiradjuri man with family connections to Peak Hill in Western NSW, where his maternal Nan was born on Bulgandramine mission. Liam grew up in Western Sydney with strong roots to Mt Druitt, Blacktown and surrounding areas. Liam’s first job as a young 18-year-old was in a company that manufactured orthotics. Liam’s first manager nurtured and mentored the self-professed “troubled youth”. But after some self-reflection he realised he wanted to do something that made him genuinely happy – helping people.

Finding the dream job

When a contract loss saw Liam’s first community sector role wind up after three years, he did a lot of research to find his ideal role. He had already received a few job offers before he saw the position vacant advertised on the CRC website for a role in the Reintegration Housing Support Program. After speaking with the Program Manager and CRC’s HR Manager, Liam liked what he heard, particularly knowing that there were people who had worked with the organisation for such a long time and the opportunities to progress. After reading the information on our website and LinkedIn he knew he had found somewhere that matched his values. Liam said that even though he was offered more money with the other job offers, he kept coming back to wanting to work for CRC as it felt right for him.

“I tell people if they really want to make a difference, if they want to assist those who are falling between the cracks and really want to support people the way they need to be supported – I tell them to work for CRC! When I am in community, sitting in clinics with clients, I am proud to represent CRC.”

Putting a smile on a client’s face

Liam’s role as a Transition Case Worker is to assist clients who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness in their reintegration from prison to community. The biggest focus of his role is to help clients find and maintain tenancies and to make the transition from prison to housing as smooth as possible for sustained success. For Liam the best thing about his role is “putting a smile on a client’s face and helping them change their life.”

“It might sound a bit cliche, but sometimes it has brought me to tears to get feedback, to be with someone through crisis and see them work so hard to achieve a positive outcome – to know that I have helped make a difference, it really hits home.”

Falling between the cracks

Liam can’t name one best day on the job; he just enjoys supporting clients, especially those who have long histories of criminal justice involvement and other barriers, like AOD use.

“I like working with the clients who have fallen between the cracks, the clients that a lot of services won’t take on board, the ones who just need someone to believe in them. It is refreshing to work for an organization that wants to help those in need and to see them reap the benefits of finally getting the support they need to build sustained success.”

For Liam, the biggest challenge in this work is navigating the system and trying to help workers in other services know that just because someone has made a mistake you don’t give up on them. Liam uses his understanding of his clients’ histories to advocate to services that they can help them rather than turn them away.

“Everyone goes through different journeys in life, and we end up in various places. I advocate for clients with different services to not pass that judgement; don’t just look at what you see on face value. You do not know what someone has gone through or that they did not have access to the resources or support others did.”

Practicing what you preach

The best thing about working at CRC for Liam is the role and the support he gets from the organisation from top to bottom. For Liam, this is unique compared to other organisations he has worked, and as an Aboriginal man he can attest to the cultural competency of CRC. “It is really supportive; everyone does cultural competency training and as an Aboriginal worker I get cultural supervision.”

Liam says that managers support the staff at the ground level to do the work they need to do. He feels like he isn’t micromanaged and has the freedom to do the work he needs to do. He also identifies that the management team are compassionate, and that the support and the values in the organisation run true – it’s not just for show.

“Management practice what they preach. Even the CEO is really present, and if managers and seniors say they care they actually do care.”

No matter how sure we are of our life plan, our true calling will always make its voice heard. That’s exactly how Michelle Bryant came to be our Program Director – Operations and Service Delivery. Exploring her interests later in life led her to pursue a career path she never thought she’d take. But it brought her to us, and since then, she’s never looked back.

From corporate to community

Michelle has never turned down the chance of a new adventure. Over the course of her career, she’s skillfully and enthusiastically navigated the corporate, tech and not-for-profit sectors. For the past four years, she’s brought her love for helping others to our team at CRC.

As our Program Director – Operations and Service Delivery, Michelle ensures all the necessary support, structure and assistance is available for our team. Whether she’s conducting a debrief, organising clinical support or creating policies to support our employees, Michelle says she feels right at home at CRC.

“I feel like I am where I’m meant to be. What we do and how we do it is amazing. I take my hat off to our team members every day. Our work is challenging, but it’s also rewarding; I love knowing that my work impacts our team, which then has a ripple effect on our clients.”

Beauty in change

Michelle is no stranger to new beginnings; she’s worked across the corporate and NFP sectors, and even operated her own software development company. With each new direction, she’s been reminded of her true calling: to help those with lived experience in the justice system achieve their goals – no matter how big or small.

She recalls the moment that first sparked her interest in human services work – a moment which set her on the path to us:

“After working in the corporate sector through my 20s, I started my software development company. But after 13 years, I went looking for something new. I sold the business and spent a couple of months volunteering in Tanzania. It was an incredible experience, and it opened my eyes. I realised that I wanted to pursue a career where I could truly connect with people – in a human and authentic way.”

After returning home to Australia, Michelle spent almost a decade working for a NFP focused on addressing youth homelessness. When she joined our team, she described it as, ‘like winning the jackpot, twice!’

“At CRC, I’ve found an organisation where people respect one another. Our values align and we have a genuinely good culture. I love the way people are supported to do their work here; we all understand how important our roles are.”

Community spirit

In the four years since she joined CRC, Michelle has relished working for an organisation that works to evidence-based practices. She says she gets to do what she loves while learning something new each day.

And the most important lesson? The value of practicing non-judgement across every aspect of her work.

“It’s a privilege to work with people with lived experience. At CRC, everyone works together and treats each other the same way we treat our clients. I’m proud to work with a team that is so inclusive, professional and culturally aware. We make a difference to peoples’ lives, and our people truly feel connected to our mission.”