Naomi Boyd joins St John of God Social Outreach as Director Homelessness and Support Services

10 Sep 2021

Last financial year, these services collectively provided 25,230 nights of stable accommodation to 33 adult consumers who have experienced mental health challenges and 124 vulnerable young people, including 30 young mothers and their babies, who were all either experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

A mental health nurse with postgraduate qualifications in healthcare leadership and management, Naomi has spent two decades working in the sector. She is passionate about recovery and trauma informed care, which are the foundation of the Casa Venegas and Horizon House services. 

“I’m looking forward to working with a caring and compassionate team, to help shape the two services for the future and support the teams to continue to deliver the great work already in place that’s clearly benefitting the clients we serve,” Naomi said.  

Throughout her career as a mental health nurse, Naomi has engaged with adults who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness and helped connect them with support services within the community and to develop independent living skills.

Naomi first joined St John of God Health Care in November 2015 as an inaugural caregiver at St John of God Midland Public Hospital. She began as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, providing discharge follow up to all patients discharged from the Mental Health Unit, before becoming Nursing Unit Manager in 2018 and then Program Lead at the beginning of 2021. 

As the Program Lead for the Hospital’s mental health services, Naomi was responsible for overseeing its Mental Health Unit, drug and alcohol services and Psychiatric Liaison Team, who are based in the Emergency Department. One of the highlights of Naomi’s time at Midland was introducing the recovery model and trauma informed care principles to its mental health services.

Prior to joining St John of God Health Care, Naomi was the Operational Lead for the extended care service at Graylands Hospital in Perth. She oversaw the rehabilitation of subacute and chronic mental health clients with complex needs as they transitioned back into the community. 

During her time with Graylands Hospital, Naomi introduced physical health care screening for subacute patients and successfully redeveloping the model of care for the hospital’s extended care service within North Metropolitan Health Service to improve outcomes for long-stay patients and promote community living. 

She is excited by the opportunity to add youth to her portfolio and to learn more about the specific challenges and barriers experienced by those aged 16-22 years. 

“Connecting with the caregivers within SO and the HH and CV teams has already been so inspiring and I have no doubt that as a team we will be able to take our services even further, supporting the communities around us to end homelessness and provide safe, supportive services to those who need us most,” Naomi said.