Katherine Peers

Driving Community engagement & social impact

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

About

Experience

  • Family Support Officer at NSW Police Force
    Sep 2025 - Present · 11 mos

    Connecting NSW police and their families to welfare supports, facilitating family connections days, and extending networks within NSW to better support Police and their families. Within the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command. Based at Sydney Police Centre, but travelling around NSW.

  • Community Engagement Specialist at Macquarie University
    Jul 2025 - Jan 2026 · 7 mos

    Community Engagement Specialist for the Statistical consulting hub at Macquarie University, Sydney.

  • Team Leader - Community Connections, Development and Engagement at The Salvation Army
    Jul 2024 - Sep 2025 · 1 yr 3 mos

    I lead statewide community engagement initiatives for people experiencing homelessness, focusing on trauma-informed, lived experience-driven approaches across urban and regional NSW. My work centres on creating inclusive programs, building strong partnerships, and embedding real community voice into service delivery. Key highlights: * Leading a multidisciplinary team of Peer Workers, students, and volunteers across NSW * Developing and scaling trauma-informed lived experience frameworks * Launching a virtual rural health outreach clinic to improve access in under-served areas * Building a register of partnerships and MOUs to strengthen cross-sector collaboration * Embedding peer-led engagement models based on Participatory Action Research

  • Dental Liaison Officer (Community Welfare Officer) at NSW Health
    Mar 2015 - Sep 2024 · 9 yrs 7 mos

    As Community Liaison Officer for the Special Needs Dental Service, I worked to connect some of Sydney’s most vulnerable communities — including people experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use issues — with specialist oral health care. I coordinated service delivery in partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital and developed referral pathways across several Local Health Districts to make access smoother and more responsive. I worked closely with clinicians, case workers, and clients to tailor support to each person’s needs, making sure the care they received was not just fast, but right for their situation. A big part of the role involved crisis intervention — supporting clients who were in acute distress, navigating urgent needs, and making sure no one slipped through the cracks. I also streamlined intake and triage processes across multiple clinics, helping people get seen quickly and safely.

  • Transport Scheduler at Leichhardt Marrickville Community Transport Inc.
    Sep 2014 - Apr 2015 · 8 mos