A Bit About Me

I’ve always had a creative streak. I’m actually a graffiti artist. Melbourne is known for its graffiti culture, and I’m part of that scene. Art has been an important outlet for me over the years. I’ve even promised to dig out some pictures to show you all.

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But, for most of my life, I honestly thought I was unemployable. I hadn’t worked in decades. One day, I said to a mate, “I reckon I’m ready.” Harm Reduction Victoria gave me a chance, and I’ve thrived ever since.

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In the fight to eliminate hepatitis C, the C No More project is doing something different, and it’s working. I’m proud to be part of it. C No More is a partnership between Harm Reduction Victoria, St Vincent’s Hospital and the Burnet Institute – funded by Gilead Sciences – and together we’re bringing hep C testing and treatment straight to people involved with the justice system, especially those who fall through the cracks.

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Instead of waiting for people to come to a clinic, we take the service to them. We park our van outside the community corrections offices and offer point-of-care hep C testing and treatment on the spot. Most of the people I see are on probation, parole or linked to the courts, and plenty haven’t had access to healthcare in years.

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A Van, a Vision and a Lot of Heart

I work alongside two brilliant nurses from St Vincent’s. Together, we run a mobile nurse and peer-led testing and treatment service at four community corrections sites across metro Melbourne.

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We park near community corrections offices and yarn with people as they’re coming out. I tell people, “We’ll test anyone in the community who might be at risk.”

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Testing is simple, a fast finger-prick test. And, if someone tests positive, we help organise treatment quickly in a way that fits into their life, whether through a methadone clinic, a local pharmacy or the hospital.

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But the van isn’t just a testing site. It’s a small hub of harm reduction. We have a needle and syringe program, naloxone kits, clothes from Thread Together, toiletries and snacks, and we help people with housing and health referrals whenever we can. Soon we’ll also be offering hep B and flu vaccinations, along with more blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infections screening. I’m really looking forward to learning those new skills.

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Peer Power – It Takes One to Know One

I’m peer based, and people can tell straight away I’m one of them. I speak the same language because I’ve lived it. I’ve used drugs and I had hepatitis C. In that short walk from the corrections office to the van, they know I’m not an outsider. The ice breaks immediately, and people open up because the trust is already there.

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I went into prison in 1999. At Melbourne Assessment Prison they tested me for hepatitis C before sending me to Fulham prison, and that was it. There was no treatment offered to me, no information, and no one really cared. I was worried enough to keep my own syringe, but I still rented it out. By the time I left, the cut-down needle was half its original length from sharpening it. That’s why people trust me now. I don’t speak from theory. I speak from lived experience.

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What Keeps Me Going

At the start, I’ll be honest, the money I earned as a peer worker helped. It got me off the streets and gave me stability. But what keeps me going now is the impact the job has had on my mental health.

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I’ve lived with clinical depression for years. This work has lifted my confidence and my self-worth more than I ever expected. Helping people who have walked a similar path makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger, something that matters.

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Treatment Has Changed in a Big Way

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I’ve done both the old interferon-based treatment and the current hepatitis C treatment. For me, they were like chalk and cheese. For me, the current treatment was easy. But a lot of people don’t know it exists yet.

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I also talk a lot about reinfection. “Just because you’re on treatment doesn’t mean you can’t get hep C again,” I remind people. “Blood doesn’t have to be visible. A tiny drop is enough.”

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Why This Work Is Critical

People involved in the justice system are up to eight times more likely to have hepatitis C than the general population. Prisons in Victoria and in other states do offer testing and treatment, but people on community correction orders, a group even larger than the prison population, often slip through the cracks.

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Nearly half of the people on community correction orders have never been in prison but still share similar risks. C No More is helping to close that gap.

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A Team Effort

C No More works because it’s collaborative. Burnet Institute drives the research and funding. St Vincent’s Hospital provides the nurses. Harm Reduction Victoria brings in peer workers like me.

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I like to joke that we’re like Voltron. Each part is strong, but together we’re unstoppable.

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In phase one, we tested nearly 900 people, even though we only ran two days a week. Around 60 people went on to start treatment. That’s massive.

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The Hard Stuff

Some of the stories people share are heavy. At first, I struggled. I had to learn not to internalise everything. Now I get regular debriefs, and my manager at Harm Reduction Victoria is incredibly supportive. A lot of people we see haven’t been near a doctor in years, because of stigma. When they see I’m one of them, they feel safe enough to try again.

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A Message for Anyone Reading This Inside Prison

If you’re reading this from inside, here’s what I want you to know.

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If you’re like me and you’ve been using it for years and you think you’re an unemployable piece of rubbish, there’s hope. I used to think that too. But, if I can get employed, anyone can.

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Get tested and get treated, if you and your doctor decide that’s right for you. Tell your mates. There’s real support out here for you.

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Looking Ahead

I’m excited about what’s next, including vaccines, sexual health training and new harm reduction skills. Every new skill means another way to help my community.