Lakes

Michelle Tiriana-Bishop

Ko Pureora te Maunga, Ko Waikato te Awa, Ko Tainui te Waka, Ko Rereahu te Iwi

Michelle Tiriana-Bishop joined LinkPeople in July 2017 to lead the housing team in Rotorua. With the rapid growth of service provision, in January 2020 she was appointed regional manager, with oversight of the tenancy, housing and health teams in the Taupō, Rotorua and Tauranga areas.

Michelle has almost 20 years’ experience working in the social housing sector, including 16 years with Housing New Zealand. She has held various tenancy related roles and spent four years in a community development position working with vulnerable communities. Michelle has strong community and agency connections and prides herself on leading a team who share her genuine passion for peopleand always having them at the centre of everything they do.

Chris D'Aprile

Chris D’Aprile – Team Leader

Chris has over 13 years’ experience working in local government in a range of roles such as customer service, regulatory compliance and team leadership. Originally from Cumbria in North West England, he moved to New Zealand in 2007 and has spent the vast majority of this time here in Rotorua after experiencing the culture and natural wonders that are in abundance in the Bay of Plenty. Chris enjoys playing and watching sports, comics books and having good time with friends and family.

Shelley Martin

Ko Te Ramaroa te maunga, Ko Whirinaki te Awa, Ko Matawhao te waka, Ko Ngapuhi te Iwi

Shelley has worked in the mental health and addiction space since 2006 and holds several diplomas, (including in mental health, suicide prevention, and Māori Health). She has have recently qualified as a counsellor and is currently working towards a degree in counselling. Shelley’s passion for helping people brought her to LinkPeople in 2014, and in 2019 she moved into a team leader role, leading a passionate team delivering several different services (in Rotorua and Taupō). Shelley’s team provides service navigation, linking people to appropriate community supports. Her team also includes family/whānau and consumer advisors who ensure that whānau and consumer voices are heard, supporting improvements in the mental health and addictions space. She is also responsible for needs assessment and service co-ordinators (NASC), who take the lead role in co-ordinating access to residential services, housing and support services. Finally, Shelley’s team also includes a carer support assessor who is mandated to approve funding for respite to the caregiver of someone with a reliant mental health diagnosis.

Janelle Coburn

Janelle started with LinkPeople in 2018 on student placement in the Needs Assessment and Coordination Services team and continued into a role as a housing case worker under the Lakes DHB contract.  Within this role, Janelle supported LinkPeople’s most complex whai ora into independent accommodation that was sustainable and supported their wellbeing.

Janelle previously worked as a teacher in Auckland before leaving to raise her children and is now completing her Master’s in Applied Social Work. Janelle takes pride in supporting the Rotorua team culture of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga.