Friday 3 August
PRESENTERS' BIOGRAPHIES
A- Meeting Place
Anna Love
The way forward is working together: Consumer, Clinician and Carer ‘Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much’
Anna Love has been the Chief Mental Health Nurse at the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria since December 2015. She commenced her career in Scotland in the early 80’s and moved to Australia in 1989.
Anna has worked in both Inpatient and Community settings as a clinician, manager and as a Director of Nursing both in Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol services.
During the early 90’s she was involved in the decommissioning of the North Eastern Metropolitan Psychiatric Services (NEMPS) which provided her, her first experience of managing service change and reform, which has been an area of interest since.
Anna’s vision is to ensure a skilled Mental Health Nursing workforce for the future that is flexible, responsive and works collaboratively with consumers encouraging self-determination and self-management of mental health and wellbeing.
Dr Haley Peckham (Centre for Psychiatric Nursing)
What happened to you versus what’s wrong with you: How a neuroplastic narrative underpins trauma- informed care
Haley has studied brain and mind from many perspectives. In 2017 Haley completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne where she researched a molecular mechanism of neuroplasticity. Of equal importance Haley worked as a youth worker and foster care support worker mainly with teenagers for many years and then went on to train as a mental health nurse and complete courses in counselling, psychotherapy and therapeutic use of the arts. Haley is currently training to be a psychotherapist. We are shaped by experiences, especially our early relationships and exploring how experiences influence brains, physiology and the trajectory of our lives is where Haley's passion is. Haley combines her knowledge in the fields of neuroscience and psychotherapy with her clinical experience of being a nurse and her personal experience of neuroplastic change, recovering from the effects of complex trauma through the experience of psychotherapy.
Dr Cathy Daniel (University of Melbourne)
Screening for the illicit drugs during behavioural emergencies in the emergency department
Cathy Daniel is a Consultation Liaison Psychiatry at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. She has completed a Masters Research Degree in minimising mechanical restraint in acute health in 2010. In 2015 she completed a PhD at The University of Melbourne that explored how the how the risk of violence can be accurately identified at ED triage. Cathy is a Mental Health lecturer and the Coordinator of Post Graduate Mental Health Nursing at The University of Melbourne.
Chair: James Houghton (NorthWestern Mental Health)
Presenters: Dr Finbar Hopkins (NWMH), Julie Sharrock, Maggie McIntosh (Eastern Health), Robert Trett (NWMH), James Houghton
SYMPOSIUM: Clinical supervision
Finbar Hopkins has been teaching and facilitating individual and group CS for many years and believes it is becoming increasingly recognised as a core professional activity for mental health nurses.
James Houghton has been a mental health nurse since 1979, and had some excellent clinical supervision throughout his career, which has contributed greatly to his sustained passion for nursing.
Maggie McIntosh has flourished in her 40+ years as a mental health nurse through personal participation in clinical supervision and is passionate about supporting others to understand and benefit from it too.
Julie Sharrock is a nurse who has been in clinical practice for 38 years of her 40+ years of nursing. Now semi-retired, her focus is still supporting others to love nursing as much as she does.
Robert Trett has been a nurse and psychotherapist for 37 years, trained and certified as a clinical supervisor in both NZ and Australia and provided CS to nurses, registrars and allied health staff.
Mary O’Hagan
The Wellbeing Manifesto for Aotearoa New Zealand: A seismic shift in structures and relationships.
Mary O’Hagan used mental health services for eight years as a young woman and went on to become a pioneer of the service users movement in New Zealand. She is a former advisor to the United Nations and World Health Organisation, and a former chair of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. As Mental Health Commissioner of New Zealand (2000 – 2007), Mary led the Commission’s work on recovery.
As Director of PeerZone, Mary leads an organisation that delivers workshops designed and delivered by (and for) people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction. PeerZone’s consultancy arm supports consumer engagement and peer service development across Australia & New Zealand.
Brian Jackson (NorthWestern Mental Health)
Specialist physical health nurse practitioner candidate roles at NorthWestern Mental Health: A novel service innovation
Brian is currently employed as a Director of Nursing for North Western Mental Health, and provides a central focus and professional leadership for mental health nursing. This includes supporting operational priorities, objectives, workforce needs and education requirements. Other agenda items include an Executive Lead across the Melbourne Health "Safety First" program including the ongoing implementation of a sustainable award-winning Clinical Aggression program (MOCA) in both mental health and acute general hospital settings. Brian is also the chair for the NWMH Physical Health Committee, which provides governance for the integration of strategies to address this important agenda.
Zico Malik (Monash Health)
Hep C ready in SECU: A local mental health nursing initiative
Zico Malik is an RN1, RPN, CNS at Monash Health. He studied a Bachelor of Nursing, PG-Dip-Nursing, Master of Mental Health Nursing [Monash University). Zico was the Winner of the Golden Key International Honour Society, Monash Uni 2009 & 2010, and was the Winner of Innovation in Nursing at Monash health 2018. He has six years clinical experience in acute inpatient context, Mental Health. His professional goals are to contribute skills and knowledge through education and research and to continue providing excellent clinical and person-centred care, improving access to resources that optimise clinical practice and outcomes, with a genuine interest in quality improvement initiatives in line with: The National Mental Health Standards and the Victorian Mental Health Act 2014. Zico is affiliated with the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing and the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine
Brenda Happell (Happell Consulting and University of Newcastle)
“...a great idea at a conference ... I’m just not sure how it’s gotten up and flown”: Challenges for a consumer academic teaching lived experience in mental health nursing education.
Brenda Happell is a Fellow and Board Director of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and former Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. Brenda's research interests include consumer participation in mental health services, physical health of people experiencing mental illness and mental health nursing education. Brenda led the introduction of the first known academic position for a consumer of mental health services worldwide. In 2017, Brenda was successful in securing a NHMRC grant to trial an innovative, nurse-led approach to addressing the poor physical health outcomes of Australians diagnosed with mental illness.
B- Silks Room
Dr Chris Quinn & Jo Ryan (Forensicare)
Restrictive practices in inpatient settings for males. A comparison of admitted men who have been in prison to other admitted males.
Jo Ryan is the Director of Nursing at Forensicare, with 25 years of nursing experience in forensic mental health settings as a clinician, manager and educator. In her current role, Jo is responsible for providing nursing leadership and creating a nursing culture that values professional standards and the delivery of high quality evidence based care. She has a particular interest in the relationship between mental illness and offending, and violence risk assessment.
Dr Chris Quinn is a CNC at Forensicare and an Honorary Fellow at Melbourne University. He coordinates the Postgraduate Program, and supports the professional development of Forensicare nurses.
Fiona Whitecross (Alfred Health)
Exploring the prevalence and impact of behaviours of concern and whether a psychiatric behaviour of concern team improves safety
Fiona is the operations manager for the Alfred inpatient psychiatry program and a credentialed mental health nurse with 24 years’ experience. Fiona has led the PSY-BOC initiative at the Alfred and is a passionate advocate for restrictive care free environments. Fiona has represented the ACMHN at a national level as the expert clinician representative for the National Mental Health Commissions restrictive intervention working group and published research in this area.
Susanne McLeod, Chris McNair & Sarah Leonard (Albury Wodonga Health)
Breaking down the silos: A collaborative approach to engaging young people in mental health services in North East Victoria
Chris McNair-Youth Mental Health N.P. works between Wodonga & Wangaratta campuses has 16 years’ experience in Public Mental Health in Rural Northeast Victoria. Chris has worked in Inpatient Units and specialised in Youth Mental Health since 2007.
Sarah Leonard- RN and Post Grad in Mental Health has worked at the Wodonga Campus with young people including acute, CAMHS, early psychosis and the Youth Early Intervention Team for the past seven years.
Susanne McLeod- RN, Master of Mental Health Nursing works with the Wodonga Adult Community Mental Health Team in crisis assessment, continuing care and central Triage for the past five years. She previously worked in rural/remote mental health in NSW.
Leanne Hardwick (NorthWestern Mental Health)
From the smoke hollows of a community care unit: The unique challenges of a ‘smoke-free policy’ in a community care unit
Leanne completed her post graduate qualifications in 2017 and is currently completing a Masters of Advanced Nursing Practice (Mental Health) at University of Melbourne. Currently she is an ANUM at a Community Care Unit with Mid West Area Mental Health Services. Leanne is passionate about improving consumers physical and mental health.
Nicky Slocombe & Cheryl Payne (Monash Health)
You can teach an old dog new tricks: Peer/Consumer support workers in an education and quality framework for aged persons mental health
Nicky Slocombe is a Registered Nurse with 28 years’ experience in mental health, currently working in education and quality in Aged Persons Mental Health at Monash Health.
Cheryl Payne is a Carer Peer Support Worker, she has been a carer for a child with mental health issues, and also a carer for her mother and father in law.
Steve West (Eastern Health) & Paula Kelly (The Eastern Dual Diagnosis Consumer and Carer Advisory Coucil)
A dual diagnosis peer led group programme
Paula Kelly is Chairperson of the Eastern Dual Diagnosis Consumer and Carer Advisory Council and has a passion for inclusive and collaborative mental health care based on partnerships with consumers with a lived experience of dual diagnosis. The peer-led Group Programme is a wonderful example of this collaboration with consumers and carers supported by the dual diagnosis In-Tandem model co-designed with the Eastern Dual Diagnosis Service.
Steve West is a senior clinician with the Eastern Health Dual Diagnosis Service. He has worked as a psychiatric nurse since 1978 in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Rachel Oakenfull & Whitney Johnson (Alfred Child and Youth Mental Health Service)
The child and the parent: Creating change in families where both the child and parent experience mental illness
Whitney Johnson works at the Alfred CYMHS Early Intervention Mobile Outreach Service, with previous experience in Adult Community Case Management and Forensic In-Patient Psychiatry. She is currently a senior clinician with the DHHS Sibling Support and Placement Service, providing primary and secondary consultation to children and services within the Out of Home Care system.
Rachel Oakenfull works at the Alfred CYMHS Early Intervention Mobile Outreach Service. Rachel has specialised in child and youth mental health though also has experience working within adult acute In-Patient Psychiatry. Rachel is passionate about the physical and sexual health of youth at Alfred CYMHS.
Christine Cummins (Bendigo Health)
The challenges of caring: Ethical dilemmas in health care
Christine Cummins is a Psychiatric Nurse Consultant with Bendigo Health and a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse with a Masters in Mental Health. Her diverse clinical experience includes crisis intervention, community case management and five years on Christmas Island as a Torture and Trauma counsellor. Christine has a background in social justice and human rights having worked with aid agencies in Sri Lanka and Iran and in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia with indigenous communities. These combined experiences have enhanced her passion to advocate to maintain human dignity and to promote best practice in the nursing profession.
Elda Kimberlee, Vahitha Koshy & Seema Dua (Monash Health)
Successful fall prevention in aged persons mental health - reducing the risk and decreasing severity of outcome
Elda Kimberlee is a Clinical Nurse Educator with extensive experience in child, adolescent, aged person's mental health and education in Australia and the UK. Elda is very passionate about supporting and enabling staff to provide exceptional care that optimises outcomes for consumers, carers and families.
Vahitha Koshy is Nurse Unit Manager for Aged Persons Mental Health unit with a Post Graduate Mental Health Nursing and Masters qualification. She has extensive clinical experience working in perinatal and mother baby, ECAT and Aged Persons Mental Health.
Seema Dua is a Clinical Nurse Educator with a Post graduate qualifications in Mental Health nursing and has extensive experience in adult mental health, aged mental health and drug and alcohol services in acute & community settings. Seema has worked on a number of projects targeting seclusion reduction, trauma informed care and gender-sensitive practices.
Nicole Edwards (Office of the Chief Mental Health Nurse, DHHS) & Kate Thwaites (DHHS)
Mental health intensive care: A new way forward
Nicole Edwards is a mental health nurse advisor at the Office of the Chief Mental Health Nurse. Nicole has 24 years' experience working in a range of mental health settings and is committed to supporting and developing the mental health nursing workforce, reducing restrictive practices and improving quality of care and safety for consumers and clinicians.
Kate Thwaites is a mental health nurse working with the Office of the Chief Mental Health Nurse on a range of nursing leadership and quality and safety projects. Her professional vision is a compassionate health care system which provides evidence-based care, and nurtures, values and develops clinical staff.
C- JR Room
Vanja Obradovic (Alfred Health)
Serious incident reviews and how they impact nursing staff working in a mental health setting
New to Alfred Psychiatry, previously working in clinical and non-clinical roles at Western Health, Vanja played an integral role within the health care continuum, supporting patients to maximise their independence and functioning and in doing so, maximising long term health and community care needs. Her main function was to support quality improvement projects, identify risks and gaps in service delivery to improve the overall performance for the directorate. Currently, working within the Quality and Risk department her role focuses on implementing processes that guide the mental health service towards continuous improvement with a specific focus on feedback and clinical risk management.
Ella Graham & Hannah Grauel (Forensicare)
Reflections on advance statements in recovery - when personal and professional worlds collide
Ella Graham is both an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse and student Registered Nurse. Ella is also a long-term consumer of mental health services as she has struggled with an eating disorder and bipolar for the past 16 years, which has driven her passion for improving eating disorder services.
Hannah Grauel is a Graduate Mental Health Nurse at Forensicare and also has a lived experience as a mental health carer for Ella. She is passionate about seeing a future where mental health issues and physical health issues are considered equally important.
Angie Hunter, Henrique Van-dunem, Steve Woolley & Sare Gillies (Melbourne Health)
Continual collaboration fostering empowerment, recovery and hope
This team is a few of the peer support workers from Sunshine Adult Acute Psychiatric Unit. The consumer peers (Henrique, Steve and Sare) have many years’ experience accessing mental health services (15 - 40 years) and working within the mental health service (10 - 15).
Angie is in her 20th year of working in public mental health service originally as a social worker, now as a service improvement co-ordinator and co-ordinator of the peer team. These presenters have been employed in their current roles at SAAPU for just over 12 months and their positions have been made recurrent.
Sharlin Berna Judy Foor, Sharon Redfern, Chelsea Keating & Michael Xuereb (Mercy Mental Health)
Integrated peer and clinical support post discharge from an acute mental health inpatient unit: A perspective
Sharlin is an Occupational Therapist practicing in mental health through various clinical roles for over 10 years with special interest in Reducing Restrictive Interventions. She is the Team Leader for Post Discharge Support Program.
Judy is a Mental Health NP and has been employed in clinical roles for over 30 years. She has special interest in suicide prevention and is the coordinator of a Postvention Team.
Sharon has been a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at Mercy Mental Health for 10 years and is interested in discharge planning and chronic physical illness management.
Chelsea is a Consumer Peer Support Worker interested in exploring how her lived experience can promote hope and recovery in Mental Health clients.
Michael is a Carer Peer Support Worker interested in creating positive, reciprocal connections between health services and families/carers.
Pip Bradley (Eastern Health)
Emotion sickness: feel better ... or ... feel better?
Philippa has more than 20 years’ experience in mental health nursing working in a variety of settings across inpatient and specialist community areas, as well as in nursing leadership positions in New Zealand. Her main areas of interest is in Personality Disorder, Complex Trauma and Addiction. Philippa has completed a prescribing Masters in Nursing focusing on addiction and mental health.
Philippa is currently the Clinical Manager of Spectrum. She is committed to providing therapeutic and effective services for people with borderline personality disorder and to support and train clinicians in doing this work.
Brenda Happell (Happell Consulting and University of Newcastle)
From problem to potential solution: the development and implementation of the physical health nurse consultant role
Brenda Happell is a Fellow and Board Director of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and former Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. Brenda's research interests include consumer participation in mental health services, physical health of people experiencing mental illness and mental health nursing education. Brenda led the introduction of the first known academic position for a consumer of mental health services worldwide. In 2017, Brenda was successful in securing a NHMRC grant to trial an innovative, nurse-led approach to addressing the poor physical health outcomes of Australians diagnosed with mental illness.
Sarah McFadyen (NorthWestern Mental Health)
Challenges and experiences of early-career mental health nurses working in acute mental health services
Sarah has a passion for mental health, which led her to complete a Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health) with ACU in 2016. She is currently undertaking the Masters of Mental Health Nursing degree with RMIT whilst completing the postgraduate mental health nursing program with Northwestern Mental Health. Her areas of interest range from Personality Disorders, LGBTI issues in Mental Health and Research where she hopes to complete her Masters and PhD.
Richard West (NorthWestern Mental Health)
Zen in the art of mental health nursing: Mindfulness based therapy as a nurse led intervention in a youth inpatient setting
Richard is a graduate nurse at North Western Mental Health. He recently completed his Masters in Nursing Practice at the University of Melbourne. His first rotation was at the Orygen Inpatient Unit, a youth mental health service where he became interested in using mindfulness-based interventions to help service users engage with their current mental state in a new and therapeutic way. He has found mindfulness to be greatly beneficial his personal mental health and well-being. Richard believes that mental health nurses should have a wide therapeutic tool kit to engage consumers. Mindfulness is another way to do exactly this.
Rebecca Tambasco (Royal Children’s Hospital)
The role of the mental health nurse in providing psychoeducation to carers within a CAMH inpatient unit
Rebecca graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Nursing from the Australian Catholic University. She is currently completing a graduate year at Royal Children's Hospital in Mental Health, in collaboration with NorthWestern Mental Health. Rebecca currently works on the Banksia unit in crisis containment and will complete a short stint at Royal Melbourne Hospital on the John Cade unit, before returning back to the Banksia family.