Contract Project Manager working with the Executive Unit of Drug Health Services at Sydney Local Health District on clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement projects and policy and procedure development

Senior Policy Advisor and consultant to First Light Health Care Group developing integrated multidisciplinary residential programs focusing on comorbidity, executive wellness and performance optimisation for elite athletes.

Recently I've been involved in developing private sector group residential Recovery Houses in Byron Bay and in Wagga Wagga. I also recently helped to establish a clinical trial at Royal Park Hospital to bring into Australia, an experimental medical device called The Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) currently employed in the treatment of neurological symptoms caused by disease or trauma. My role was to coordinate the visit of Professor Yuri Danilov, the inventor of this technology, and head of the Tactile Com­mu­nication & Neurorehabilitation Laboratory (TCNL) located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I've also been involved in the development of Psychwire, a new international web based networking and training platform for mental health professionals - now the largest online platform for CBT, ACT and DBT training.

Operations manager for allied health drug and alcohol counselling services at RPA Hospital - including MERIT program. Member of SLHD Drug Health Services Clinical Council. Member SLHD Arts and Health Committee, Member of MERIT Program Advisory Committee

- Systematised operations of a pioneering multidisciplinary one-on-one treatment program, clarifying brand strategy, developing consistent policies and procedures, building appropriate workforce, and structuring operations, enabling the company to quadruple it's growth within four years.- Developed and successfully implemented an innovative new residential treatment model combining aspects of Therapeutic Community and Recovery Home models.- Established and articulated consistent treatment protocols and procedures across multiple treatment teams.

• Successfully led a $650k Federal capacity building project (Improved Services Initiative) over five years, with the aim of increasing the overall capacity of The Buttery workforce to treat comorbidity. Project was delivered on time and on budget and commended as an exemplar project when acquitted. • Introduced industry best practice standards for key clinical practice areas, and as a key member of National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) Steering Committee, was instrumental in the development of the Suicide Assessment Kit (SAK), a national best practice industry standard for managing suicide in residential settings.• Successfully implemented Dual Diagnosis Capacity Audits to show objective improvement in organisation’s capacity to work with comorbidity (13.2% score increase).• Clarified, developed and implemented consistent protocols and procedures enabling organisation to gain formal healthcare accreditation (ACHS). • Established and strengthened linkages and partnerships with external mental health clinicians and organisations to broaden mental health services available to residents.• Designed, commissioned, developed, implemented and tested a purpose-built integrated SQL resident management database (CYRIN) drawing together all administrative and clinical management needs of the organisation into one integrated platform.

The Buttery is a well regarded Therapeutic Community based in Binna Burra, NSW - but also provides outreach community services in the larger Northern Rivers area. Between 2003 and 2006, I was recruited to manage a multi-sited outreach service providing drug and alcohol counselling services to a large geographical region from Grafton up to Byron Bay and Tweed coastal regions, and as far west as Casino and Kyogle. During this time, we trialled many innovative ways of reaching previously marginalised populations in need. In the town of Casino for example, we ran art programs for indigenous women working from a community building perspective. Through art, we linked older and younger generations of local indigenous people in Casino exploring themes of belonging, family and the effects of drug use on community.We also provided a subsidised acupuncture clinic in Byron Bay to provide additional services to people already seeking support for their drug and alcohol use. In 2006 we hosted a very successful public forum to educate human service professionals in the NSW North Coast about the emerging methamphetamine 'epidemic'. We also ran relapse prevention groups in conjunction with other agencies to help participants gain a better understanding of their personal cycles of drug use thereby minimising ongoing harm.

I developed and ran Metta Youth Ltd as a demonstration project to link young marginalised people with sympathetic, effective therapists and fund access for the young people to long term therapy over a maximum period of three years. I recruited the appropriate therapists, set up a non-profit organisation with pro-bono legal support from one of the biggest law firms in Melbourne (Mallesons Stevens Jacques), and created a equitable access process in conjunction with leading youthwork agencies. I also resourced and supported a volunteer Board throughout this time and hosted a sector wide conference to share our learnings more broadly.