Salons have played a vital social role throughout history in the communicating, fostering and sharing of information and new ideas. Initially established by women, the salon served not only as a means of self-education and access to information, but as a form of resistance by women against social constraints which restricted their full participation in society. These included access to formal education, to enlightened conversation and to intellectual discourse.Salons not only provided a unique forum in which women’s voices could be heard and ideas shared, but they fostered cross-class and cross-cultural communication between both male and female social groups. There are records of salons dating back to the early 1600s, one of which was a literary circle hosted by the Marquess de Rambouillet, who at the time brought together Paris’ intelligentsia and literary set.In similar fashion to the historical salon and literary circle, a contemporary salon has come into being, and while it’s presence is digital, it serves a similar purpose as its forebears’ have done. In this instance, the salon is metaphorically represented by the new business entity, “Salon De Morte: A literary collective”. The salon has a uniquely Australian presence and brings together like-minded individuals to disseminate and share ideas relating to the Fourth Way, the Work, and to spiritual growth and development in contemporary Western society. The business was conceived and founded by myself in 2022 and its corresponding web presence will be launched in 2023. Salon De Morte also has a dedicated Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/salondemort/ which showcases a monthly book relating to all things death and dying, written by female authors from around the globe.

In addition to qualifying as a social worker in December 2021, I am currently a senior member of staff of the central Faculty Services student administrative team at the University of Sydney. I work in an interdisciplinary team environment and am an escalation point for case-managing complex student-related academic and enrolment matters resulting from student appeals and life events which negatively impact student’s abilities to study. This requires analysis, judgement and decision-making informed by the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014, the Coursework Policy 2014, and relevant degree Course Rules stipulated in Faculty Resolutions.I refer and triage students in distress to appropriate support services, (i.e., SUPRA, the SRC, Counselling & Psychological Services, the Compliance Team) and provide relevant psychosocial support at first point of contact.Key Achievements:Recipient of staff recognition award, "The SASSYS Award: Virtue & Valour", 2021.Achieving high levels of student satisfaction in an environment with high work volume, strict deadlines and competing priorities.Providing strengths-based psychosocial counselling and practical support to the diverse central portfolio team (over 80 staff) who were impacted emotionally by the university’s centralisation process.Coaching, mentoring and leading training sessions for new team members and colleagues. Initiating social activities to foster cross-team collaboration (Smith Family, White Ribbon (domestic violence).Providing strengths-based psychosocial counselling and practical support to colleagues experiencing personal crises, including bereavement, domestic violence, and other personal tragedy, or who were experiencing moments of existential or identity crisis. Feb-Sept 2018 was nominated to be the Chair of the Inaugural Faculty Services Steering Committee (a staff change leadership group).

Blue Mountains ANZAC Memorial Hospital (80-days)Social Work clinical placement in an acute hospital settingProvided strengths-based counselling and support to in-patients, their carers and families.Conducted psychosocial assessments.Provided patient updates in patient journey board meetings and patient case conferences.Maintained detailed patient files and case notes using CERNER patient database.Led and facilitated patient and family case conferences and patient bedside meetings.Participated in work hand-over meetings and Social Work team meetings.Case-managed a small case load of patients.Shadowed Social Work practitioners across hospital departments, including Accident and Emergency, Maternity Ward, Mental Health Ward, and the ICU.Produced a portfolio of resources for the Social Work department student orientation file, 3 posters promoting the Social Work service, and a draft Social Work information pamphlet for use by patients and visitors to the hospital.Participated in regular supervision sessions with the Senior Social Worker.

In addition to working at the University of Sydney and completing a qualifying Master's social work degree, I was the Director and owner of Simply Clean Pty Ltd for a period of 5 years. Simply Clean was a Sydney-based cleaning and facility maintenance company, providing cleaning and maintenance services to the corporate, retail, leisure and hospitality industry in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

I joined the Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sydney in January 2011 as an administrative assistant. From July 2012 to April 2013 inclusive, I worked across two departments; Student Services and Learning & Teaching. I was frequently assigned to higher duties when senior members of staff were on extended leave, and it was during this time period that I interviewed for and was promoted to the role of Pre-registration Student Advisor, which I formally commenced in May 2013. Utilised analysis, judgement and decision-making informed by the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014, the Coursework Policy 2014, and relevant degree Course Rules stipulated in the Faculty Resolutions in yearly Handbooks to guide students in managing their candidature and to advise Nursing academics of relevant University policies and procedures.Provided Justice of the Peace services to students, and case-managed students in distress by making relevant referrals to appropriate support services, (i.e., SUPRA, the SRC, Counselling & Psychological Services, the Compliance Team) and to provide relevant psychosocial support at first point of contact.Key Achievements:Recipient of staff recognition award, Certificate of Recognition, 2014.Achieved high levels of student satisfaction in an environment with high work volume, strict deadlines and competing student priorities, evidenced by receiving emails of thanks from student’s whom I’ve been able to assist. Successfully lobbied to have my current position level reclassified to a higher level.Supported and contributed toward the university’s change-management process for centralising student services by providing constructive feedback at department-led meetings and workshops, and by working with the university’s newly centralised Credit Team to build a nursing credit database.

Support After Suicide Program, Department of Forensic Medicine (60-days)Research placement in a clinical settingCompleted a literature review of suicide, suicide peer support programs and suicide counselling services, and produced a resource guide for services within New South Wales for the suicide-bereaved.Reviewed the literature and developed a best-practice suicide bereavement peer support group model.Utilised Social Work theory to write an article which was included in the Support After Suicide Program newsletter.Co-facilitated the monthly Support After Suicide Program peer support group.Shadowed Social Work practitioners to observe them making decisions and working with clients.Participated in regular supervision sessions with the Senior Social Worker.

St Vincent’s Hospital (60-days)Clinical pastoral care placement in a hospital settingCase-managed up to 32 patients (all religious affiliations) on a rotating basis on the cardiac transplant and respiratory medicine unit.Provided psychospiritual strengths-based counselling for patients, their carers and families.Participated in work hand-over meetings and Pastoral Care team meetings.Wrote an article which was published in the Australian Journal of Pastoral Care and Health (2010).Participated in regular supervision sessions with the manager of the Pastoral Care team.

In 2005 I developed and established a weekly bereavement support program. In 2006 I applied for and secured a grant for additional funds to offer the program in the Hunters Hill local government area. In addition to leading the 6-week program, I managed client case-work, promoted the program and the issue of bereavement by speaking at community forums, interagency network meetings, and by being interviewed by community newspapers. To promote the program and to raise awareness, I organised printing of promotional flyers which were distributed to relevant community and aged care sites within the LGA.