2023 Australian Allied Health Awards - Issue One

Welcome!

How are we already in MARCH 2023?!

Life is once again fast paced and jam-packed… my hope that you are yours are happy and healthy and full of gratitude for the amazing healthcare community we have created in this country.

I am SO excited to be heading to Darwin for our 2023 Australian Allied Health Awards GALA and I would encourage you to come along, bring the team, bring the family – make it a thing to look to forward to! An adventure!!

We will, of course, be hosting the gala virtually in addition to face to face for those of us who can’t make it in person, so no one misses out…

Time is ticking everyone – GET YOUR NOMINATIONS IN!

Best of luck and I can’t wait to celebrate with you and show you all the amazing surprises I have planned for 2023!

Sarena Jones Founder Allied Health Awards

Nominations are open!

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Contribution and promotion of their profession

• Collaboration within Allied Health community

• Impact and innovation over the last 12 months

• Outstanding client centred, evidence based service delivery

• Outstanding leadership and integrity

• Upholds quality, safety and ethics in their practice

AUSTRALIAN ALLIED HEALTH AWARD CATEGORIES 2023

INDIVIDUAL – PROFESSION CATEGORIES

• Arts Therapist of the Year

• Audiologist of the Year

• Chiropractor of the Year

• Music Therapist of the Year

• Speech Pathologist of the Year

• Dietitian of the Year

• Exercise Physiologist of the Year

• Orthotist / Prosthetist of the Year

• Osteopath of the Year

• Physiotherapist of the Year

• Podiatrist of the Year

• Perfusionist of the Year

• Medical Radiation Practitioner of the Year

• Occupational Therapist of the Year

• Orthoptist of the Year

• Genetic Counsellor of the Year

• Social Worker of the Year

• Rehabilitation Counsellor of the Year

• Psychologist of the Year

• NEW! Hospital Pharmacist of the Year

• NEW! Credentialed Diabetes Educator of the Year

• NEW! Pedorthist of the Year

• NEW! Paramedic Practitioner of the Year

INDIVIDUAL – GENERAL CATEGORIES

• Allied Health Assistant of the Year

• Allied Health Early Career Excellence

• Allied Health Educator Excellence

• Allied Health Impact & Innovation Excellence

• Allied Health Excellence in Management & Leadership

TEAM CATEGORIES

• NEW! Allied Health Collaboration & Partnership Excellence

• Allied Health Innovative Product Excellence

• Allied Health Team Culture Excellence

• Allied Health Paediatric Team Excellence

• Allied Health Adult Team Excellence

*categories subject to change

HOW TO WRITE A GREAT NOMINATION APPLICATION

Remember this is an Allied Health Awards program – by Allied Health and for Allied Health! It’s more about the core values of being a health practitioner.

There is so much value in submitting a nomination for the Allied Health Awards. Health professionals are generally not great at ‘blowing their own trumpet’ but often we find ourselves in the position of having to promote ourselves, our skill sets and our services. We’re all ‘helpers’ but the people we are wanting to help, do not know who we are, what services we offer and how we can help them – unless we tell them!

The amazing online nomination platform is easy to use – create a free login on the website alliedhealthawards.awardsplatform.com

Then select which country you live and work in, whether you are completing a self-nomination or a peer-nomination, and then peruse the categories. If you choose to nominate a colleague or peer, you can only INITIATE the nomination – the nominee will then receive an email and they will be required to accept or reject the nomination. If they choose to accept it, they will then need to complete the full nomination application online.

We recommend everyone selfnominates, this is the easiest and most efficient way of submitting a quality application.

Simply undertaking the application process can assist our own mindsets and help us to reflect on the successes, challenges, lessons and future plans we may have!

How do you innovate in your team? Do you use booking platforms,

e.g. MyHealth1st to attract clients? Include that in your application!

TIPS

• Read the blog on the website, written by one of our selection panel members

• Read the FAQs on the website and also the information blocks in the nomination platform

• Self-nominate… go on, you can do it! It’s anonymous!!

• Check the selection criteria weighting, this differs for many of the categories…

• Address every selection criteria in the application

• Use the word count as a guide

• Use examples! As many as you can…

• Don’t just say “we do this…” give us the evidence and measures… how do you know you’re doing awesome work?

• These are allied health awards, not business awards

Always use as many examples as you can in each selection criteria.

You do not need to be an awe-inspiring, globally recognised academic with 100 research papers under your belt or leading a team of 200 people… these awards are designed to recognise and reward the every day practitioner in whatever capacity they serve their community.

You can save / copy / edit / go back / go forward within the nomination application, as many times as you want! Just make sure you click save and submit and pay your $25 AUD admin fee to ensure you’re in the race.

Then proudly toss your “I’m a NOMINEE” graphic around like confetti and encourage your colleagues and peers to get involved. Support your fellow Allied Health legends and help spread the word and amazing work that is happening in our community.

2022 EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

2022Winner

and Health Services, Non-Government Organisations and state/federal government departments. My area of focus is health service planning, workforce planning and development, transformation, and model of care design and implementation.

With the complexity and challenges faced by the health sector, I am excited that every day I am able to direct my purpose and energy to providing value and support to our health system.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?

and to drive measurable improvements in patient access to timely care.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I was thrilled to receive the Leadership and Management Excellence award, in addition to the Australian Exercise Physiologist of the year award.

I am honoured and humbled to be recognised nationally for my contributions to the allied health workforce. My entire career has been guided by my ambition to improve community health outcomes, and I am proud to be part of a workforce that is contributing so positively to patient and system level benefits – in an era of increased demand, complexity and sustainability challenges across the health system.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am a Director at Deloitte, working within the Financial Advisory team and focussing on the health and human services sector. In my role I am fortunate to form trusted partnerships with health sector clients including, Hospital

The role and benefit of Allied health professionals in addressing contemporary health system challenges – demand management, patient complexity and chronic disease management, and supporting achievement of hospital performance and access targets.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

In an era of increasing demand and complexity of patients, coupled with hospital bed and workforce capacity constraints, our dynamic, mobile and qualified Exercise Physiologist workforce can provide both patient and system-level benefits. I also think the ability to effectively collaborate across multidisciplinary care teams, and provide expertise and input regarding exercise physiology and behavioural change to support patients, is a strength of this allied health discipline.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

I am passionate about building enduring and trusted partnerships across the health sector,

It’s a cliché’ but “what’s meant to be, will be”. As a goal-orientated Capricorn, I did experience a lot of disappointment when previous career moves had been unsuccessful. However, with the beauty of hindsight, I can now see that if I had been awarded that specific training opportunity and/or that specific role at a company I aspired toward, I wouldn’t have ended up with the breadth of experience I have today –and working in a field that energises me daily.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Teleportation is always a popular one – it would have been useful when I was studying my MBA and working full time.

How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

I enjoy bush walking and running in the outdoors. I’m often at my most creative when I am exercising and have solved some problems and come up with ideas and solutions mid-run.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

As a teen I represented Australia in Volleyball, and had aspirations for making the Olympics. What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I love reading Brene Brown books/podcasts – but also enjoy watching Bluey with my kids…probably more than they do!

2022 ALLIED HEALTH LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I attended a productivity course recently, and I realised that my multitasking habits and digital distraction need conditioning! I will be flexing my monotasking muscle to focus my efforts and get even more out of my day.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I am proud that I have been able to carve out a diverse career in health, and I have constantly backed myself and kept an open mind to give new opportunities a go. Whether that be from starting an Exercise Physiology business in my last semester of university, taking a leap of faith to complete an MBA while working, and leaning in to new opportunities to grow professionally and personally – I am glad that I have continuously sought out opportunities to learn and grow.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am completing an Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) governance course in January, and will continue to provide strategic input and governance as a Board Director at Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), supporting our 10,000 members.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Firstly, that allied health will continue to be a trusted core part of patient care teams, and secondly, that we will lead the way in developing contemporary and innovative models of care to best utilise our workforce capacity and capability – and positively contribute to addressing current health system challenges.

How can we connect with you?

linkedin.com/in/katie-lyndon 994b7a79

We are proud to support Love Me Love You in 2023

2022 ALLIED HEALTH TEAM CULTURE EXCELLENCE

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

My team and I have been honoured to receive the Team Culture Excellence award. I established Mums Matter Psychology years ago with the aim of helping all women experience meaning and fulfillment in motherhood, as well as a positive relationship with their child. My aim was to create a service that was accessible and affordable to everyone. To do this, I established partnerships with local council Maternal and Child Health centres and Maternity Hospitals to offer services from family friendly rooms close to women’s homes. I offered bulk billing under Medicare (no out of pocket expense) to ensure everyone could afford to seek help. Since then, I have grown the service to provide over 200 hours of therapy to women each week with a team of 40 mental health professionals. These awards are a testament to the substantial work that has gone in over the last 8 years to establish a viable bulk billing service and the amazing work our team does each day. It is a recognition of their dedication and passion for helping our clients and working collaboratively together. It is truly an honour and privilege to support our clients on their journey through this challenging transitional stage of life, and we are all very proud of our efforts.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am currently the founder and Director of Mums Matter Psychology. I am also a Clinical Psychologist with lots of training and experience working in perinatal mental health. My specially trained perinatal mental health team of psychologists, mental health social workers and occupational therapists provide individual and group psychological therapy for common emotional and mental health issues experienced in pregnancy and early parenthood. This includes:

• Emotional distress around pregnancy or delivery

• Antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety

• Adjustment to parenthood

• Pregnancy or neonatal grief and loss

• Relationship difficulties

• Infertility

I am responsible for the practice leadership and overall management including strategy and core business functions like Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, and IT. I also lead Clinical Governance and provide clinical supervision to the team as well as psychology interns, placement students and clinical registrars. A large part of my role is also providing professional development and training to other front line maternal health staff such as maternal and child health nurses, midwives, and family support workers.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Perinatal mental health of course! Or running a successful private practice. I have learnt many things about how to do this which I could talk about for hours.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

I am very passionate about providing mums and families the emotional support they need during the difficult and vulnerable time of transitioning to parenthood. It is a privilege to be a part of someone’s deep personal journey and incredibly rewarding to witness the changes that people can make to their lives. My clients’ bravery is inspirational to me.

Having my own business also allows me to be flexible and craft my work schedule around my family’s needs. I also enjoy being able to offer other working mums the opportunity for flexible work hours with most of my team having young families also. The variety in my job also keeps me motivated and interested every single day.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

In creating my practice from scratch, there has certainly been many opportunities to let my perfectionism get in the way of moving forward. I’ve found it useful to think along the lines of “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I’ve also taken inspiration from

the movie Frozen 2 of all places (watched many times over by my beautiful children), and heed Anna’s advice to “Just do the next right thing” when I feel overwhelmed. One non-perfect step at a time.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t worry so much about what other people might think. You don’t need to fear other people’s judgements.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Ironically, in contrast to my advice of not worrying what people think, I can’t help but choose ‘read people’s minds’! Many people joke about psychologist’s being able to do this anyway, so it would be funny to make that real. This is more about curiosity than fear of judgement.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

I love spending time with my husband and three children. We enjoy taking our bikes out on the weekend and riding along the beautiful waterfront near our house. You can usually catch us having a sneaky ice-cream along the way! I also really enjoy cooking every day which I find is a nice mindful thing to do after a busy day. Time on my own is usually after the kids have gone to bed and involves couch time with a good episode of something on Netflix!

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

After my husband and I married, we travelled South America for 4 months living out of a tent mostly. Although we were dirty, too hot or too cold, sometimes sick or hungry, this was probably the best 4 months of our lives as we had no responsibilities and were so free to explore the culture.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I’m nearly through watching “Good Girls” on Netflix which has been light and entertaining. We recently finished watching “Ozark” which is brilliant. I always listen to audio books, webinars or podcasts when I’m driving mostly related to perinatal mental health.

What is your very favourite place..?

Probably my bed. There’s nothing better than climbing into a nice warm cosy bed after a long day.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Slowing down. I have so many ideas and things I’d like to do, it feels like I want to do them all right now. I need to actively engage with my social world to take myself out of my work headspace at times.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I am really proud of my determination and ability to set things in motion and make them happen when I put my mind to it.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

We will be opening two new “arms” of Mums Matter Psychology in 2023. The first will be named the Perinatal Professional Development Hub and will provide training, professional development and supervision for any professional working in the perinatal field. The second will look at providing mental health support for new parents and managers of new parents in the workplace.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To become more culturally aware around issues involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To encourage more First Nations students to choose allied health options to study in the future.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Accessible allied health services for all Australians. I believe at present there is a divide between those who can afford treatment and those who can’t. It is those who can’t that often need the most care.

How can we connect with you?

www.mumsmatterpsychology.com

@mumsmatterpsychology

https://www.linkedin.com/in

25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP

Here at HICAPS we believe that leadership starts with self. It’s about having the courage to challenge the status quo, to take calculated risks, and to stand up for what you believe in. It’s about having a deep sense of purpose and being driven by a desire to make a positive impact in the world. At HICAPS, we are fortunate to have leaders at all levels of the organization who embody these qualities and inspire others to do the same.

Leadership of the organization is also critical to our success. It’s about setting a clear vision, establishing a culture of excellence, and empowering others to make a difference. At HICAPS, we have always been guided by a strong set of values that put the customer first and encourage collaboration and teamwork. Our leaders work hard to ensure that these values are deeply embedded in the fabric of our organization and that every employee is aligned with our mission and purpose.

James Beilby Head of Disability Services and Care HICAPS

It’s been 25 years since HICAPS first opened its doors with the mission to make healthcare claiming fast, easy and accessible to all.

In that time, we’ve come a long way and accomplished so much, but the journey is far from over.

We are proud to say that our commitment to innovation and customer-centricity has only grown stronger over the years, and we are continuously striving to find new and better ways to serve our customers.

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN OUR LEADERSHIP DNA

As we reflect on our journey and evolution, it’s important to recognize the role that our customers have played in our success. As a company, we have always placed a high value on working with our customers and understanding their needs and pain points, then leveraging our great leaders to drive the right change and product development. It is through the collective efforts of our leaders working with our customers that we have been able to achieve our mission and drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry.

Leading and inspiring teams is essential to delivering the best outcome for our customers. As a team, we are committed to continuous learning and growth, and we believe that the best ideas come from the collective wisdom of the group.

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY LEADING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO HELP YOU RUN YOUR PRACTICE

Our leaders are skilled at bringing people together, fostering open and honest dialogue, and leveraging the diverse perspectives and skills of our team to find creative solutions to complex problems.

One of the most exciting developments at HICAPS in recent years is the introduction of our new Trinity Terminal. This innovative technology is designed to streamline the healthcare experience and make it easier for our customers to focus on what truly matters: providing top-quality patient care.

We looked to at some of the issues facing providers and developed the Trinity Terminal with those solutions in mind, with the new terminal providers can simply swipe a patient’s card and all of the relevant information is automatically populated, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.

It’s also equipped with a range of features that make it easier for healthcare providers to manage their businesses and provide the best possible care to their patients. For example, the terminal provides real-time access to information about patients’ health fund coverage, so providers can make informed decisions about what treatments to offer. And because all of the information is stored securely in the cloud, providers can access it from anywhere, at any time.

ENHANCING DIGITAL CAPABILITIES WITH ONLINE CLAIMING

In addition to our new Trinity Terminal, we are also excited to announce the launch of our new digital portal, which provides a simple and convenient way for healthcare providers to manage their claims and billing information. With the portal, providers can submit claims, view their payment history, and access important information about their patients, all from one secure and easy-to-use platform.

The portal has been designed with our customers in mind and is built on a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate. It’s also highly secure, with robust encryption and multiple levels of authentication to protect sensitive information.

As we move forward into the next 25 years, we are excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead. We are committed to continuing our mission to make healthcare accessible to all and to be customer-centric in everything we do.

THE HICAPS JOURNEY CONTINUES

We believe that with the right leadership and the right team, anything is possible, and we are ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. I personally want to express my gratitude to all of the employees, customers, and partners who have been a part of the HICAPS journey over the past 25 years. It is because of your support and dedication that we have been able to achieve so much and make a real difference in the lives of so many. We are proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to continuing our mission to better health for all. For more information, please visit www.hicaps.com.au

2022 ALLIED HEALTH COVID CHAMPION 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Allied Health COVID Champion Award. It is an honour to receive this award. COVID and COVID restrictions were hard for everyone. My business ceased operation for a number of months .

It was hard work to re-establish what was predominantly face to face delivery and adapt all aspects to online. Recognition of the hard work in re-establishing self, identity and business within this period is amazing.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

My role is Director & Founder of Girraway Ganyi Consultancy.

I am a nurse, youth worker, social worker, You-Tuber and careers councillor.

I provided Aboriginal cultural awareness, mental health first aid, mentoring programs in schools and workplaces, career support and supervision and an EAP service.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Working with Aboriginal clients.

Mental health issues in the workplace.

Identifying mental health issues in colleagues.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Creativity and the ability to work anywhere with anyone.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Dream BIG and never give up on those dreams.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

To sit down and have bourbon and coke with her, after losing her business during COVID. And it was only 9:30 in the morning.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Never let anyone say to you ‘You can’t’, ‘You won’t’ or ‘ You never will be’.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Telepathy – it would help so much if I could see or hear what others were really saying.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

Reading books, watching movies, going to theatre shows.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I used to be a dancer.

I collect autographs and have over 3,000.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Books by Karin Slaughter. Murder / psychological thrillers. What is your very favourite place..?

I love travelling to find new favourite places. What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I am not good at taking breaks during work. Learning to say NO.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I am kind and attentive person. Always willing to help. Proud of my achievements.

What’s in store for you in 2023? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Since winning the Allied Health COVID Champion award – I have won the following:

2022 George and Ethel Swinburne Social Impact Award

2022 Victoria University Alumni Professional Achievement Award

2022 Victoria University Alumni Spirit of VU Award Projects:

More of eating disorders

Truth-telling

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To become more culturally aware around issues involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To encourage more First Nations students to choose Allied health options to study in the future.

How can we connect with you?

0409 926 689

girrawayganyi@gmail.com

2022 CHIROPRACTOR OF THE YEAR

2022Winner

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

Two patients (a couple) came to their appointments dressed as skeletons for Halloween.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be patient and be persistent.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

To make TimTam packets never-ending!

How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

Walking and going to the beach.

I am most proud of the practice that I have established.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

My patients motivate me to be the best clinician I can be, and to keep up to date with best practice guidelines.

What’s in store for you in 2023? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Publishing my most recent paper – “The impact of a targeted education package on the knowledge, attitudes, and utilisation of patient reported outcome measures amongst chiropractors in Australia”

Sharable link; https://rdcu.be/cYg7X

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Chiropractor of the year 2022. I am very honoured to be recognised by other healthcare providers and colleagues. It feels great to be encouraged, supported and surrounded by like-minded allied health providers who are passionate about taking care of their communities and helping to build strong evidence-based professions.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Business owner and Principal Chiropractor at Northside Chiropractic Clinic, PhD student at CQUniversity

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

I liked the idea of having a positive impact on people’s health and wellness.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Always be Patient centred.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I speak Danish fluently and even occasionally dream in Danish.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Watching documentaries especially on National Geographic.

What is your very favourite place..? Copenhagen.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

My PhD!!!

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?!

My Handwriting! It’s atrocious and with technology so ingrained in our society it’s a dying art!

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

My determination and my ability to stay focused on my goals.

Submission date for my PhD 1st November 2022.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To connect like minded practitioners to learn from each other and create a network of other allied health professionals to refer to. How can we connect with you?

natalieclohesy@gmail.com

Natalie Clohesy

Natalie Clohesy

Northside_Chiropractic_Clinic

2022 ALLIED HEALTH ADULT TEAM CULTURE EXCELLENCE 2022Winner

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Currently working on leadership, which I view as the most essential trait needed to multiply my impact and increase my influence, and will continue to work on it for the rest of my life.

What do you love about yourself? What are you really proud of?

Really proud of taking the brave step to change the way we practice our profession, which has allowed us to achieve the outcome not previously available.

What’s in store for you in 2023? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Our team recently won the Adult Team Excellence Award. It means a lot to me, as it shows how privileged I am to have the backing of a great team, and to be able to be recognised collectively (instead of individually) for our excellence.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Mustard Seed Podiatry, Chief Potential Officer.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? How to improve your healthcare “literacy”.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Our ability to influence and achieve holistic, sustainable and life-changing healthcare outcomes through reducing pain, getting people moving again, doing the things they love, and living life to their fullest potential.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

ABC. Always Be Challenging (the status quo).

What advice would you give your younger self?

Listen to patients, but don’t believe them. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Mind control.

Who: My son, my wife, my team and my patients.

What: Achieving “impossible” clinical outcomes, bringing hope to patients in their seemingly dire circumstances, and helping them to achieve a pain-free and purposeful life.

If you were gifted a large professional grant – what would you do?

Multiply the size of my team.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To be respected more by the wider health community and patients alike.

How can we connect with you?

sam@mustardseedpodiatry.com.au

$5 from every 2023 Gala ticket sold will be donated to our chosen charity

www.aussielocums.com.au

MEDICAL RECRUITMENT MADE EASY

LET US HELP YOU FIND YOUR DREAM JOB

Aussie Locums has been providing locum and permanent health professionals to the Allied Health industry since 2008. As a national company with a partnership in the UK, our network spans the whole of Australia, and beyond. We aren’t just confined to the major Australian cities. We also go off the beaten track and into the heart of the country’s remote and regional towns.

Whether you are looking to travel and work your way around Australia or are seeking a permanent role, register with us today and we’ll help you find your dream job.

WE PROMISE WE WILL

Always contact you when we say we are going to Be available 24/7

Only send your resume out with your permission

Give you detailed job briefs

Assist you with your travel bookings

Be committed to supporting you and your career

Proud Sponsor of ‘Sonographer of the year’

Proud Sponsor of ‘Physiotherapist of the year’

Proud Sponsor of ‘Allied Health Excellence in Rural and Remote’ 4

2023 marks our fourth year as sponsors of the Allied Health Awards but we’ve been a supporter since day one!

2022 ALLIED HEALTH IMPACT & INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Impact and Innovation.

I was literally speechless when my name was read out!

It means so much to me to win this award.

I am passionate about my role in improving stroke care in the pre-hospital setting. To play a part in significantly improving the outcome for a stroke patient is such a privilege. To see someone improve in front of you is something I will never tire of.

I am also delighted to be accepting this award while representing my profession.

I am proud to be a radiographer and to have my profession recognised for the first time is a huge accomplishment.

My sincere hope is that my winning this award will encourage other radiographers to put themselves forward and showcase the amazing work being done.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I currently work at the Melbourne Brain Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and with the Australian Stroke Alliance.

I am in an unusual role for a radiographer, specialising in scanning patients in a prehospital environment – in the back of an ambulance.

I’m the Mobile CT Project Lead for a $40 million federally-funded research project, based on the success of Melbourne’s Mobile Stroke Ambulance.

I advise on the machinations of CT and new, experimental electromagnetic imaging techniques.

In a way, I am the conduit between the academic researchers, clinicians and commercial biotech companies. It’s quite unique and so exciting.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? Easy. I could talk about the work of the Melbourne Mobile Stroke Ambulance all day!

I travel the streets of Melbourne with lights and sirens, along with a neurologist, stroke nurse practitioner and two paramedics. We arrive at the scene of a stroke, I scan the patient in the back of the ambulance and when appropriate, the neurologist administers thrombolysis to dissolve the clot causing the stroke. For those with a suspected large vessel occlusion I am able to also scan the arteries in the brain which means the need for clot retrieval can be diagnosed and the patient triaged to the most appropriate hospital where an interventional team is primed, ready to remove the clot.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

The best thing about radiology is the balance between clinical patient care and technology.

As a radiographer you get to use some very cool technology and be at the cutting edge of exciting developments in imaging.

At the same time, you still have direct patient contact and you’re able to help people, often during the worst time of their lives.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

It may be old fashioned, but I genuinely believe

“Treat others as you would like to be treated” I always try to put myself in the other person’s shoes, whether that be a patient or colleague. A smile also goes a very long way!

What advice would you give your younger self?

Take every opportunity presented and really don’t sweat the small stuff.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Time travel.

I would love to be able to transport myself home to my family in England for regular visits. Would be lovely to pop in for a Sunday roast every weekend.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

I have a gorgeous springer spaniel called Charlie.

Taking Charlie for a long walk and meeting friends along the way.

I also enjoy going to the gym.

What is your very favourite place..?

My favourite place is my home – my sanctuary.

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy going to the gym and the park with my dog. I’m also a regular at dog school (although I seem to have the least wellbehaved dog there). I really enjoy company of friends over dinner and I have to confess I do enjoy wine.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I find switching off a challenge. I am trying more mindfulness activities to let my brain switch off a little.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I think that I am an honourable person who can be relied upon to always do the best I can. I am very loyal once you have gained my trust.

I am very proud of my current work with the Australian Stroke Alliance and extremely proud to win the impact and innovation award. I’m also very proud of my 27-year-old twins. They have grown into two beautiful humans. Both very caring and considerate of others.

My husband has been by my side the entire time and without his support I would not have been able to achieve anywhere near as much in my professional life.

If you were gifted a large professional grant-what would you do?

I would love to extend the current the work of the Australian Stroke Alliance. Imagine a time where every ambulance is equipped with an imaging device and access via telemedicine to a specialist. A stroke could be diagnosed and treated right outside the person’s home! It wouldn’t matter where you lived you could get access to diagnosis and treatment quickly.

We all know that every single minute makes a difference. The faster we can treat stroke the better the outcomes are.

Then to top it all off, take stroke diagnosis and treatment to the air!!!

Portable imaging devices in fixed wing and rotor wing air ambulances mean we could cover the vast landscape of Australia. Remote, indigenous populations have very limited access to care.

Let’s bring it to them and work with them to deliver the sort of care they deserve!

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

Working with the Australian Stroke Alliance, we are pursuing our research program to get imaging devices across Australia on road and also in the air.

On a personal level, I am looking forward to continuing to work with innovative partners and being challenged to think “outside the box.”

While I still work in a conventional CT setting for a few shifts each week I look forward to taking my skills on the road and up into the air during 2023.

2022 ALLIED HEALTH TEAM INNOVATIVE SERVICE / PRODUCT Cherie’s St ory

A Hoppers Crossing mother who suffered a stroke last year has been reunited with the specialist stroke team and paramedics who came to her aid.

Cherie Azzopardi has met the members of the Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) from Ambulance Victoria and the Royal Melbourne Hospital who responded to her Triple Zero call for the first time since her stroke.

Last October, Cherie started having difficulty speaking, experienced weakness in her hand and her vision started to deteriorate.

The 34-year-old was home alone with her two children, aged three and five, but managed to call her mum before her stroke symptoms intensified.

Cherie’s mum arrived to find her extremely distressed, and being comforted by her fiveyear-old daughter, and immediately called Triple Zero (000).

The Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics were first on scene and handled Cherie’s initial treatment before she was transferred into the care of the MSU.

A CT scan on-board the purpose-built MSU

revealed Cherie was suffering from an ischemic stroke, which occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel to the brain.

Cherie said she was administered the thrombolysis medication and once it started to take effect, she was able to start talking and moving again.

“By the time I arrived at the RMH, I could use my hand and was totally mobile,” she said. Cherie was taken to the RMH where she spent two nights under observation.

She continues to see a speech pathologist, but thankfully there has been no long-lasting impact to her mobility. She has returned to work as a hairdresser.

Cherie and her family are eternally grateful to the MICA paramedics and the MSU who responded to her case. Because of their quick actions, excellent clinical care and medical skills, Cherie is able to celebrate her wedding next month with her long-time partner, Glenn.

“I received the best possible care. The MICA paramedics who were first on scene were so responsive and respectful, and I felt both physically and emotionally safe,” Cherie said.

“The work of the MSU crew was incredible, I was given the right care in the right way, and was a patient that was connected to the right service. I am so thankful because if all of the first responders weren’t so diligent and quick, I don’t know what sort of a mother I would be today.”

When a person experiences a stroke up to 1.9 million brain cells die every minute, so time is of the essence and every second counts.

“Time is critical when it comes to treating stroke patients,” MSU paramedic Tom Duigan said.

“By getting to these patients in the field and assessing them straight away, the MSU is able to reduce the time before the type of stroke is diagnosed, reduce the time to start treatment, and most importantly reduce the damage these events cause.

“In these cases, time saved is brain saved.”

Mobile stroke unit saves a young life

Kelly, a mother of two young children, had a stroke one week after her 40th birthday. A couple of remarkable events probably saved Kelly’s life. Her husband, Bruce, happened to be running late for work that day and was still at home, in Melbourne’s southeast, when the stroke occurred. He heard Kelly making strange noises and saw she couldn’t lift her arm.

He immediately called triple zero as he suspected a stroke, after seeing how Kelly’s face, arm and speech were affected.

In a second unusual scenario, Melbourne’s mobile stroke ambulance happened to be in the neighbourhood and was dispatched. It was very unusual for the mobile stroke unit to be 40 kilometres away from its base at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Hear the audio of the call from Bruce to call taker Sean in this compelling podcast on ‘I am 000’.

Kelly was treated by the mobile stroke ambulance team in front of her house.

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Kelly’s St ory

A specialist radiographer conducted a brain scan inside the vehicle. An onboard neurologist then assessed Kelly’s scan and decided to offer a clot-busting medication. By the time the ambulance left her home Kelly was able to move her arm again and her speech was returning.

She was one of the first patients to be treated by the team before being transported in the mobile stroke ambulance to the Monash Medical Centre, attracting much attention from intrigued emergency department staff.

Kelly says she is alive today because of the skilled performance of mobile stroke ambulance crew. She was told she had a very large blood clot which had come from a hole in her heart.

Today, Kelly is fit and well despite fatigue and some minor problems with her balance – but she knows the outcome could have been far worse.

With thanks to the Stroke Foundation for a version of this story and photos.

Australian Stroke Alliance: Stroke Stories

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2022 ALLIED HEALTH

EARLY CAREER EXCELLENCE 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I have recently won the Allied Health Early Career Excellence. For myself, I never imagined being able to win such an amazing award so early on in my career. As such, this award means the world to me and has really cemented to me that Occupational Therapy is my passion area, and I am excited for my career to pan out following this.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I currently work at National 360 in an Occupational Therapist Supervisor Level 1 role.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

I have developed a passion for play-based intervention and could talk about it all day long.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

My favourite thing about my profession is being able to work with clients to help achieve their goals and seeing the joy and happiness this brings to them and their families.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

“When a session does not go to plan it’s assessment, when the session goes to plan it’s therapy”.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

The strangest thing that I have been asked to do is to change a diaper of a client’s brother in a clinic space.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Enjoy the little things as life goes by too quickly.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Super speed would make travel a breeze. How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

For me, playing sport has always been an outlet since primary school and is a strategy I still continue today, playing local league footy.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I have a passion for theatre and have seen theatre shows in 4 different states in Australia.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I am currently binging an old classic in “House M.D”.

What is your very favourite place..? The footy field.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I am working on providing the tough feedback to supervisees/students as these still make me quite uncomfortable, however, it is such an important skill to ensure their learning needs are met.

What do you love about yourself? What are you really proud of?

I am proud that I can make others laugh or smile even if their day might not be going so well.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

2023 will bring on a range of new challenges. For myself, the vision is to continue progressing in a supervisor role and hopefully begin supervising a new graduate.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

My vision for allied health in Australia is really focusing on children and their future, and ensuring children are provided with timely early intervention to assist in their development and growth. The only way for this to occur is for more investment to occur in training therapists and ensuring the demand and supply ratio for complex needs are met.

How can we connect with you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ matthew-harrison-/

2022 REHABILITATION COUNSELLOR OF THE YEAR

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I received the 2022 Rehabilitation Counsellor of the Year award. I felt incredibly shocked and humbled receiving this award, especially knowing the calibre of amazing Rehabilitation Counsellors in the field and all the incredible work they do! There was a priceless “reaction” video which was filmed on the night and sent to me which still makes me laugh – this award meant so much and I am so grateful to have been chosen as the 2022 recipient.

My award has brought awareness to the Rehabilitation Counselling profession in Tasmania and to my incredible company, which I am so grateful for and hopefully it continues to create awareness of our profession and inspires others to enter this incredibly rewarding career pathway.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I have a background in both Psychology and Rehabilitation Counselling and have worked as a Rehabilitation Counsellor for the last 14 years. My current role is with Rehab Management Tasmania where I have worked for the last 7 years and recently progressed from a Senior Rehabilitation Consultant into a Team Leader role within the Hobart team. I also work as a Health and Wellbeing Specialist within my role, which involves a leadership technical support and training role for our Emergency Services MyPulse Health and Wellbeing programs.

My overarching role is varied and includes consultancy work in the State and Federal Worker’s Compensation frameworks, delivering rehabilitation and return to work services. I also complete early intervention rehab assessments and programs, life insurance wellbeing and vocational programs, Department of Veterans Affairs psychosocial and return to work rehab programs as well as the delivery of the Emergency Services MyPulse Health and Wellbeing programs, technical support, delivery of EAP programs and of course Team Leader duties supporting the wider team.

I also have a teaching background and supervise Rehabilitation Counselling student placements each year, as well as providing support with supervision and development programs to achieve full ASORC accreditation for associate / affiliate Rehabilitation Counsellors across the country.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

I am incredibly passionate about wellbeing and could easily talk about self-care, coping strategies and mental health prevention for hours. I am particularly passionate about working with our first responders and Emergency Service members and could easily discuss our MyPulse Health and wellbeing program and all the incredible prevention and awareness work that goes on in this framework for days!

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

I absolutely love the variety of work that the rehabilitation counselling profession and rehab consultancy provides. It brings us into contact with so many different people – the clients, the employers, the insurance case managers, caregivers, doctors and other allied health professionals. No two days are the same – our work is varied and can involve attending GP clinics, hospitals, workplaces or homes or providing EAP or health coaching programs in the office, completing assessments and writing reports. Ultimately, our goal is to coordinate and facilitate successful outcomes for all stakeholders and improve someone’s quality of life or situation no matter what the framework. We are often meeting clients at the most difficult time in their life, whether it be a traumatic incident or horrible injury and we are able to walk beside them, provide support and coordinate their recovery. It is an amazing feeling when you can support someone through an injury or a challenging process or system and see them regain function, achieve their goals, rebuild their confidence and return to work and wellness. Many clients still keep in touch to update me on how they are going, even years later.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

I am often told that my “superpower” is my empathy. I genuinely care and it’s not just a job to me. I try to put myself in each person’s position and consider how they might be feeling and adapt my approach accordingly. I generally adopt a humble, gentle approach and treat each individual I encounter with respect and try to always see their perspective. Not only does this demonstrate authenticity, I find that it helps to achieve good outcomes as people are more likely to work collaboratively if they feel heard, respected and validated, not that an allied health professional is preaching or talking down to them with no idea what its like or how they are feeling.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

I have had some pearlers in my time! Probably the most “out there” was a former client who was heavily tattooed and a reformed gang member. Despite outward appearances, he was a lovely gentle man (a “big teddy bear”) and we had built a good rapport through our former work together. He approached me at a social event and proceeded to sit at my table and start updating me all about his life (and really oversharing some details, including with my friends!). My friends were bewildered and had no idea what was going on. I didn’t want to breach privacy by revealing he was a former client so to this day, they still think he was a good friend of mine who was a real over-sharer!

What advice would you give your younger self?

If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I would definitely work on reducing self-doubt, making decisions and taking the pressure off myself… I would also tell my younger self to go travelling when I got the chance! When I was 20, my partner at the time was diagnosed with an aggressive Stage IV Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma so I spent some time in a caregiving role. I also lived with my grandfather for quite a while following the passing of my grandmother. These experiences taught me so much and helped me to become the person I am today, to have the empathy I have, however I did not always prioritise my self-care and had a lot of self-doubt. If I could go back, I would tell myself to relax and look after me too.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

This is a great question – if it was a work superpower it would 100% be to project my thoughts and memories into case notes and reports to avoid all the admin! Otherwise it would definitely be time-travel. I would love to go back in time and stop disasters, maybe even predict the winning lotto numbers when there’s a jackpot so I could do more to help and treat others – oh and drive a super fancy car or have some grand holidays along the way! That’d be nice too.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

I absolutely love soaking in a big hot bubble bath, getting a massage and pampering activities. I also love spending time with all creatures great and small (anything with fur on legs – except for spiders). I love running, brunching, going for walks and adventures and time with friends and family. I live alone so some trashy TV and takeaway is my go-to to switch off after a hard day.

What is your very favourite place..?

I haven’t had the opportunity for a great deal of travel but I would LOVE to visit Venice and explore all of Europe. I love seeing pictures of it and dreaming of one day visiting! Locally, I absolutely love the East Coast of Tassie and its absolutely gorgeous and picturesque landscapes.

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?

I am a keen jogger and enjoy my Saturday morning parkruns and cycling (I have an e-bike so love sailing up those tassie hills with ease now!). I love dancing, brunching, spending time with furry creatures, family and friends. One of my favourite things to

2022Winner

do is go for a jog to the city and sit by the water with some fish and chips looking at the boats. I also love getting pampered, getting my hair and makeup done, dressing up and going on little getaways and adventures – and of course – SHOPPING!!!

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

When telling a story, I can give allllll the details and have trouble getting to the point at times!! It’s a work in progress and sometimes comes from a place of self-doubt or overwhelm in a situation. It’s definitely something I’m self-aware about and am working on. I have given those around me permission to hurry me up or ask for the “short version” if needed! I am much better in a work setting where “time is money” and it’s a skill I’ve really had to hone.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I am proud of my heart. I am often told I’m a genuine, caring and kind person and I truly believe it to be true. I love knowing that I can help lift others up, make them laugh (often at my expense) and provide a genuine, bubbly positive reassuring energy to others whether it be friends, family, clients or colleagues.

If you were gifted a large professional grant-what would you do?

I would love to continue to promote the profile of the rehabilitation counselling profession in Tasmania and nationally and would love to see increased awareness and more pathways for people to enter this health profession which is sometimes not widely understood and can sometimes be confused with counselling.

If gifted a large professional grant, I would love to do more prevention and proactive

work in the Emergency Services space. Our first responders need our support and our MyPulse program outcomes are demonstrating the clear benefits of early intervention and holistic health and wellbeing support.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

I have recently commenced in a Team Leader role with Rehab Management in Hobart which I am really enjoying and is keeping me very busy given our team size and scope.

I will be providing a presentation at the Tasmanian Association of Vocational Rehab providers (TAVRP) upcoming symposium in June which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll be discussing my award and promoting awareness about the Allied Health Awards as well as the MyPulse Tasmanian Emergency Services Health and Wellbeing programs and some of our outcomes.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

I would love to see awareness for these incredible awards increase and for more of us to be nominating and acknowledging all the incredible allied health professionals out there who work so hard. I would love to see more media and awareness about these awards and am happy to be involved in the promotion of such an important way to recognise people who work so hard and who are so dedicated to helping others. How can we connect with you?

Dominique Higgins dhiggins@rehabmanagement.com.au

2022 PODIATRIST OF THE YEAR 2022Winner

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

Very persistently wanted to go on a date until I had to tell her not to come back. Uncomfortable at the time, funny now. What advice would you give your younger self?

All the work you’re doing now is worth it and will pay dividends in the future, it’s just hard to see it now.

lines makes me appreciate it a lot more. For Podcasts I listen to The Underestimated Entrepreneur and Real AF religiously, they are great tools for improving your personal and business mindset.

What is your very favourite place..?

My parent’s farm. I don’t get back there quite as much as I’d like to but it’s so peaceful. What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Meditating – I’m really inconsistent. When I stack a few days in a row I feel amazing but then I have a busy day and derail my progress. I find that if I don’t do it first thing in the morning it doesn’t get done.

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I was fortunate enough to win Australian Podiatrist of the Year. Although I was happy just to be nominated among some really great candidates, I’m grateful to be recognised for the hard work I’ve put into my career so far. I feel like I’m only just getting started though and have so much more to give.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

At Pod Fit Podiatry in Adelaide, where I’m a Director and Senior Podiatrist. I split my time between consulting, mentoring the team and growing the business.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? Anything running related, specifically how important foot and lower limb strength in runners is getting people back to running safely after time off and running shoes.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Getting people with foot pain back to running is my favourite thing about Podiatry. I was lucky enough to have someone help me get back to running after a really bad case of shin splints and foot pain, which was the reason I started my Podiatry degree. It feels really special to be able to pay it forward.

For example, that one client who came to your presentation after work in a freezing cold CrossFit gym is going to become a lifelong client and great referrer in the future. As humans we struggle to think exponentially, so instead we think linearly, which makes it hard to see how all your hard work now is going to compound over time.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

When a client tells me they have a high pain threshold they automatically crap their pants. How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

Run regularly and listen to podcasts and music while doing so. A long run on Sundays really helps chill me out and sets me up for a good week.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

In another lifetime I sang and played guitar in a punk rock band. We played some really cool gigs with bands that are big now and it’s definitely a time in my life that I look back on fondly.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I’m currently watching Game Of Thrones from the start. I didn’t watch the first few seasons consistently, so when I watched the ending there were some parts that didn’t make a lot of sense. Going back and watching it now and picking up on the different story

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I spend a lot of time and money on personal growth and when I look back and see how far I’ve come I’m really proud of myself. I believe that my career and our business will only grow as much as I will as a person.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

2023 is shaping up to be a big year and I’m pumped to grow our team, help develop our new grads and start using my Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

First and foremost I want Podiatrists to be the go-to place for foot and ankle pain, and for us to really own the domain that we’ve worked so hard for specialised knowledge in. In the future I think we’re going to see more multi-D clinics open where a client can go in for a complete health check including bloods, DNA assessments, disease screenings, cardiovascular and strength testing and from there they get detailed information on what needs to be improved, and then have a team of in-house allied health practitioners that guide them.

How can we connect with you?

@joekeain joe@podfitadelaide.com.au

2022 PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

2022 ALLIED HEALTH LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE

2022Winner

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? Conscious Living (specifically conscious parenting or leadership).

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

I’m incredibly grateful for my clients who trust me enough to share their stories with vulnerability, and I’m honoured to witness their personal growth. I have great admiration for my clients who courageously sit with discomfort and take the necessary steps to improve their well-being.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Listen to others and learn from them. What advice would you give your younger self?

Stay curious, invest in yourself, trust yourself. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Flying, but also to be invisible so I can do my flying without bother!

How do you relax?

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?!

Surfing, roller-skating and backyard cricket with my children.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Seeing one project through before shifting focus and getting excited about something else. There are just so many possibilities and I’m easily distracted so it’s not easy!

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

My determination and drive has served me well, and together with a commitment to professional and personal development, I’ve been able to create businesses that work for me and my family that I can authentically lead with compassion and empathy.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

My three beautiful children (that’s an easy one!).

If you were gifted a large professional grant – what would you do?

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I was one of two Allied Health Leadership and Management Excellence award recipients, and I also received the Psychologist of the Year award. To have my work recognised at this level is an unexpected yet much appreciated acknowledgement. It’s a lovely honour and really enhances my sense of belonging to the Australian Allied Health community.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I wear a few different hats. I’m the founding Director of Hopscotch & Harmony Psychology which is a paediatric psychology practice with clinics in Melbourne and Geelong. Through my online training brand, Hula Hope Classrooms, I create and deliver programs, professional supervision, and consultancy services to build capacity in early childhood and primary educators. I also provide leadership development and business coaching to other Allied Health professionals.

What are your self-care strategies?

Yoga and other regular exercise in the mornings, meal planning, and going to bed not too late. Spending time with positive people who uplift me and also reserving time to do not much at all.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I can belly dance. There was a studio that I used to pass everyday between my house and the train station and they advertised lessons so I walked in and signed up.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I enjoy Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, and I also recently listened to local Melbourne author Sally Hepworth’s The Mother’s Promise and The Good Sister which were great escapes.

What is your very favourite place..?

Ocean Grove beach – lots of happy childhood memories flood back when I’m there.

I would make training in conscious parenting practices more accessible for parents and carers of young children. We need more relationship-centred, compassionate parent training that not only supports the development of all children but also reparents the parent, healing old wounds.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

I’m right in the middle of developing a new training on coaching that I’ll soon be presenting for a statewide development program in the early childhood education sector. I’m also spending more time this year working 1:1 with Conscious Leadership and Executive Coaching Clients.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

For Allied Health services to be readily accessible to everyone.

How can we connect with you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in

jessicaclearypsychology/

www.jessicacleary.com.au

www.hopscotchandharmony.com.au

2022 PHYSIOTHERAPIST OF THE YEAR 2022 ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATOR EXCELLENCE 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I recently received Australian Physiotherapist of the Year, and was grateful and surprised at the recognition of work that often goes on behind the scenes, and without much fanfare.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I work at Exercise Thought Physiotherapy as the Principal Physiotherapist.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

The design and utilisation of clinical environments to improve clinical outcomes, such as the use of sunlight, plants, airflow, music, textures and colors.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

The breadth of physiotherapy – which spans across massage, joint manipulation, exercise, education, diagnosis, rehabilitation, sports, age care, paediatrics and more – is a source of both pride and excitement for me.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Exercise Thought.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

[New client at the beginning of their consultation]: “why am I here?”

How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

Sleep. Eat. Donate blood. Simple needs really.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I was a humanitarian clown in Russia twice with the real Patch Adams.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Jordan Peterson’s biblical lectures.

What is your very favourite place..? Wilson Prom.

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?!

Gardening. Swimming in big surf.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself? Doing less.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I’m proud of the educational resources we created and published at ExerciseThought. com. Please check them out if you are interested in student education.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

A desire to utilise the gifts I was given to make life better.

If you were gifted a large professional grant – what would you do?

Free Falls and Balance classes in local parks across Australia to reduce both the fear of falling and the hospitalisations from falls, and to connect older adults with both nature and each other.

What’s in store for you in 2023? What’s next for you? Any projects? Getting married. Building a house. Beginning to work ‘on’ Exercise Thought full-time while great people work ‘in’ Exercise Thought. How can we connect with you?

exercisethought.com

The Psych Professionals

Our Mission

Is to create ripples of positive IMPACT in the lives of 16,000 humans by the end of 2023. And that means we need an amazing team to help us get there

About Us

We are a Team who:

Radiates Energy

Stands Out

Steps Up

Embraces Being Brave

All while loving coming to work on a Monday because we believe in what we are here to achieve.

Join us on our Mission

If you want a workplace that supports both your professional and personal growth and is actively working to prevent clinician burnout in the industry, then apply to join our team of change-makers today! There are a wide variety of roles on offer as we expand to reach more people that need our help.

Apply Here

With 16 years and multiple awards under our belt, our Mood & Trauma Centre offers a supportive environment for clinicians to grow as professionals, all while doing work that has a direct, restorative impact on their clients

While providing trauma care to our clients, we also know that we need to look after our clinicians. We have programs in place to proactively prevent clinician burnout, as we nurture the physical and mental wellbeing of our team.

We always want to see you thrive, so you will be encouraged to pursue professional development in your area of interest. We will support this by providing opportunities for CPD, clinical supervision, and other forms of career progression.

ROLES ON OFFER

Adult Psychologist

Mental Health Social Worker

Child & Adolescent Centre

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SETTING

We are excited to invite clinicians with a passion for working with kids and families to join us at our brand new clinic, situated in the heart of the Cleveland Medical precinct.

The practice is comprised of modern workspaces and facilities to help support our team in the life-changing work that they do.

If you want to expand your professional skills and build your career, all whilst making a difference, then this is the perfect place to do just that.

ROLES ON OFFER

Employee & Contractor Options

Child & Adolescent Psychologist

Or Contact our Senior Principal Psychologist, Chelsea Knight for a Confidential Chat via email at chelsea@psychprofessionals.com.au

Adult Psychologist

Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Paediatric Speech Pathologist

Mental Health Social Worker

Employee & Contractor Options psychprofessionals.com.au

Animal Assisted Therapy Clinicians

Allied Health Collaboration & Partnership Excellence

WHO IS THIS AWARD FOR?

This is a different category - this is for all of those amazing people and services that Allied Health professionals need to partner with every day to do what we do...

It’s for that equipment supplier that you keep going back to, for the software that you love using, for the app that you recommend to all your clients...

They DO NOT need to be allied health professionals to be eligible for this category - simply work with and support the allied health industry.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA?

1. Provide a quality service to or for, the Allied Health community.

2. Collaborates and effectively communicates within Allied Health community and clients or end users

3. Outstanding client centred, evidence-based service delivery or health outcomes

4. Impact and innovation

DOES IT COST?

NO! Nomination for this category is quick, easy and free.

HOW WILL THE WINNER BE SELECTED?

Each of the 4 criteria will be scored out of 25 for a total possible score of 100. The finalists will be announced via our social media channels and our website and our allied health community will be able to vote for their favourite!

Let’s show our love for these guys and nominate these awesome partners (or they can nominate themselves!) and then we’ll put it to a VOTE!!

2022 ALLIED HEALTH PAEDIATRIC TEAM EXCELLENCE

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Our practice, The Talbot Centre, won the Paediatric Practice of the Year Award. I am so incredibly proud of the team at our service for what they have achieved in servicing our community, particularly with regard to leading the way with interdisciplinary service provision in the private sector. Paediatric work has always been a passion of mine because it is an opportunity to intervene early and change the trajectory of someone’s life, increasing the opportunities available to them in the future. It also is an opportunity to positively impact families and improve the quality of their lives as well. This award is a lovely recognition for the important work our team does every day in positively impacting children and families’ lives and provides encouragement to continue innovating healthcare service delivery in towards accessible, holistic and client-centred care.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am the Director and Senior Clinical Psychologist at The Talbot Centre, a multidisciplinary health service in Sydney’s Northwest. I also hold a concurrent position as Senior Lecturer at Australian College of Applied Professions.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Ultimately my favourite thing is the privilege that psychology allows us as therapists to journey alongside people, families and communities through the challenging and rewarding times and to see the best in humanity – the resilience and growth that people are capable of despite challenging circumstances.

Also I love that there is great diversity in the work that we do; psychology is relevant everywhere and this allows the opportunity to explore a variety of interests and opportunities for meaningful engagement with work in so many different ways. What is your professional philosophy or motto?

My philosophy is grounded in person-centred care – it’s about recognising that we are working together with another human being to journey on a path towards meaningful health improvement for them. My work centres around client empowerment and autonomy and a recognition that it is our job to create space and journey with and offer tools but ultimately it is the client’s journey to choose their own path forward. I love this quote which summarises in part what I think is important about our work “Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul” – Carl Rogers.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Have faith that it will all turn out for the best. When challenges arise, they will be painful in the moment but if you let yourself, you will learn and grow and become better because of it. Focus on the things you can be grateful for, even in the worst moments, embrace courage in face of uncertainty and fear and let your values guide the way. It’s never as bad as it seems at the time.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Teleportation – I hate spending a long time waiting to get somewhere, especially if the traffic is bad. I would love to be able to just be exactly where I want or need to be without any transit time.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

To me rejuvenation and self-care is about the patterns and habits you build into your day and week to ensure that you are connecting with what is important to you, so it’s often the little things that matter, such as taking a few minutes to think through what you are grateful for; calling a friend whilst driving; having structured time built into my day to do that work task I really enjoy. Getting good quality sleep is also important to me. It’s about checking in with myself and noticing how I’m doing and what I need. I’ve been focused on making sure there are distinct boundaries around my work time and my mum time, even though the hours I’m working around mum life might be a bit all over the place. I’ve also been working to focus my role tasks as Director in order to do more of what provides deep and personal meaning for me and delegating the things I don’t enjoy as much.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I am a self-confessed nerd. I love to play Dungeons and Dragons and I’m looking forward to being able to integrate this into our service offerings this year. What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I am an avid reader. Relaxation to me is reading a book, uninterrupted for an extended period of time. After my son was born and I was balancing being a mum and running a business during a pandemic I started going to bed early and spending at least 30 minutes reading, last year I read over 100 books. It’s that special time for me. I read a wide variety of things, fiction and nonfiction, some about psychology, business

2022Winner

and leadership, some fantasy, adventure etc. I also binge-watch reality TV; I’m selective about which ones I like to watch but I think given the heaviness at times of the work we do, it’s a fun, easy way to engage with TV without having to think too much about the content.

What is your very favourite place..?

I’m not sure if I have one. There are a couple of places I have really enjoyed to vacation such as Tahiti and more locally the Hunter Valley, but despite being an extrovert I’m a bit of a home body, I love to be at home with my family, or at the home I grew up in with my extended family.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I am definitely a work in progress. I aim to continually develop my self-awareness and my reflection on how my leadership and management approach influences others’ experiences of me and their capacity to be supported to grow and, in particular, making wise decisions about transparency in communication. I’m also working on setting clear boundaries around how I use my time to ensure I am engaging in the most important and valued tasks on purpose rather than allowing my time to be dictated by other things (e.g., what’s in my email inbox). I’m working on how to know my limits and share my experiences including my vulnerabilities with my team so that we can all work effectively together in order to achieve meaningful change in healthcare, and I can still have energy left over to be present with my son.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I love my curiosity and commitment to learning and growth; I think it has served me

well in my career and relationships to date. I’m proud of the relationships I have built professionally and personally which have created a support system for me in all that I do. I love my tenacity and perseverance, my honesty and seeing my desire to have a meaningful impact in healthcare come to life every day through The Talbot Centre.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

We are undertaking a major expansion in 2023 – a project that has been in development since 2020 – so we are very excited to see it come to life. We will be moving into a much larger premises in June/July 2023 and this will allow us to expand and consolidate our interdisciplinary service options and also add new services across the full spectrum of prevention through to intervention. We have also been working on new staffing initiatives that facilitate better alignment between personal and professional goals in order to increase staff satisfaction with work and facilitate better work/life balance both internally within our organisation, and for health organisations nationwide.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

My vision is of a healthcare system that places client autonomy and empowerment at the centre of care; that appropriately supports clients and their support systems and influences community-wide change in our approach to health. I’d like to see all healthcare be integrated and multidisciplinary, seeing people through a holistic perspective and equipping them with the knowledge and tools they need to be healthy in all domains. I’d like to see a focus on preventative healthcare and early intervention focused on changing community attitudes and beliefs in support of good health, particularly mental health. I’d like to see healthcare become more accessible through innovation and increased use of technology, without losing the human connection. I’d like to see more healthcare practitioners engaged in development around leadership and management, and enhanced support for the workforce of healthcare practitioners so they can have longevity in the important work that they do.

How can we connect with you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in dramytalbot-thetalbotcentre/ 02 8814 5703

reception@thetalbotcentre.com.au

2022 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OF THE YEAR

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Australian Allied Health Awards OT of the Year. I’m feeling very honoured to receive this award for contribution to my profession – I’m over the moon! It means a lot to me at this particular point in time – I’m a mum of three and my youngest just started school. My profession has enabled me to build my work-life around my family, so in tune with my personal and professional values to show leadership and create impact. Receiving the award validates for me that we must create our own authentic definition of ‘success’ in our lives; it may mean a departure from traditional paths, models, and outcomes. I align with the concept of the organisational triple bottom line – that we consider people and planet on equal footings with traditional organisational and professional ‘success’.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I have a mental health-focused practice and consultancy, Mental Health OT Online, we offer mental health services, supervision and training for OT’s, and project consultancy. I also co-lead Allied, a not-for-profit allied health platform which I co-founded, which aims to encourage allied health professionals to be more aware of policy and advocacy, and how we can influence change. Plus a range of community and advocacy volunteer roles in my ‘free’ time!

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? Many and varied topics, the following spring to mind:

• OT/allied health and the importance of an advocacy voice (yes, including in private practice or even as a sole trader!)

• A human rights perspective in allied health

• Health and housing inequity – the role of allied health

• Broadening our allied health perspective from the individual client, to communities and populations.

• Finding and keeping motivation – for therapists and clients!

• The social model of disability and OT/allied health

• The NDIS Review 2023 – discussing potential changes ahead for OT/allied health

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

I love that OT gives me the opportunity to work in tune with my values. And I feel that, fundamentally, our OT philosophy is uniquely optimistic – our core belief is that all humans can build participation in activities, life, community, and citizenship – with the optimal learning opportunities, environment and supports in place.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

One day in first-year OT school, a lecturer asked our entire OT class to stand up and walk in a circle, which we all did collectively, unquestioningly – she was in a position of power as a lecturer, and we were baby OT’s, so round and round we went. After a few minutes, she told us to stop and demanded to know why no one had asked WHY on earth we were doing that! It was a profound lesson for life and one that always stays with me –always ask WHY! The lecturer was called Tina McGrath, she sadly passed away recently so I would like to pay tribute to her. So my motto is – Ask why, listen deeply – then work to influence change. We can’t influence change

if we don’t deeply understand why the status quo exists.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

I started learning to drive around the same time as starting my first OT job, in a mental health service for homeless people. One day, a friend and I took her car to a large carpark in an abandoned industrial estate so I could practice my clumsy gear-changes. From a nearby derelict building, emerged a familiar face – he instantly recognised me as his OT. He spent the next 30 minutes calling helpful advice – “Change gear now” and “Easy on the clutch”. It was a strange but also an incredible, levelling moment. Here was a skill that he had that I was yet to master. Our therapeutic relationship was so much more real and positive after that.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Trust your gut and back yourself. And I would advise surrounding oneself with a range of mentors that can offer multiple perspectives, including clinical, peer, consumer, and organisational development.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

I come from a very neurodiverse family, there are many superpowers. I’ve always been envious of those in my clan who have the incredible ability to speed-read and fully absorb vast quantities of information at lighting speed – how amazing is that? It would be so helpful, right?

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

In a past life, I was a competitive runner, now I’m a ‘social’ runner (similar to better a social drinker but much better for one’s health!)

and it is essential to my self-care to get out and run, or even walk, either with friends or in solitude, in nature and in the wild. Selfcare for me is also making intentional work choices.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I love bees. They are amazing. I keep beehives in my backyard.

What is your very favourite place..?

I’m Irish-born. I feel very lucky to feel a sense of belonging to two countries and cultures. It’s non-binary – they are both my favourite. Favourite activities? What do you do for fun?!

All things outside and in nature. Also, spending time with my kids and their friends. Children have such unique insights to life. My 5 year old is collecting bird feathers currently – it’s the perfect excuse to ramble in the forest.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I’m not good at self-promotion, LOL! For example, I can’t do selfies! I prefer to let my work speak. While I won’t be purchasing a selfie-stick anytime soon, I am trying to make important aspects of the work more visible.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I’m proud of the learning over the span of my career and life, to bring me to where I am today. I feel privileged to have had the opportunities I’ve had and I’ve learnt from every single one. And I’m also proud of particular pieces of work – a recent example, the work towards making the NDIS more equitable through advocacy for best practice functional assessment. It was an honour to represent my profession and Occupational Therapy Australia at the parliamentary inquiry

on NDIS Independent Assessments.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

Working with people motivates me to take on advocacy work, and vice vearsa. Both complement each other, they are opposite sides of the same coin. Deeply understanding lived human experience motivates me to work towards better systems.

If you were gifted a large professional grant – what would you do?

I’d use it to build the capacity of our professions to have a greater policy and advocacy awareness and acumen, and a stronger voice on the range of health and social issues facing our clients and communities. Also, I’d develop, pilot and evaluate a range of new models for bringing together OT and lived experience perspectives; inclusive housing and support models; and sustainable, sensory and naturebased practice models.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

So many ideas and plans! It’s always a fine balance to plan well and still leave room for flexibility, should new opportunities arise. Projects include building new training and mentoring programs for OT’s working with people with psychosocial disability. In addition, this year there will be a major NDIS Review, so we’ll certainly be contributing to that in a range of ways. I’m also very passionate about equitable access to housing and support for people with disabilities, and hold a project lead role for the Private Congregate Care Alliance, a national alliance advocating for new opportunities and an end to segregated and institutional housing models which unfortunately are still rife in all states and territories in Australia. The Disability Royal Commission has shown us how there are extremely heightened risks of abuse,

neglect and abuse in these environments. We can and we must do better on this front.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Allied health professionals gain such unique insights to the real-life challenges people live with on a daily basis. My vision for allied health is that we learn from these individual interactions and become more fully aware of the social, cultural, economic and political factors that shape lives and communities, and have a stronger voice on these. We have more strength than we know – and SO much to contribute, to create better lives.

How can we connect with you? connect@mentalhealthotonline.com.au 0424 241 531

Tickets on sale now!

LINDA

2022 SPEECH PATHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Speech Pathologist of the Year 2022! I don’t have words that could adequately describe what winning this award means to me! I am so honoured.

I have been a speech pathologist for over 20 years and I still have a HUGE passion for our profession and the impact we can have when we work together with individuals, families and carers!

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am the Learning and Professional Development Lead at a Private Practice – A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology –in Newcastle, NSW. My role is to upskill and support our incredible speech pathologists to reach their career goals, and to provide evidence-based, gold standard support for families.

I also own a business called ADHD Done Differently. We host a parent and carer support group in the Newcastle Region for families raising children with ADHD, and provide education and resources for speech pathologists, and other health and education professionals to support working with this gorgeous population!

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? ADHD! I have three incredibly gorgeous neurodivergent children and love learning all I can about ADHD!

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Being able to work with parents and carers to support their children to reach their goals! I love when parents contact me to tell me something their child has just achieved. Even after 20 years, it still brings a tear to my eye!

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Never stop learning! We will never know everything and I want to always be providing the best support I can for each individual!

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

In my very first year as a speech pathologist (a LONG time ago!) I was seeing a lovely man in his 70s after a CVA. He came in to a session with a diamond ring and a massive bunch of flowers and proposed to me – he had a wife! I let him down politely of course!

What advice would you give your younger self?

There is no such thing as failure!

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

I would want to be able to become invisible! I am quite the prankster and would love to be able to scare people!

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

I have always been drawn to water. I love standing at the beach, watching the waves crash and my children play. I also love just sitting on the lounge with my husband after the kids have gone to bed and chat or watch Netflix or Disney!

I also love mindfulness. My mind always works a million miles an hour so taking the time to slow it down and be mindful really refreshes me.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I can sing. I started singing on stage when I was about 13 and still sing at my church now.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

My husband and I are watching Modern Family on Disney at the moment. It is so funny! But I am also on a leadership binge with audio books. I travel a lot throughout the week, so always have a book going. I have listened to “Start with Why” and “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown and I have just started “The Emotionally Intelligent Leader” by Daniel Goleman.

What is your very favourite place..?

My very favourite place is my home. I LOVE being at home with my family and pets. What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I am currently working on my health! It has been an area that I have definitely neglected over the past decade and I am looking forward to achieving my health goals in 2023 and onwards!

What do you love about yourself? What are you really proud of?

I am proud that I have started my own passion project – ADHD Done Differently!

I am really proud that we can provide a free support group for parents and carers of children with ADHD in the Newcastle,

NSW region. I struggled as a mum with the intensity of raising 3 neurodivergent children when they were younger. I felt that I really was the only person around me that knew what that was like, and to be able to provide support, education and acceptance to others, makes me so proud and happy.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am really looking forward to continuing as the Learning and Development Lead for A Growing Understanding and continuing to support the incredible speech pathologists we have working with children, adolescents and families.

I have so many plans in place for ADHD Done Differently. Some of this is top secret for now (!) but I have lots of plans for new educational resources, trainings, clinical supervision and more.

I am also super excited to be embarking on my very first research project as an industry partner with the University of Newcastle. It is extra exciting, as the principal researcher is my sister, who is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

My vision for Allied Health in Australia, is to ensure that all Australians can have access to quality and sustainable support for the long term, no matter who they are! I see us leading the way around the globe in innovation, support and care that is family or person-centred. I see us providing safe and inclusive, holistic services that will allow each person and family, to set and reach their own goals!

How can we connect with you?

linda@agrowingunderstanding.com.au

2022 PHYSIOTHERAPIST OF THE YEAR

2022Winner

physio, OT and dietitians, work with children and youth with chronic pain, functional neurological disorder, chronic fatigue, hypermobility spectrum disorders and so on. Our approach is based on evidence, our team work together in appointments and work closely with schools and communities to get kids back into life – it’s truly wonderful to see the outcomes of this work.

I am also the chair of the APA National Paediatric Group where I work to advocate for paediatric physiotherapists in Australia and develop PD strategy & implementation –I love to be in a position to help drive change. Lastly, I am active on social media, supporting parents of little ones to play and get outside.

groups like the APA and building parent skills through social media and online programs.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Change and growth being at the end of your comfort zone.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?! I once had to do a whole treatment session in a (very bad) pirate accent.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I was honoured to win Physiotherapist of the Year.

I’m not very good at stepping back and reflecting on what I do – I do what I do because I am passionate about giving children the best start to life. Whether that’s through education of health professionals, improving quality of services or supporting parents with information and programs founded in evidence and play. Winning this award made me pause, step back and really see the impact of my work, of which I am so proud.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am the managing director at Western Kids Health, a private paediatric allied health practice here to make waves. We work in a clinic model structure, meaning a specialist team dedicated to working with children or youth with specific needs. For example our Complex Care team, of psychology,

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Professional – Western Kids Health opened in 2018. We started with 5 employees at one site. We are about to open our headquarters of over 1000m2 have 35+ employees, have online services and have MDT clinics. I have learnt so many lessons, let alone having my second child along the way and the juggle. I could talk about the balance of motherhood and business and why seeking balance is not the answer to success.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Working with kids is incredibly fun and challenging. Challenging because I must convert “exercises” into therapeutic play constantly and continually work on the therapeutic alliance with the child and the wider family unit.

I also love the diversity in what I can do as a paediatric physiotherapist; from working with clients, teaching, advocating in national

Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe. Also – value yourself. There were many years where I worked for minimal financial gain or had my projects and results passed off as someone else’s in elite companies. It took me along time to see how much I had to give and to value this and it’s something I am still working on.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

I would love to be able to understand and speak all languages (including music and computer code).

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies? Getting outdoors, especially heading to the beach. Otherwise walking my old golden retriever (slow-paced) and taking in the beautiful nature surrounding us.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I tell the kids I work with, I have the ability to detect lies… but truth be told kids are incredibly easy to read.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

I am currently reading Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen and my top podcasts include 1000 Hours Outside, Imperfect Action and Dare to Lead.

What is your very favourite place..? The beach!

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Slowing down – I tend to get ideas and run a million miles an hour. 2023 is about planned action and creating boundaries between work and home.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

I love my ability to take something complex and make it understandable and practical. I am known for just getting it done.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

Working with people motivates me to take on advocacy work, and vice vearsa. Both complement each other – they are opposite sides of the same coin. Deeply understanding lived human experience motivates me to work towards better systems.

What’s in store for you in 2023? What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am working on developing a tool to empower parents to support their little ones engage in risky and outdoor play.

I am also working on opening our Western Kids Health headquarters in May. It will be a state-of-the-art facility in an old heritage building, that used to be our states rehab hospital. It warms my soul that this building can continue to improve the lives of many children for years to come. I always wanted a clinic that wasn’t medical (as lots of kids get nervous in medical facilities) and this

beautiful building with hundred year old floor boards, high ceilings and beautiful gardens is something you need to see to believe.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

That we work together to improve the lives of everyone we work with. That we collectively take responsibility for research; this day and age we owe the public to prove what we do works and we have the tech, skills and reach to do this. Collaboration, lifting each other up, understanding that there is abundance, finding ways to work together.

How can we connect with you?

2022 MUSIC THERAPIST OF THE YEAR 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

2022 Music Therapist of the Year. Winning this award was a big surprise! For me, it’s not only an acknowledgement of my own work but recognition for music therapy as a profession amongst the other allied health professions.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I currently work at Newcastle Music Therapy as the founder and director. My role involves leading a team of music and art therapists and providing clinical music therapy services to a range of clients of all ages with various diagnoses, including physical and intellectual disabilities, autism, down syndrome, mental health conditions, dementia, and other medical conditions.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? Music therapy! I can talk A LOT about music therapy as I feel passionate about it and I love educating others about what we do and how music therapy can be of benefit.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

My favourite thing about music therapy is that I get to create music every day at work! I also love using music – something that’s fun, creative and meaningful – to help others make change in their lives and experience connection through making music together.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Every person is unique, make no assumptions. What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

Danced with a lawn mower in their garage while I played music for them.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Keep practising piano to be the best you can be because one day you will use it to help others and start learning the guitar now!

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

A flawless memory.

How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

Sleep! And massages. Cups of tea and spending time with family.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I was once a navigator in a rally car.

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

The Crown.

What is your very favourite place..? Hawks Nest, NSW.

Favourite activities?

What do you do for fun?!

Bushwalking, camping and sailing.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

Being realistic about my capacity to get things done.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

My patience.

What or who (or both!) motivates you?

The opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

If you were gifted a large professional grant – what would you do?

Make more music and art therapy programs accessible to a diverse range of people.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

Continuing to develop a strong and thriving team of music and art therapists at Newcastle Music Therapy and broadening our services.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

That allied health services would be accessible to all, particularly in regional and remote communities, and that there can be more collaboration between allied health professionals to truly serve clients in a way that best meets their needs. For all Allied Health to be funded through medicare and private health insurance.

How can we connect with you?

I’m always happy to connect with others and continue to advocate for music therapy. susan@newcastlemusictherapy.com.au

2022 OSTEOPATH OF THE YEAR

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Osteopath Of The Year.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

• Director The Sports and Spinal Group

• Director at Osteopathy Australia

• Consultant to Interhealthcare

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation?? The art of sustainably giving to others as a medical practitioner.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

That every single practitioner and business owner I know has the same underlying goal – to improve the lives of the patients/clients we have the privilege of interacting with on a day-to-day basis.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

To leave a positive wake on both individuals and society at large with everything I say and do. This acts as my number one life principle for both my professional and personal life. This positive wake principle is governed by more core values – Contribution, Genuineness and Humility. This is who I am.

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

When I was in my first year of practice, I was asked by a patient what “sexy video’s” I like watching. Do we think this is a touch inappropriate?

What advice would you give your younger self?

It is OK to ruminate in negative circumstances, but not for too long... the skill is in reframing the situation to facilitate growth and better performance.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Precognition.

How do you relax? What are your self-care strategies?

Spending time with my family, exercising, cooking, time in nature and quiet.

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I grew up in a kitchen garden environment which facilitated my love for cooking and unadulterated fresh produce. We have built the same in our own home and harvest daily!

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Book: Daniel Pink books – Drive, The Power Of Regret and When Podcast: The Hidden Brain

What is your very favourite place..?

Home or the beach with my wife and 2 kids. What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

I am working on improving my ability to be more self-compassionate – I think we all find ways to not treat ourselves with the same care, advice and patience as we do others. I have a long way to go – but am working on it.

What do you love about yourself? What are you really proud of?

That I make a genuine contribution to bettering people’s lives everyday.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am a part of a Medicinal Cannabis start up that are trying to launch a clinical trial into the use of CBD oil for General Anxiety Disorder, Pain and Sleep – we are hoping to go to market in the coming years. In the clinical setting, we are partnering with community sporting organisations to change the understanding and quality of baseline testing and in season management of concussion in sport.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

That we get out of our individual Silo’s as professions and truly begin to change how health care is delivered in Australia.

How can we connect with you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett wiener-maicd-03545a3a/

2022 ALLIED HEALTH RURAL AND REMOTE EXCELLENCE 2022Winner

Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Allied Health Rural and Remote Excellence. As a Social Worker this meant the world. We are often a under-valued profession and I was up against some incredible clinicians. So I felt incredibly proud that a Social Worker won this and hope it raises the profession as an outstanding career choice.

The rural and remote component is especially close to my heart as we are more isolated and work so hard with limited resources to provide quality services in challenging times. To be recognised for this is just amazing.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Director of Lonvara which is based in North West Tasmania. I am a Mental Health Accredited Social Worker who provides, along with my team, clinician counselling to a range of children, teens and adults in the NW region of Tasmania. In addition to this, I am a clinician hypnotherapist and this is a main area I provide interventions. I provide an outreach clinical counselling clinic to an Aboriginal organisation and have been doing clinic for many years. I am specialised and accredited in eating disorders and mental health clinical interventions.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Mental health, what well mental health looks like, when things get wobbly (how to recognise this in self and loved ones) and where to go for help when you feel yourself or a loved one needs it.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health profession?

Social work as a profession has allowed me the most incredible diversity. I have worked within family violence, community development, mental health, employment,

management, mediation, counselling – just to name a few. I love the opportunity to grow professionally whilst changing the theme to which you use your clinical skills and practice framework (professional tool box) within. What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Don’t work harder at their life than they are. What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?! Hypnotherapy has been a strange request, but by far, a paediatrician asked me to assist a child to relieve their phobia of using a toilet (it worked).

What advice would you give your younger self?

Do it because you are enough, the next step you take (in all of your life) leads to magic and so many wonderful adventures. And buy all the houses when you're 18 and they are cheap!

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

To fly – I’d love that.

How do you relax?

What are your self-care strategies?

I’ve taken up painting and love it. You can follow me on insta #artbymellyp

Tell us something interesting or quirky about you! Hidden talents??

I can paint (who knew) and I self-published a poetry book when I was 20 (Your Harbour, My Castle).

What are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Morbid Podcast – its about serial killers. Two sisters in USA speak like best friends about all the gory stuff. My friends say I like listening to the dark stuff to balance my happy personality.

What is your very favourite place..? Switzerland.

What are you not so good at, or what are you working on, in yourself?

My memory – it's terrible and I am trying to improve it.

What do you love about yourself?

What are you really proud of?

My optimism. I am generally a calm, relaxed and glass is really, really half full (I can fill it myself) kinda girl.

What’s in store for you in 2023?

What’s next for you? Any projects?

Lonvara will continue to grow. Each year we are approached by more and more businesses to be their employee assistance program provider (yay) and this is exciting. Personally, more art, its soooo good for my soul – It's the most mindful thing I have done – and back into travel as its another love of mine and COVID squished it.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Bigger and bigger! Love how you give us the time to shine.

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2022 AWARD FINALISTS

ALLIED HEALTH LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE

L-R: Carolyn Bell; Frances Bilbao, Belinda Sutherland, Helen Whait

ALLIED HEALTH IMPACT & INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

L-R: AJ Williams-Tchen, Katie Lyndon, Sam Suke, Sandhya Maranna, Stefanie Valakas

ALLIED HEALTH TEAM CULTURE EXCELLENCE

L-R: A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology, Active Health Clinic, Mums Matter Psychology, The Talbot Centre

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Caitlin O’Meara, Freeda Thong, Marina Hennes, Nikita Austin

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Camila Camargo Santarosa, Helen Whait, Rebecca Purvis, Taylor Gillies

MUSIC THERAPIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Geena Cheung, Monica Zidar, Robyn Fernandez-Baca, Zara Thompson

PODIATRIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Daniel Monteleone, Hamish Melville, Robert Mullins, Samuel Ong

CHIROPRACTOR OF THE YEAR

L-R: Aimee Brown, Ben Carvosso, Luke Nelson, Robin Broff

PHYSIOTHERAPIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Bertrand Doeuk, Sally Webb, Sam Bhojwani

ALLIED HEALTH RURAL & REMOTE EXCELLENCE

L-R: Kirsty Healing, Louise Bibby, Rowena Friend

2022 AWARD FINALISTS

REHABILITATION COUNSELLOR OF THE YEAR

L-R: Christopher Issa, Collen Zubrzycki, Rebecca Harnett

ALLIED HEALTH COVID CHAMPION

L-R: Erica Bleakley, Jessica Cleary, Liz Murray, Sam Suke

ALLIED HEALTH EARLY CAREER EXCELLENCE

L-R: Alexa Elbourne, Brandon Dyson, Hannah Boardman, Niomi Karunaratna

PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Cheryl Gale, Johanna Knyn, Rowen Friend, Susan Num

EXCERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

L-R: Andrew Daubney, Emily Gardner, Kathy Balson, Liz Dawson

OSTEOPATH OF THE YEAR

L-R: Amanda Hannaford, Heath Williams, Michael Mannix, Paul Hermann, Tina Maio

ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATOR EXCELLENCE

L-R: AJ Williams-Chen, Dr Amy Talbot, Jayden Dunn, Sandhya Maranna

ALLIED HEALTH ADULT TEAM EXCELLENCE

L-R: Exercise Thought Physiotherapy, Health in Mind Orange, National 360 Clinical Leadership Team, The Talbot Centre

ALLIED HEALTH PAEDIATRICS TEAM EXCELLENCE

L-R: Eat Speak Learn, Everyday Independence - Early Childhood Intervention Team, North Shore Speech Therapy, The Kidd Clinic

ALLIED HEALTH INNOVATIVE TEAM SERVICE / PRODUCT

L-R: FitWorker360, Melbourne Functional Medicine, The DLD Project, The Talbot Centre: Multidisciplinary Feeding Service, UniSA’s Podiatry Teaching Team