Social Work Spotlight

In this episode I speak with Vanessa, who works for The Blue Knot Foundation’s National Counselling & Referral Service supporting The Disability Royal Commission & COVID19 Disability Information Support Line. Vanessa has practised as a social worker in the disability, employment, aged care and organisational psychology fields, as well as for Centrelink offices in Darwin and Alice Springs,...

In this episode I speak with Ashton, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Supervisor, Trainer, Consultant and Private Practice Owner, having completed both a Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice degrees. She has many years of experience working with children and families and is passionate about working with people who have experienced trauma, collaborating w...

In this episode I speak with Alexis Stonebridge, NSW/ACT Manager of Social Work Services at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, with previous experience in the fields of out of home care, homelessness, drug and alcohol, family counselling and mediation. Slater and Gordon was the first private law firm in Australia to employ social workers to provide free clinical support to its legal clients.  In this role...

In this episode, Candice and I discuss her passion for ongoing learning and improving outcomes and opportunities for people living with a disability. Candice is the Professional Leader of Social Work at Royal Rehab and their inaugural sexuality services Team Leader. In addition to her Social Work Bachelor’s degree, Candice has completed a Master's in Public Health and post graduate studies in...

In this episode, James and I discuss his work in the Aged Care team at St George Hospital, involving discharge planning, support coordination and bereavement counselling. James has also worked within the Social Programs team at the City of Sydney, supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of various social inclusion and community development programs. With a strong passion for empo...

In this episode, Michelle and I discuss her extensive experience in the adult and youth homelessness services, family and domestic violence services, asylum seeker service and NSW Health. Michelle has provided care coordination and counselling with people experiencing substance use disorders, mental health, physical health and trauma histories. She uses a trauma-informed framework, strengths-based...

In this episode, Maegan and I discuss her work as a perinatal social worker providing services to pregnant women receiving care through a general obstetrics clinic and a hospital Women and Newborn Drug and Alcohol Service. Maegan enrolled in a PhD at UWA in 2020 where she will use qualitative methods to conceptualise the phenomenon of hospital-based infant removals by child protection grounded in...

In this episode, Adele and I discuss her passion for supporting people affected by domestic and family violence, and her mentoring and leadership roles in health and community settings. Of particular interest to Adele is the intersection of mental health with violence and trauma, and holding a safe therapeutic space for women. Adele is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Manager of a Dom...

In this episode, Kate and I talk about the appeal of social work to her for its social justice and advocacy principles, and her broad interests ranging from gender studies and feminism, the intersection of culture and mental health, narrative therapy, and suicide prevention. Kate plans on becoming an accredited mental health social worker in the future as well as dipping her toe into social policy...

In this episode, Renee and I discuss her role as a consultant and Therapeutic Life Story Work Practitioner. She has extensive casework specialist experience including with child protection and out of home care, and in executive roles for the Department of Family and Community Services. Renee is particularly passionate about working collaboratively and developing positive relationships with agencie...

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss her interest in grief and emotional health, helping people to feel safe and supported when faced with life’s challenges. She has published widely on the topic of hope and ambiguous loss for families of missing people and has taught in the disability space, with a research interest in missing persons, mental health and disability. In addition to her research and...

In this episode, Laura and I discuss her experience in direct practice supporting women, men, children and families impacted by human trafficking and modern slavery, individuals seeking asylum, and women experiencing gender-based violence. Laura now works as the Head of Social Policy at Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, leading the development of social policy and advocacy shaping responses to...

In this episode, David and I discuss his commitment to working to create better lives for people on the move and the communities that host them. He is the co-founder of HOST International, established in 2016 and now operating in 5 countries in the Asia Pacific, and he is also running for the role of National President of the AASW this year. David has held Senior Executive roles in the refugee and...

In this episode, Scott and I discuss his career change from cabinet making, hospitality and pastoral work with young people to finding an innovative approach to social work through development of the Australian Social Work in Schools program. Scott is now the social work in schools project officer focusing on building and maintaining partnerships with schools and developing resources. He also teac...

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss her experience in case management, project coordination, community engagement, policy, advocacy and management roles, within the migrant and settlement services sector. Her work has included supporting survivors of human trafficking and slavery, refugees, people seeking asylum, and individuals with complex mental health needs. Sarah also teaches undergraduate a...

In this episode, Astrid and I discuss her more than 31 years of experience predominantly working for the Commonwealth Department of Human Services including in 18 Centrelink offices both in Victoria and New South Wales. Astrid recounts her other roles within Centrelink such as Job Capacity Assessor and an eight-month stint as a Case Manager in the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire disa...

In this episode, Sophie and I discuss her work in triage and crisis response, risk assessment, safety planning and coordination of forensic medical and general medical responses to adults and children impacted by sexual assault. Over the years Sophie has developed a non-clinical portfolio in professional education and training in the violence abuse and neglect space and has recently completed qual...

In this episode, Rosanna and I discuss her work experience in the disability, health and welfare sectors with a strong commitment in human rights, and current position as a Coordinator at Lifetime Care and Support at icare. She has worked in a number of agencies providing either direct client work (for Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney), adult guardianship (for the Office of the Public Guardian),...

In this episode, Barbara and I discuss her work initially as a high school music appreciation teacher and managing a second-hand bookshop, further strengthened her resolve to pursue a Social Work degree at UNSW. In the course of 15 years as a hospital Social Worker, she was an integral part of a respiratory ward team and worked in a psychiatric unit, before working as the sole Social Worker in an...

In this episode, Chad and I discuss his background in forensic social work, how his strong value base and overcoming Stage IV cancer have led him to develop his own practice to support cancer survivors and those experiencing mental illness and addiction and founding a tech company with a mobile application assisting patients with scheduling, encouraging self-care and reflection and to legitimise m...

In this episode, Paul and I discuss his current role as Social Work Educator at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and his fascinating journey through community health and private therapeutic practice to arrive at this point in his career. We focus on significant historical points for social work including the Richmond Report and HIV/AIDS in Sydney in the 1980s, and how Paul has blended his passions...

In this episode, Dana and I discuss her experience working both in Australia and the USA in a variety of settings, but particularly her strong interest in rehabilitation medicine. We discuss her passion for supporting adjustment to disability and finding that new ‘normal’ with clients. We also touch on the role of case management in a hospital rehabilitation setting and the value and impact of soc...

In this episode, Damien and I talk about the importance of reflection in Social Work practice and his experience leading a multifunctional team to support people severely injured in motor vehicle accidents. We discuss clinical supervision and reflective practice and resources he draws on in the course of his work. We also touch on the positive moves within some government departments to bring new...

Hi and welcome to Social Work Spotlight, a podcast created to showcase the wonderful and valuable work being done by Social Workers in Sydney, Australia. I’m your host, Yasmine McKee-Wright, and each episode I will interview a local social worker to showcase diverse areas of the profession and what kinds of fields we specialise in. We will touch a little on social work education and foundations, a...