2022 Australian Allied Health Awards - Issue One

2 0 2 2

A U S T R A L I A N

Allied Health

AWARDS

MAGAZINE ISSUE 1

|

Meet all the 2021 Winners!

ACCELERATED BY

2022

SELECTION CRITERIA

AUSTRALIAN ALLIED HEALTH AWARD CATEGORIES

• Contribution and promotion of their profession

• Occupational Therapist of the year

• Collaboration within Allied Health community

• Physiotherapist of the year • Exercise Physiologist of the year

• Impact and innovation over the last 12 months

• Speech Pathologist of the year

• Outstanding client centred, evidence-based

• Dietitian of the year

service delivery • Outstanding leadership and integrity • Upholds quality, safety and ethics in their practice

• Podiatrist of the year • Psychologist of the year • Social Worker of the year • Chiropractor of the year • Audiologist of the year • Orthoptist of the year • Osteopath of the year

2022 has started off with such a whirlwind for so many hasn’t it!

• Optometrist of the year

We’re so excited to get together this year for a big celebration in Sydney. We are running this year’s gala as a HYBRID event, which means face to face gala tickets and live stream with virtual access tickets will both be available soon!

• Genetic Counsellor of the year

Get your nominations in soon, don’t miss out!

NOMINATIONS CLOSE 1ST MAY for the Australian Awards program!

Support each other, we’re better together!

• Music Therapist of the year • Arts Therapist of the year

• Sonographer of the year • Perfusionist of the year • Prosthetist / Orthotist of the year • Rehabilitation Counsellor of the year • Allied Health Assistant of the year • Medical Radiation Practitioner of the year • Allied Health Early Career Excellence • Allied Health Educator Excellence • Allied Health Excellence in Management & Leadership • Allied Health Impact & Innovation Excellence • Adult Allied Health Practice or Team Excellence • Paediatric Allied Health Practice or Team Excellence

Sarena Jones Founder Allied Health Awards

• Allied Health Excellence in Rural / Remote Areas • Allied Health Team Culture Excellence • Allied Health COVID Champion • Allied Health Product Innovation & Excellence *categories subject to change

PETER THOMAS

PHYSIOTHERAPIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Physiotherapist of the year.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am a Consultant Physiotherapist and Team Leader for Critical Care and General Surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

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

Physiotherapy is a great profession, with roles across so many disciplines within healthcare. I’ve been fortunate to primarily work within hospital settings and have been drawn to roles in critical care, trauma and general surgery. It is very rewarding to combine the knowledge and skills physiotherapists hold across cardiorespiratory, neurological and musculoskeletal disciplines to assist people in their rehabilitation after severe illness, major surgery or trauma.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Exercise is medicine I don’t hold the patent for them, but “exercise is medicine” holds very true for physiotherapy. I believe also like to promote the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s leadership statements including “Leadership is available to all of us” and to “stay curious and informed”.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Connect with your professional community. Create your own path in your career that allows you to invest in things that keep you interested and engaged within your workplace and profession.

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

The ability to restore people’s strength and function!

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

Each week I like to keep active mainly balancing a love for tennis, running and doing things with the kids.

LIBBY CALLAWAY

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

It was an honour to receive the Occupational Therapist of the year award, particularly as I was nominated by a colleague who is a leader in the field of occupational therapy and assistive technology.

It was also humbling to see the calibre of the other nominees in this category, who are all contributing significantly to the field of occupational therapy.

To address the inequity that some people with disability continue to experience in Australia, across the areas of employment, housing, healthcare and social inclusion.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I hold three roles currently which draw on my occupational therapy skills. I am the Director of a community based occupational therapy practice, called Neuroskills, which I started in 1999. I am an Associate Professor at Monash University, working across both the Occupational Therapy Department and Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre in both research and education, and I am the voluntary President of the Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA), the national peak body for assistive technology stakeholders in Australia.

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

Person-centred approaches to the use of assistive and mainstream technologies for meaningful participation.

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

I really love the breadth of work I get to undertake in the field of occupational therapy, and how that work is built around collaborations with people with disability and their families.

Almost 30 years after graduation, I still get to undertake a range of clinical practice work in my week, as well as impactful research and community-embedded fieldwork education of the future occupational therapy workforce.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Treat others as you would wish to be treated What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you or done…?!

I really can’t think of an example of something ‘strange’ but I can think of a range of unique requests that have really stretched our collaborative problem solving. One example is a goal a person had to recommence archery after sustaining a traumatic brain injury and resulting upper limb hemiplegia. It took some creative thinking and great assistive technology for us to design and custom build an archery bow mount. Using this adaptive equipment, he went on to participate at a competitive level at a local archery club, with great success.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Keep going, although you don’t quite know where you will end up, the journey will be awe-inspiring.

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

As an occupational therapist, participating in personally meaningful occupations is my key way to relax – I love swimming (whether that be in the bay or a pool), I am an avid sports spectator (particularly the AFL and our children’s sporting games), and I really enjoy cooking (or procrasti-baking, as my family like to point out at times).

The main thing about these activities is doing them with, or for, the people I love – it is certainly a great form of self-care.

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

I can prepare a pavlova from scratch and have it in the oven within a 2-minute time window – more evidence of my procrasti-baking and ‘gift giving’ to others, which I really enjoy.

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

I tend to binge autobiographies – I have just read Bachar Houli’s autobiography (a Richmond AFL player) and really enjoyed growing my understanding further of the Muslim religion and culture, and how he navigated his professional sporting career to prioritise his religion over, and accommodate it within, his work.

Aligned with my interest in autobiographies, I love the ABC’s Australian Story. During the extended COVID-19 lock down in Victoria, I watched a number of Australian Story episodes via iView in one sitting, which was a pleasure – I love learning about other people, the opportunities and challenges they face, and what drives or motivates them.

What is your very favourite place..?

Sitting in my beach chair or swimming out to ‘the blue line’ of the deep, clear waters of Tyrone Foreshore on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

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

I am not so good at cleaning up my ‘floor-drobe’ – it seems like such a waste of time when there are so many other great thinks that could be done in a day, although my husband does not agree!

I am also not great at saying ‘no’, as I get really excited by all the opportunities that exist to make a difference through my various roles within occupational therapy … but I am working on prioritising what I say ‘yes’ to!

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

I am really proud of the impact my work has been able to have on the lives of the people I work, collaborate, research and educate with – particularly in the area of housing and technology design that makes a real difference to the way people can live their lives. I also really love my family, and I am so proud of our two children who I adore.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

How can we connect with you?

2022 is going to be another busy year, as we launch a free online training program for allied health educators and students undertaking professional practice placements with people with disability, called My Professional Practice Space. I will also continue to lead a range of government-funded research projects focused on housing and technology design, and excitingly ARATA will host our biennial Australian Assistive Technology Conference in Adelaide in November 2022 – so there is lots of work in the lead up to that great event.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

There continues to be a major allied health workforce gap in disability practice in Australia, including in the field of occupational therapy. My vision is that through prioritised government investment (including ongoing funding of expanded telehealth items) – and collaborative work by multiple stakeholders that is inclusive of people with disability, their families and allied health professionals and educators – we will continue to see growth in innovative approaches to allied health workforce development.

ADVERT

Libby.Callaway@monash.edu @libby_callaway linkedin.com/in/libby-callaway-1726393a

ALICIA EDGE

DIETITIAN OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

Dietitian of the year.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Unfortunately not much, but I try and manage some reading when I can. Between having 3 kiddies under 6, and a company, I am not very good at sitting still!

Compeat Nutrition; co-CEO, co-Founder & Lead of Performance Operations.

What is your very favourite place..?

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

This sounds so cliché, but it is wherever my family is. Whether it is quiet days at home or away camping.

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Athlete Wellbeing and its connection with Nutrition.

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

The diversity in opportunity, alongside our real superpower outside of nutrition – which is in all things behaviour change!

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

To always lead with empathy – whether that be within our organisation, with clients, or with key stakeholders

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

I am really working on my self-awareness in noticing my self-critical thoughts around perfectionism. A song from the new Disney film Encanto says it beautifully What could I do if I just grew what I was feeling in the moment?

What could I do if I just knew it didn’t need to be perfect?

It just needed to be?

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

I am most proud of growing accustomed to the daily discomfort of growing a tech startup, and now having an incredible team of people with us to do it with!

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

We are cementing our technology build to be ready for international partnerships and growth that is more scalable across multiple income avenues.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

or done…?!

For us to hold space for considering different opportunities and embracing something that so often we tell ourselves we can’t do – be creative and innovative!

Man, where to start. I feel like social media – particularly the crazes on TikTok – has made these questions a daily occurrence haha!

How can we connect with you?

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you

What advice would you give your younger self?

You can do hard things, and that leaning into discomfort is where you will thrive and find your purpose.

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

I would adore being able to pause moments in time. I find the constant fluidity of having a young family and a growing company so hard to make time and find opportunity to always celebrate and soak in those simple, yet so precious, moments.

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

Outdoors. Anything that includes adventure, nature and movement.

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

I have a weird ability to memorise and hold onto a frustratingly large range of lyrics from songs haha (but have zero singing talent haha)!

I am positive that brain capacity could be better used elsewhere!

@compeat_nutrition @compeatacademy

LUKE HASSAN

ALLIED HEALTH EARLY CAREER EXCELLENCE Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

I recently won the Allied Health Early Career Excellence award! This award means a tonne after the crazy happenings of the past two years in the world. It’s a lovely acknowledgement of the really hard work that myself and our team has put in to build our service in this time, despite some of the obvious and not-so-obvious challenges.

Personally, to be recognised by my peers at such an early point in my career is something I never would have thought possible when I graduated. So that is super humbling but also very motivating as we continue to drive our service forward and focus on our goal of helping more and more people with these invisible illnesses find a greater quality of life through good nutrition.

Movement is a really powerful thing for me. If I need to relax, I’m probably going to do yoga. Although, because I’m sitting at a desk all day, often it’s a form of self-care for me to go for a run, go to footy training etc. My favourite leisure activities (when I get to do them) are golf and music festivals.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

My partner and I have recently gone back to watch One Tree Hill, which is a fun blast from the past! Currently, we’ve got OTH, Schitt’s Creek and Lucifer on the go, and I think we’ll go and watch Game of Thrones again at some point. I’m about to start reading Atomic Habits, which I’m super excited for!

I am the lead dietitian at Active Health Clinic in Blackburn, Victoria.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

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

I can play the guitar and the drums! Definitely not as well as I used to be able to, but I still dabble from time to time!

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

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Anyone who knows me knows that I could speak under wet cement, so there are a variety of topics to choose from here: I’d say a couple of my favourites would be myth-busting around specific diets in invisible illnesses; or the power of a regular food routine!

What is your very favourite place..?

The Eastern Golf Club, about 10 minutes from my place. I instantly take a deep breath and relax as I drive down the long, windy driveway, knowing that I’ve got a good couple of hours of chill time ahead. It’s also absolutely beautiful.

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

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

My favourite thing about being a dietitian is getting to talk with people about something that is so integral to their human experience – their food intake! Lots of people I see don’t understand why food is such a problem for them; whatever the reason they’re coming to see me. We may not think about it often, but food matters to everyone – we simply can’t survive without it. When people realise that, they realise that it matters and that what we eat is actually a really personal thing. It’s an honour to be trusted with this information, and a privilege to help people ‘sort it out’ so to speak.

yourself?

I’m not so good at resting, so I’m working on that!

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

I love that I genuinely care for my patients. I never want to become too weathered or bitter to not deeply care about them and their wellbeing. I’m super proud of what myself and the team at AHC has been able to build over the last 18 months, and it is really humbling to reflect on the link between those two facts.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Patients should be able to “eat the widest variety of foods possible while maintaining symptom control”

Just continuing to build our service to be the best, most welcoming, and helpful place for people who live with invisible illnesses to come and gain more quality of life. Plenty of projects, but we’ll have to wait and see what pops out in the next 12 months!

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

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

Patients have sent me photos of their bowel movements… Most may find this strange but to me it’s part of the job! If a patient has a concern, I’m more than happy to hear them out.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stop thinking so much about how other people are going to analyse your words/actions. Just do it. A plan violently executed is better than a perfect plan not executed at all.

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

I often dream I can fly, and that’s pretty cool. So, I’d love to be able to fly.

My vision for Allied Health in Australia is that we as a professional community can form closer links with each other and other parts of the medical world to provide more thorough and holistic patient care to everyone who walks through the door.

How can we connect with you? facebook.com/Active-Health Clinic-189465277749703 instagram.com/activehealthclinic_au linkedin.com/in/invisibleillnessdietitian

#1 For Allied Health MyHealth1st.com.au supports more Allied Health professionals than any other patient engagement and online booking platform in Australia.

We support over 12,000 practices across Australia and New Zealand.

MyHealth1st.com.au is a healthcare search and appointment booking marketplace that makes it easy for patients to find and book their preferred healthcare provider online, 24/7.

Read on to discover how patient engagement through MyHealth1st will lead to healthier, happier patients and a more efficient and profitable practice.

With over 16 Million bookings to date, MyHealth1st has seen that over 60% of all bookings are made after hours, and the majority of patients would prefer to be able to book on the spot rather than leave a message in the hope of a call back the next day. You may be surprised how many just default to booking with a competitor if it is more convenient.

Never miss an after hours booking again! With a MyHealth1st booking button on your website, patients can book their own appointments in a few simple clicks, any time of day or night.

MyHealth1st Online Appointments seamlessly integrates with all of the major Practice Management Systems utilised by Allied Health professionals from all disciplines.

If you do not use a PMS, MyHealth1st also offers its own online cloud appointment diary you can use.

MyHealth1st features an active healthcare marketplace used by millions of Australians to find and book healthcare appointments. This massive pool of potential patients search for appointments through MyHealth1st every day. If your profile isn’t listed, they’ll never be able to find your practice.

Thanks to partnerships with leading Buy Now, Pay Later payment plan providers, the availability of payment plans is visible on your practice profile on the MyHealth1st Marketplace, allowing patients to search for practices that allow them to pay their bill over time.

“

Over 60% of all bookings are made after hours, and the majority of potential patients would prefer to be able to book on the spot rather than leave a voicemail message.

MyHealth1st EasyEngage is a tool that allows a practice to create custom surveys and vouchers to gauge patient experience, gather feedback and reward loyalty. Being able to create surveys customised to your exact needs allows you to gain the insights you want, so you can make the changes needed to improve the patient experience.

With EasyEngage surveys you can set triggers to receive instant alerts to low NPS, so you can quickly follow up with the patient to solve any problems before they become critical.

Every practice needs some way to send recall notices and other bulk communications to their patients.

MyHealth1st EasyRecalls allows practices to send smart SMS recall notices and other communications to connect with their patient base. EasyRecall messages can contain a web link, so patients can book appointments directly from a recall message, or access shared information with just one click.

EasyRecall features real time reporting, so practices can easily see the communications that are working best, allowing you to adjust your messaging accordingly and boost recall conversions.

”

Many practices still use phone calls for telehealth due to a perceived difficulty in setting up a video chat system.

Video telehealth consults are far more effective than phone calls for a number of reasons, not the least of them being the ability to visually assess or diagnose a patient.

MyHealth1st EasyTelehealth is a simple all-in-one solution, an end-to-end encrypted, browser based video conferencing platform that can be used on virtually any device with a microphone and camera.

Digital advertising is an essential part of any practice growth strategy, but if you’re not on top of targeting, retargeting, campaign composition and changes to the Google and Facebook algorithms, it can prove to be a huge waste of money.

The digital team at MyHealth1st understands the needs of Allied Health professionals and can create cost effective Google and Social Media advertising campaigns perfect for your practice, helping you stand out from the competition and drive new patients to your door.

All campaigns are rigorously tracked so that results may be monitored and optimised to ensure success.

To learn more about how MyHealth1st can help your practice, please visit www.myhealth1st.com.au/practices or call 1300 266 517

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.

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…

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!

• Address every selection criteria in the application

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

• Use examples! As many as you can…

alliedhealthawards.awardsplatform.com

• Use the word count as a guide

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

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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 & submit and pay your $15AUD admin fee to ensure you’re in the race.

How do you innovate in your team?

Do you use booking platforms, e.g.

MyHealth1st to attract clients?

Include that in your application!

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.

• These are allied health awards, not business awards

EMILY MACKIE

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

Speech Pathologist of the year. For me it’s never been about promoting myself as much, I would much prefer to stay in the background. However I have learnt that to make a positive, lasting impact, there needs to be a face behind it. I am so proud to win this award and be a part of my profession. I love how this career of being a Speech Pathologist has opened up doors where I can help children, families, speechies and my team to succeed long term in life.

The ability to read minds.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Speak About Speech Pathology- I am the founder and one of the Speech Pathologists. I also have my mentoring company that I founded, The Successful Speechie Academy. My role is to create programs and deliver mentoring to aspiring speech pathologists and early career speech pathologists; to equip them with the skills to be confident and successful in their careers.

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

Getting lost in a good novel, listening to an educational podcast, quality time with my family, travelling, massages, meditation and prayer.

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

I have travelled to over 30 countries and hope to add many more post covid.

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

Gilmore Girls - always. Her Empire Builder podcast - Tina Tower What is your very favourite place..?

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

I love any Australian beach!

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

How to mentor speech pathologists well in the early years.

Also, running a speech pathology practice successfully.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

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

Developing patience with myself and learning how to be a good mum for my daughter.

profession?

Seeing a child proud of themselves as they achieved their goal/s in therapy. There is nothing quite like seeing them smile, have self esteem and increased confidence in their abilities. That makes it all worth it.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

You must be bigger on the inside than anything happening on the outside to become and maintain your success.

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

My persistence, dedication and lack of fear in taking big steps. I am really proud of what I have personally achieved and overcome during my 7 years in business.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

A baby in April 2022! Some new programs for my mentoring academy and a new clinic for my Tuggerah SASP location.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

That we would all understand abundance and work together to help those who are skilled too.

How can we connect with you?

What advice would you give your younger self?

emilymackie.speechie

Work on understanding yourself. Read, listen and learn from those wiser than you and follow what they do/did.

emilymackie.speechie emilymackie.com.au

FRANCES BILBAO - MUMS MATTER PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I have been honoured to receive the Psychologist of the year award, and my wonderful team at Mums Matter Psychology has received the Adult Team of the year award.

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:

I established Mums Matter Psychology 7 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 & 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 30 mental health professionals.

These awards are a testament to the substantial work that has gone in over the last 7 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.

It is truly an honour and privilege to support our clients on their journey through this challenging transitional stage of life especially over the last 18 months, and we are all very proud of our efforts.

• • • • • •

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.

MUMS MATTER PSYCHOLOGY

ALLIED HEALTH ADULT TEAM EXCELLENCE 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

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.

profession?

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

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.

We recently finished watching “The Start Up” which I loved and have enjoyed “Ozark” and similar TV series on Netflix.

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 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 is your professional philosophy or motto?

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

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

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.

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’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

I would love to see Mums Matter Psychology continue to grow and serve the needs of those most vulnerable. We will see what the pandemic holds in store for us and we will continue to pivot based on our clients’ needs in this uncertain climate.

Ultimately, I would like to aim for Mums Matter Psychology to support women through this period across other contexts too such as the workplace.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Don’t worry so much about what other people might think.

You don’t need to fear other people’s judgements.

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.

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

How can we connect with you?

What advice would you give your younger self?

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 everyday 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!

mumsmatterpsychology.com @mumsmatterpsychology @mumsmatterpsychology linkedin.com/in/francesbilbao

NATHAN BUTLER

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

2020-21 Exercise Physiologist of the year.

This is an important subject that is dear to my heart and something I don’t believe a lot of people do well. For myself I try and make the day-to-day activities also recharge activities – there’s nothing better than random sport, chatting with friends, exercise and cooking.

The Allied Health Awards mean a great deal to myself, my team and the community of people that live with invisible illnesses. Being nominated along with such amazing health professionals has been an honour and has helped me reflect on the work we’re doing with invisible illnesses, which I am really proud of.

Raising awareness of invisible illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, pain sensitisation or chronic pain, orthostatic intolerance / POTS to name a few helps us move towards our goal of impacting a million people by 2022, allowing them to seek help in a space without judgement and hope for their future.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Director and Accredited Exercise Physiologist at Active Health Clinic and The COVID Recovery Initiative. We give people an understanding of their illness and tools for long-term independent living.

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

Only a 60 minute presentation! I could talk for days about invisible illnesses, the impact, prevalence, management, need for more research, need for more funding and I could go on, so if you see me, please ask!

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

Exercise Physiology is an emerging allied health profession and as such there they are a dynamic and driven group of people that are making a huge difference to the community.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

How do we get people to thrive and not just survive?

What is the strangest thing a patient or client has either asked you

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

I can whistle like an old-style hearing aid! It made for a lot of fun in cardiac and pulmonary rehab.

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

Kayo Sports, there’s always something new to watch that helps take me to another place.

What is your very favourite place..?

I can’t get past the coast along the Great Ocean Road and the country of Nepal. The people, the mountains and freedom that you have is unparalleled.

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

Celebrating the wins. I tend to finish one challenge and then instantly move onto the next without recognising what we’ve achieved.

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

Developing other people and even though it’s not always the easiest road, it is the most important road to have those quality relationships now and into the long term.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am really looking forward to growing the team and having a focus on people recovering from COVID. The Covered Recovery Initiative is a programme we’ve put together to help people that are unable to get back into life after having COVID. There will be millions of people that need help, and we want to ensure that they get the health care they deserve.

Mixed into all of this I am taking six months off to travel around Australia with my family and see the best that we have to offer.

or done…?!

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

I have been invited to people’s weddings and something that I am probably most proud of is some of our patients go on to study and become an exercise physiologist and start working at Active Health Clinic, helping more people have a better life.

I would like to see more collaboration between the different allied health disciplines and to bring closer the divide we see in public and private practise as well as research.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Get a mentor now. I believe that it’s important to be continually challenged and guided in your journey learning from those that have done it before and not trying to reinvent the wheel. Once you feel that you know it all then it’s time to find someone that knows more.

How can we connect with you? linkedin.com/in/making-invisible-visible activehealthclinic.com.au facebook.com/groups/ahcconnection youtube.com/channel/UC7_ULNZYRtXe0MIXZ8lbl-A

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

Jedi powers! Being able to move physical objects with your mind and influence people mentally is the whole package to me, but only for good obviously.

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 ‘Physiotherapist of the year’ Proud Sponsor of ‘Allied Health Excellence in Rural and Remote’

3

2022 marks our third year as sponsors of the Allied Health Awards but we’ve been a supporter since day one!

GET IN TOUCH WITH US TODAY AND START YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE (+61) 07 4031 9991 | F: (+61) 07 4281 6833 PO Box 4986 CAIRNS, QLD 4870

info@aussielocums.com.au

Level 1, 55 Spence Street, Cairns QLD 4870

PSYCHOLOGY CAFFE

ALLIED HEALTH PAEDIATRIC TEAM EXCELLENCE Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Psychology CAFFE won the “Paediatric Team Excellence” award for 2020-2021.

It means a lot to the whole team, we now number around 23 people, and especially in the past two years, where we have worked under challenging circumstances, and continue to struggle with increased demand and distress in our community. We love our work with children and families, it is our passion and the whole team is very focused on achieving change and making a difference to the best of our abilities, and we enjoy working together, so it has been wonderful to celebrate what we have achieved together in the past ten years.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am the founding director of Psychology CAFFE. My profession is registered psychologist, registered play therapist, and a board approved supervisor in both professional disciplines. I am also a credentialed behaviour support practitioner. I provide training, consultancy, and supervision for health professionals, including the many dozens of psychology interns that have placement at our clinic, and I continue to provide consultancy and psychological assessment and clinical intervention for children and families that have experienced trauma.

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

1. How to build a successful, sustainable practice for psychologists working with children and families.

2. Developmental Trauma and Attachment.

3. Animal Assisted Therapy in a child and family practice.

And probably a few more! Maybe not all related to my professional life .

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

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

I really had to think about that one, I can’t recall a ‘strange’ thing, maybe playing dress ups and running around the clinic as a fairy during a consult, or on another occasion being given links to the ‘dark web’ and being asked to read volumes of works on there – I didn’t even know about the dark web until then!

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t just dream it, Do it. The world has meaning and purpose, you just need to find yours and go for it.

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

The power to create meaningful connections for ALL people.

I think this is the disease that plagues us most – disconnection.

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

I love being home in my garden or my therapy pod sitting in the window looking out to the garden and river nearby. Here I read books, dream, nap/sleep and cuddle with my dogs and two Burmese cats. For connection I love having breakfast or coffee catch ups with a few close friends, and wilderness hikes when I can with family and/or friends.

To sustain an incredibly busy schedule I take quarterly ‘long weekends’ with my partner to destress, and at least once per year take off two full weeks to go ‘off grid’. I also practice mindfulness and yoga.

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

On my spare weekends I drive steam road engines – we have a family Foden Traction Engine, Marshall Steam Roller and Krauss Locomotive. I am also an amateur beekeeper.

profession?

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

The amazing variety of the work, the individuality of each and every person and family who comes in to see us, and the level of impact you can have on their lives.

‘Hinterland’ and ‘The Newsreader” Series, the latest Kindle read was “the Labyrinth” by Amanda Lohrey, and a long Kindle list of serial killer novels and leadership books.

What is your very favourite place..?

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

“changing the world one child at a time” Personally, I also love Violet Oaklander’s quote: “I do not view a child’s behaviour, displeasing as it may sometimes be, as sickness. I view it as the child’s evidence of strength and survival. A child will do what he can in any way to survive in this world. He will do what he thinks is the best thing to do to get through the job of growing up.”

‘The Enchanted Walk’ and Waldheim at Cradle Mountain.

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

I cannot – and I have worked on this for a long time – shuffle cards.

At all.

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

Although I am a very serious person, I don’t take myself too seriously, I do get very passionate about things, and my friends tell me I have ‘great capacity’, even my own mother says she “doesn’t know where I get it from” but I work hard on being true and staying in my own lane. I am proud of my three adult children, they are awesome.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Yes – Finally opening the REAL Coffee Shop at Psychology CAFFE – we have planned for ten years to do this, right at our front gate, on the main street of the historical township of Latrobe, a social enterprise to connect more with our community. Our intention is to provide traineeships and coffee chats on health and wellbeing topics for our community. We are really excited about this – it has been a long time coming – we have been flat out busy from day one, and this kept going to the bottom of the list, so even though we are busier than ever, this is now a priority, as the community really needs it.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

I have a big vision – that the exponential need and growth is reduced, that allied health can do themselves out of work – as we are all overloaded – and if we can help more people, more effectively, to avoid health issues, and to be WELL – particularly connected and supported together in the community, in a more grass roots way, we will all have more time and energy on our hands!

What a wonderful world it would be if we could truly assist people to be more well more of the time, and not need us a much!

How can we connect with you? tracey@psychologycaffe.com.au 03 6426 3050

THE ACADEMY Business School for Allied Health Professionals Have you ever wished you had a group of people that could simultaneously hold you accountable for growing beyond your best self and at the same time support your quest to get there? To be surrounded by a group of over-achievers with a “we can do anything” attitude?

If, YES, then the Private Practice Success Academy is what you've been looking for.

The Academy will provide you with the essential business coaching and mentoring elements that are required to develop, grow and scale your practice, including:

The RIGHT PLAN for your Level of Practice Development.

ADVERT

The RIGHT TOOLS for executing your plan.

The RIGHT SUPPORT for when you get stuck.

This is a done-with-you solution, where we are in the trenches with you and your team.

We will give you exactly what you need in terms of learning, resources, templates and more, whilst coupling that with an environment of HIGH SUPPORT & HIGH PERFORMANCE. Our members are practice owners who demand to have a practice that gives them personal and business TIME, MONEY and FREEDOM, whilst having a life-changing IMPACT on the lives of the clients they serve.

To express your interest in joining, feel free to email our Founder, Gerda Muller, directly at gerdam@private-practice-success.com Alternatively, jump straight into our Triage Application Form via the QR Code, which will allow us to see how best we can support you.

BELINDA COULTON

OSTEOPATH OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

Osteopath of the year.

yourself?

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I take on too many projects all at once and expecting others can keep up! Trying to make space for stillness.

Across Gippsland in our Sale, Bairnsdale & Orbost clinics, probably too many hats!

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

Principle Osteopath/Director/Owner/Practice Manager/Clinical Supervisor/Mentor

Kind and caring nature. I’m proud of my never give up attitude and always seeing the bright side of things, and of course, my family.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Osteopathic approach to breast feeding difficulties in newborns.

Further expansion – creating a one stop health care hub for mum’s and bubs in regional Victoria.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

profession?

To keep celebrating the allied health industry and shining a spotlight on all the super stars out their achieving greatness in everyday practice.

Helping people across all ages to experience better health.

How can we connect with you?

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

belindacoulton@gmail.com

Educate and empower others to take charge of their health.

linkedin.com/in/belinda-coulton-5063b5103

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

I’ve been asked if I could treat family pets and even a horse.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be true to yourself, take chances when opportunities present – keep filling your cup until it is overflowing.

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

Heal mother earth .

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

Getting out into nature – being at the beach for me is my ‘happy’ place, and if I can’t do that then escaping into a good book or movie where I seem to be able to switch off.

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

I love a bake up in the kitchen - our household has a thing called ‘pancake Sunday’ which of course is every Sunday!

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

I wish I had time for bingeing, at the moment I might try and watch an episode or so of Survivor. And a true indulgence is being consumed to complete a jigsaw puzzle – just love a Wasgij!

What is your very favourite place..?

This is hard as I have so many – Cape Conran Beach located in East Gippsland and Binalong Bay on the north east coast Tasmania.

eastgippslandosteopathy

DR AMY TALBOT

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

What advice would you give your younger self?

Excellence in Leadership and Management. The timing of this award was incredibly meaningful to me as I tried to navigate leading a team through COVID whilst also being a first time mum who was supposed to be on maternity leave. It reminds me that good leadership isn’t about having all the answers or getting everything right all of the time; it’s about humility, making mistakes, and the grace offered to you as you learn and grow by those who follow you. It also reminds me that it’s okay to be human. Excellence in leadership is a testament to those who choose to follow, I am so grateful to my team who rallied to support me as a leader throughout this challenging period.

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.

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.

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?

There are a few; I often present on my clinical areas of expertise such as interventions for OCD, tics and eating disorders. I could also give a presentation on thriving as an early career psychologist, as I’m passionate about supporting early career professionals to navigate the challenges of becoming a professional, such as imposter syndrome.

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. Things like 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 tasks 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. Recently 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.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

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

profession?

I am incredibly flexible and I can lick my elbow and my nose.

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

Psychology offers so many wonderful things. I love that there is great diversity in the work that we do; but 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.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

My work as a psychologist is built on a series of courageous convictions centring 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 are you bingeing?? Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts…?

Usually books, I love to read. 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. I have read 8 books in the last month. It’s that special time for me. I read a wide variety of things, fiction and non-fiction, some about psychology, business and leadership, some fantasy, adventure etc.

What is your very favourite place..?

I’m not sure if I have one. There are a couple of places I have really enjoyed vacationing to, such as Tahiti and more locally the Hunter Valley, but 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’m working on continuing to 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. 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.

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 could not have achieved what I have without the support of my family, my friends, my colleagues, team and mentors. I’m also really proud of this award.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

So many projects! We are in a growth stage in our business so will be putting the structures in place for significant growth in 2022. This will allow me to focus more on expanding the types of services we deliver and innovating the structure of those services. Currently I’m focused on a mentoring program I’m running with my colleague, Valerie Ling, called Thrive; and I’m working on structures and systems to support staff personal and professional growth within our business.

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? linkedin.com/in/dramytalbot-thetalbotcentre 02 8814 5703 reception@thetalbotcentre.com.au

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

Reach our 15K audience of health professionals!

Allied Health

SUPPORT ALLIED HEALTH MARKETPL ACE

BUY & SELL RESOURCES Where you can buy or sell webinars, resources, e-books, courses and more!

Contact us - info@alliedhealthsupport.com.au

alliedhealthsupport.com/marketplace

TANYA MARIE SILVEIRA

MUSIC THERAPIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I recently received the Music Therapist of the year award. I feel honoured to be the inaugural recipient in recognition for my advocacy for the profession of music therapy. Though the understanding of music therapy is growing within the community, there is still a greater need for access across clinical populations, and the inclusion of this award is an excellent starting point for getting music therapy on the radar of allied health clinicians.

Part of my role also involves supporting students in creating and establishing new music therapy programs.

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

I can think of two topics which, in a way, were brought together in my PhD thesis: 1. The need for music therapy in neurorehabilitation

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I currently work as a Registered Music Therapist as a sole practitioner and I am also a Subject Co-ordinator with the University of Melbourne.

My music therapy clinical work is predominantly centred upon supporting people across the lifespan who are neurodivergent and/ or have a diagnosed neurological condition. More recently, I have also now established a music therapy program supporting the rehabilitation of women who have had challenges with addiction.

The subject I co-ordinate, as part of my academic appointment, is centred upon the clinical practice of music therapists. This subject is all about encouraging the student music therapist to more deeply think about their unique attributes and how their own strengths and resources can benefit their future careers as Registered Music Therapists.

In this topic, I would highlight the fact that music therapy engagement has the ability to address multiple goals at the same time – through my doctoral research, we found that accessible music making for stroke survivors not only lead to better functional outcomes in the weakened arm/hand, but also resulted in better anxiety outcomes.

2. The impact of our intersectional identities in the therapy space In this topic, I would highlight the importance of therapists understanding more about how aspects of their intersectional identity put them in positions of privilege and/or oppression in the therapy space. As a woman of colour, I used to feel ashamed of the adverse experiences of my past. Though they are still challenging to sit with, I now try my best to consider how my adverse experiences may help me to better understand the people with which I work.

Though my lived experiences of adversity do not mirror that of my patients, I do have some understanding of what it feels to be overlooked, as many of my patients often express.

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

My absolute favourite thing about music therapy is that we get to see the strengths of the individual shine through the music! I cannot even tell you how many people I’ve worked with who have shared “wow, I didn’t know I could do that” in a session. Whether this is through the process of hand rehabilitation or song writing, I get shivers every time!

This might mean saying “no” to an opportunity to ensure that I can dedicate quality time with my loved ones – and sometimes, this might mean that I prioritise unpaid volunteer work (over paid opportunities) to ensure that I can continue advocating for people who are under-represented.

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

Play a prank on another staff member! This was actually done through a play-based activity with a younger patient – they planned the whole prank and choreographed how it would unfold. The other staff member was an absolute legend, and the younger patient got so much joy out it it!

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

I love to go for long walks in nature, do face masks and binge watch a series that I know by heart (e.g. the Harry Potter films). Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, I’ve also taken more to cooking things from scratch and I’ve found that I get so much joy out it –so that’s definitely part of my self-care routine.

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

What advice would you give your younger self?

As corny as this sounds, I would tell my younger self to: be yourself and own your strengths. In the context of being part of a lesser know profession, as a woman of colour, there have been MANY times where I felt that I couldn’t just say what I wanted to say for fear that I would be judged or not taken seriously. Now that I have come into my confidence, I have realised that my contributions are just as valuable as my colleagues, and most of the time, others have thought the same as me yet felt too timid to speak up. I’ve also realised that, just like everyone else, I have my own unique set of strengths, and when I lean into these strengths, I am more able to confidently communicate with others, facilitate the best therapy that I can, and help others to also identify their own strengths too!

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

I’ve always wanted to FLY! I feel like it would be so amazing to be able to fly around the world and get a bird’s eye view of the gorgeous landscapes… and I guess I’d save money on plane tickets too?!

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

My professional philosophy is to ensure that my personal values drive my professional decisions.

I watched A LOT of Sponge-Bob Squarepants when taking breaks from writing my PhD thesis!!

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

I’m currently binging The Office (USA) and The Mindy Project (I’m obsessed with Mindy Kaling).

I’ve also been making my way through Brene Brown’s latest book on leadership and have been listening to some of her podcasts interviewing incredible women of colour.

What is your very favourite place..?

I absolutely love looking up at the stars from the patio of my partners family home just outside of Tamworth.

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

Over the years, I’ve been working on becoming more assertive. This has been an important goal for me as it made me realise that I used to use quite apologetic and passive language for topics that I am well versed in. Now, when writing an email, I review my language and edit it to have more active language, and I also do a little power pose before stepping into meetings or delivering presentations!

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

I love that I am an open person; forever learning. I’m really proud of what I have accomplished so far in my career, in spite of the many challenges that I have faced along the way. I really believe the support of my family and friends is what has gotten me here.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

In 2022, I will be submitting my PhD thesis (woo!) and I’ll also be launching some personal development courses for music therapists and allied health clinicians. I’m currently looking into some funding opportunities for creating some free resources for stroke survivors, and am volunteering my time helping establish another music therapy program in Mumbai, India.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To be more inclusive of music therapy and value its multifaceted benefit across clinical contexts.

How can we connect with you? tanyamariesilveira.com.au @tanya.marie.sil

KRISTINE BARLOW STEWART

GENETIC COUNSELLOR OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

2020-2021 Genetic Counsellor of the year (inaugural award).

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am a genetic counsellor working with the team at the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW and the Centre for Clinical Genomics, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, NSW, that is implementing a national research study called Mackenzie’s Mission.

In this study around 8,000 couples throughout Australia are being offered genetic carrier screening to determine if they, as a couple, have an increased chance of having a baby with one of ~750 rare severe childhood onset genetics conditions which are often life limiting and with limited treatment options. My role was initially to lead the development of the education for both couple participants and GPs and other health professionals who are offering this test so as to facilitate informed decision making which is all done online.

Since the launch of the study, I have been working with my genetic counselling colleagues and the laboratory team at SCH to return the results of the test so that those couples found to be at increased chance can be made aware of their reproductive options going forward, and supported in their decision making and in regard to the decision they make.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

If a door opens even a crack, push through; be prepared to face hurdles but passion will overcome.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Foster your passion.

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

Teleporting so I can be in many places at once.

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

Being with family, friends, exercise, reading, theatre. A good night’s sleep.

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

I am also working as a genetic counsellor with the Children Cancer Institute of Australia, based at UNSW, in the Personalised Medicine theme. The ZERO2 Childhood Cancer study is offering all those <18 diagnosed in Australia and those aged 19-25 with a paediatric cancer, genetic testing of both tumour and germline (cells we are born with) to assist in treatment decisions and determine if the cancer is due to an inherited predisposition. My role is undertaking psychosocial research with the parents and participants and developing educational resources to facilitate online information and consent.

I am super organised. Lockdown enabled me to organise my home – I loved having the time to do that.

These roles epitomise my career for which I have been honoured.

I was the first certified genetic counsellor in Australia (1991) after leading the instigation of the profession and its development and for which I was named the 2021 Australian Genetic Counsellor of the year (inaugural health professional award). I was the Foundation Director of the NSW Health Centre for Genetics Education (19892012) and the Foundation Director of the University of Sydney’s Master of Genetic Counselling Program (2011-2018).

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

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

The ethical and psychosocial issues generated by the developments in genomics and the role of genetic counsellors in enabling information provision, psychosocial support and informed decision making.

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

To have seen the profession which I initiated in Australia grow and mature into a valued and critical discipline in medicine and allied health.

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

“Since the diagram representing my being a carrier of a faulty gene causing cystic fibrosis, shows a person half shaded, does that mean it is only in the cells in one side of my body?”

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

All. Just completed Occupied on Netflix.

What is your very favourite place..?

My home.

yourself?

Saying no.

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

Being a good listener and respecting confidentiality. Maintaining friendships.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Continuing in the roles until mid-year and then taking up another 5 year project developing an online genetic counselling resource for those affected with rare mitochondrial conditions.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

To continue to embrace new and developing disciplines regardless of their size.

How can we connect with you?

0417 487 028 kristine.barlowstewart@sydney.edu.au

Mood & Trauma Centre Loganholme, Brisbane QLD

SUPPORTED TRAUMA CARE With 15 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, positive impact on their clients.

While providing trauma care to our clients, we also know that we need to look after our professionals.

We have programs in place to help prevent burnout and help improve the physical and mental wellbeing of our team.

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.

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 Employee & Contractor Options Psychologist Mental Health Social Worker

Child & Adolescent Centre Cleveland, Brisbane QLD

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SETTING In March 2022, we moved to a new location that not only tripled our practice size, but allows us to help even more children and their families.

Join us on our Mission If you want a workplace that supports both your professional and personal growth and is actively working to prevent employee burnout, then apply to join our team of changemakers today! There are a wide variety of roles on offer as we expand to reach more people that need our help.

Apply Here Or Contact our Principal Psychologist, Chelsea Knight for a Confidential Chat at chelsea@psychprofessionals.com.au

The practice is enhanced with 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, whilst making a difference, then this is the perfect place to start.

ROLES ON OFFER Employee & Contractor Options Child & Adolescent Psychologists Paediatric Occupational Therapists Mental Health Social Workers Speech Pathologists More Information: www.psychprofessionals.com.au

NAYARNA PARANGE ALLIED HEALTH RURAL & REMOTE EXCELLENCE ALLIED HEALTH EDUCATOR EXCELLENCE ALLIED HEALTH IMPACT & INNOVATION EXCELLENCE Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

I am overwhelmed, humbled, and immensely grateful to win this significant recognition, acclaim, and respect, to have been chosen the winner for not one, but three national awards for 2020-2021 across multiple domains that include education, rural and remote work, impact and innovation, from across the whole gamut of allied professional health. I have been able to achieve this only through the support of colleagues and experts in the field within and external to UniSA, who are as passionate as I am and work tirelessly to make a difference in women’s health.

Reading, meditation, music, cooking, baking, learning new things.

More importantly, these awards have inspired me to continue with renewed vigour and commitment, to ensure that our graduates are well equipped for careers in sonography through our excellent medical sonography suite of postgraduate programs. Furthermore, it has encouraged me to continue to persevere and strive towards equity in health through our ongoing work in rural, remote and regional areas where health professionals are enabled to up-skill and provide life-saving antenatal ultrasound in places where these services would be very limited or even non-existent. Every mum and baby counts, and have the right to access excellent health care, regardless of their social, economic, or geographical disadvantage, and so much more needs to be done in this space to ensure that there is equity in health care.

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

I like reading and watching light-hearted dramas, especially Korean dramas.

What is your very favourite place..?

Home, but I love travelling.

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

Ooh where shall I start? Learning to say ‘no’ in the first instance.

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

Being compassionate and kind.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Yes working on some research grant applications at the moment.

More teaching, more research and more volunteering as well.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

University of South Australia, Professorial Lead in Allied Health and Human Performance. Associate Professor Medical Sonography.

It is great to see that people in the community are getting to know what Allied Health Professionals do. I think more recognition is always a good thing as the Allied Health Professionals work so hard.

I would like to see Allied Health professionals valued more by their patients and the community.

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

The state of health outcomes in mums and babies, and the importance of ultrasound in pregnancy care.

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

I love interacting with people from all walks of life, get to hear many interesting stories and diverse perspectives.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Service before self What advice would you give your younger self?

Life is beautiful. Girls can accomplish and achieve, and it is ok to have goals and dreams. Don’t get disheartened when things get hard, as they will. Just take one baby step forward, and then the next and so on. Stay focused. There will be some ups and many lows, but you will overcome the lows. Facing challenges will only make you stronger. Reach out for help when needed. Don’t ever give up on anyone or anything.

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

Be supercharged with superhuman strength and energy, and a supercomputer brain 😊 There is so much that needs to be done!

How can we connect with you? linkedin.com/in/nayana-parange-5849a846

DAYNA POOL

IMPACT & INNOVATION EXCELLENCE Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

What advice would you give your younger self?

I recently won in the category of Innovation and Impact. To be recognised in this category is such a privilege because at the end of day, the reason why I do what I do is to make an impact in the lives of children with neurological conditions and injuries. Innovation brings us forward and I love that we are in an industry that constantly thrives forward to find better ways and better solutions.

Just do what you enjoy and embrace the art of persistence.

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

To be able to fly!

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

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I go on runs – by myself.

I am currently working at The Healthy Strides Foundation. My role here is clinical lead physiotherapist and researcher.

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

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

I can work out musical notes when I’m listening to songs – I have pretty good relative pitch!

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

The importance of evidence-based practice in paediatric health care.

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

I love the podcast: Bad Blood.

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

What is your very favourite place..?

Working with people – each and every day.

Paris.

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

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

To establish a world class, integrated, interdisciplinary research centre for children with neurological conditions and injuries.

yourself?

I lack flexibility – I am constantly trying to improve this!

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

I am really proud of the fact that I can take a step out of the box and try new things.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

I am currently working on several research grants – I am excited for future collaborations and industry partnerships.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

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

The strangest thing a parent asked me to do was to look after her kids whilst they were swimming in the backyard pool as she went to pick up her other kids from school. The strange part was that she locked the pool gates so I didn’t have a choice.

To embrace evidence-based practice and to constantly be investing into new research in our area.

How can we connect with you?

Social media is a great platform to follow and be inspired by the achievements of others.

Halo Practice Management - what we do: Halo Practice Management provides a full suite of services, from training & consulting to virtual admin and reception. We have a vision to create a new industry standard for allied health admin, allowing clinicians to make an even bigger impact on the health of their community. We take great pride in our contribution to these outcomes and are passionate about helping to run efficient, profitable and highly customer-focussed practices.

Halo Practice Management is owned by two psychologists & customer service expert, so we get you!

Outcomes:

◦MEET REVENUE AND PROFIT TARGETS ◦CLINICIAN RETENTION THROUGH ◦AUTOMATE AND SYSTEMISE WORKFLOWS OUTSTANDING ADMIN SUPPORT ◦RETURN ON ADMIN COST ◦COLLECT AND COLLATE DATA ◦EXCEED CLIENT SERVICE EXPECTATIONS ◦SEE TRENDS TO INFORM BUSINESS DECISIONS ◦TEAM RETENTION AND JOB SATISFACTION

How can we support you?

Training & Consulting: STRUCTURE - SYSTEMISE - SIMPLIFY - SUPPORT! For directors, managers, and administrative employees, we provide in-person and virtual training and consulting sessions. We structure, systemise, simplify and support our customers in Practice Management. We empower you and your team to achieve your business vision and ultimate client experience.

Using one-on-one consultations and Admin Efficiency Assessments with full reports/recommendations, we can ensure that your investments in your team really pays off, and the day-to-day of your practice is as effortless and streamlined as possible.

Virtual Admin We offer virtual front-desk reception and back end admin support through our range of packages. Our virtual admin service is unparalleled; we're backed by decades of experience in Private Practice. Building rapport is our passion! Everyday we strive to connect and support clients. We free clinicians from the bulk of the admin load, allowing them to focus on client outcomes.

BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CHAT HERE: https://brightside.as.me/20

DANIELLE MURPHY

REHABILITATION COUNSELLOR OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

Rehabilitation Counsellor of the year.

Teleporting so I can be in many places at once.

Winning this award acknowledges both the rehabilitation counselling profession and industry. It encourages the conversation about what it is, what we do and how we positively impact peoples’ lives.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

Danielle is an accomplished Rehabilitation Counsellor and CoFounder & Director at Incite Solutions Group in Western Australia.

She has specialised in injury management and vocational rehabilitation for more than 20 years and has a passion for assisting veterans with their often-complex career transition.

Incite Solutions Group is a results-driven workplace rehabilitation provider for local, state and national organisations. We find innovative ways to make a tangible difference in the lives of real people struggling with real issues by adopting a flexible, reliable and creative approach to vocational rehabilitation.

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

The impact of transition on the mental health of Australia’s service veterans and their families and the value of providing support services that enable them to see a way forward.

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

My favourite thing is seeing a client transform through a process of helping them to reinstate their agency and therefore achieve their goals; rehabilitation counsellors can help people to rebuild their independence and to truly thrive again.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Nothing is ever permanent, things can and will change.

There are many opportunities in life, and if we are open to taking steps forward the greater our chances are of finding them.

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

The ocean is my go-to place to relax, a swim in the ocean is refreshing and cleansing. I try to incorporate a range of self-care activities into my day such as eating healthily, connecting with nature by going for a walk, or stopping and taking in the outdoors.

I enjoy stand-up paddle boarding and listening to music.

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

I love to watch live music and still don’t mind heavy metal music.

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

Absolutely love the series Frayed and am indulging in a few nonfiction books at the moment including Stand Out and Why first borns rule the world and later-borns want to change it.

What is your very favourite place..?

Kalbarri, on WA’s north-west coast. It is a coastal town on the edge of the Murchison river, with turquoise water and protected reefs – it is an amazing place for snorkelling, paddle boarding, surfing, diving and fishing.

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

Being better at self-care and taking the time to develop myself in areas I want to improve in, following my own advice.

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

I am very proud of the family environment and rituals we have built.

I am also super proud of the business we have created at Incite Solutions Group and the knowledge and expertise I have developed which can help others.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Making time to focus on more strategic aspects of the business and feeling confident in that space.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

That we create further opportunities to collaborate across the allied health and health sectors, thereby increasing our reach right across Australia, its cities and regions.

How can we connect with you?

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

To take their service dog outside to the toilet.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Live life to the fullest, use mistakes to grow and strengthen your skills and experience, believe in your goals and your ability to achieve them.

danielle@incitesolutions.com.au linkedin.com/in/danielle-murphy-42794760

MELISSA JUZVA

ALLIED HEALTH COVID CHAMPION Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

Covid Champion 2020-2021.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Winning the Covid Champion award for 2020-2021 was a validation in a 2 year period that were the most challenging in my 25 years as a psychologist and business owner. As a Melbourne Paediatric Practice owner, adapting to the challenging pandemic climate was definitely not fun, but I learnt that we had to be quick, we had to be innovative and we had to make swift decisions about how we were going to react to the ever changing landscape that was thrown at us. As a team I think we did this successfully but as a business owner there was so much that had to be done behind the scenes to prepare a practice to manage with the many scenarios that could have or would have come into play. I cant put into words how much it means to have recognition for that hard work.

To provide the highest quality evidence based care – to go above and beyond and to show you genuinely care.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I am currently the owner and director of Solution Psychology, a paediatric psychology clinic in the North West of Melbourne. I lead a team of 14 amazing psychologists who work tirelessly to support our community.

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

Also we are nothing without rapport!

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

I probably can’t answer this one without breaching confidentiality, but when I was working in schools, some clients have confessed things and I often wondered why on earth they felt the need to tell anybody (they could have easily gotten away with it!)

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stop! Slow Down! Rome wasn’t built in a day.

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

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

Gosh where to start? Theres not much you can shut me up about but if I had to pick one, supporting parents, teachers and young people with autism spectrum disorders.

To multiply myself.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

Run and walk with friends. Dinners (when covid doesn’t stop us).

profession?

Honestly, right now, my favourite thing is supporting and supervising the next generation of psychologists to support our community.

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

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

I am really pretty boring, I don’t drink coffee and I am left handed.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

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

My work as a psychologist is built on a series of courageous convictions centering around client empowerment and autonomy, and a recognition that it is our job to create space, 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:

The last thing I binge watched was ‘The Tourist’ on Stan.

What is your very favourite place..?

My happy place is Noosa but as soon as we can leave the country safely, I have loads of second favourite places, including the Maldives, London and Italy.

Join the waiting list for weekday or weekend training options available in August, September & October 2022

Comprehensive online supervisor training for allied health professionals

www.successfulsupervision.com

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

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

Taking breaks, I tend to overwork and am not good at slowing down and taking time off.

Honestly, I am still working on slowing down, waiting for covid to help us slow down, getting away on some holidays and continuing to help as many people as we can.

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

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

I am really proud of what I have built at Solution Psychology. I am proud of creating a space where we can help so many people. It has always been about helping as many people as we can, the whole reason I moved from a solo practitioner to a group practice was to help more people. I knew that on my own there was a limit to how many people I could help, but if I took my time and dedicated it to supervision of other psychologists, we could together help so many more people.

I hope that Allied Health can get back to offering services in the way that we are used to, to offer more groups which has really had to change over the last 2 years and that the community can access services to manage their grief that has formed over the last 2 years and will continue to be present in so many lives for a long time to come.

I am also really proud of my now adult children – to raise two amazing, respectful humans is honestly my greatest accomplishment. There can be a bit of pressure as a paediatric psychologist to “get it right” with your own children and parenting is really hard. To have a family I can be proud of warms my heart.

How can we connect with you? melissa@solutionpsychology.com.au instagram.com/melissa_psychologist/?hl=en linkedin.com/in/melissa-juzva-864627a1

JORDAN RYDER

PODIATRIST OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

I won the award for Podiatrist of the year. It was a great honour to win the award that represents a section of healthcare that I am so passionate about.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

I currently work at Performance Podiatry Sydney and Central Queensland Uni. I am a private practice podiatrist and working in clinical supervision at CQU. If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Good question. Perhaps the role of technology in podiatry. Its usefulness in building patient-practioner trust and how it can contribute to developing credibility within the profession.

What is your favourite thing about your chosen allied health

What is your very favourite place..?

profession?

The balcony at the Maroubra Seals.

The wide scope of practice. The ability to connect with people and make immediate changes with skills that I have developed. Being able to leave work at work. Being able to make meaningful change to someone’s day to day life.

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

Work-life balance and switching off. Not taking criticism personally and not being too hard on myself.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

Listen, learn and adapt.

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

Building meaningful relationships. My wife.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

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

Paint their toenails.

Moving home to Wagga and starting a practice with my brother.

Finish my endorsement process.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

Be patient. Surround yourself with people you aspire to be like.

An integrated and collaborative approach to healthcare that provides quality and affordable care to patients. Extension of AHP scopes of practice.

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

How can we connect with you?

What advice would you give your younger self?

I am pretty content without any to be honest.

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

I like to go for a run, listen to a podcast and switch off. I find it meditative and the best way to let go of the day’s anxieties. I recharge by spending time with my wife and by hanging out with friends over a beer or coffee and watching/talking about sport and the races.

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

I can fall asleep within 30 seconds anywhere, anytime.

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

Podcasts - “You’re Wrong About” and “99% Invisible”

@jordanryder.podiatrist jordan@ryderpodiatry.com

ADVANCE REHAB CENTRE

ALLIED HEALTH TEAM CULTURE EXCELLENCE Advance Rehab Centre (ARC), led by Melissa McConaghy, is an award winning multi-disciplinary team consisting of neurological physio’s, OT’s, exercise physiologists, neuromuscular orthotists, allied health assistants, psychologists and speech pathologists. The team provide evidence-based neurological rehab across Sydney.

Melissa was our 2019 Physiotherapist of the Year and the team also won the 2019 Adult Private Practice Team Excellence.

As an Australian Allied Health Awards alumnus, Melissa now sits on our Selection Panel.

“I am very proud to be a physio and of what our profession is achieving.

To be part of that journey and recognised in that way was both thrilling and humbling. Humbling because I love what I do. To know that that contribution is noticed by others inspires me to look further and higher!”

Melissa McConaghy, FACP CEO and Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist Advance Rehab Centre

GEORGINA JONES

ALLIED HEALTH ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR Which award have you recently won and what does it mean to you?

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

The award I received was the Allied Health Assistant of the year.

Being acknowledged for the work that I have done over the past year, and also the hard work I have put in up to this point was very exciting and gratifying. Being the inaugural winner was even more special.

I enjoy watching/reading biographical programs and books. But also silly programs like “After Life” and “Superstore”.

Where do you currently work and what is your role?

What is your very favourite place..?

Bed… no seriously I love camping and especially over night in a hut on the Bibbulman Track in winter when it’s raining and I’m not getting in wet.

I work at the Healthy Strides Foundation as an Allied Health and research assistant and Early Intervention Co-ordinator. I am currently on extended leave.

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

If you were asked to, what specific topic do you think you could

I’m not so good at saying “No”. I’m working on doing things that I want to do not things that others want me to do.

give a 60min presentation on without any preparation??

Not sure about 60mins or “any” prep but could talk about the programs provided at Healthy Strides and how Allied Health Assistants are incorporated into the programs to make them more cost effective and intensive.

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

My favourite thing about being an Allied Health Assistant is that I get to work with amazing children and their families in a variety of programs including Physio, OT and Speech.

What is your professional philosophy or motto?

To encourage the children to do their best while having fun What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself not to stress the small stuff and to not be so backward in coming forward. To not always be that “YES” person.

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

To be able to travel to the future.

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

I relax by sewing and doing number and word puzzles. I do also love a good session of reflexology.

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

As a former scout leader I am often called upon to make or come up with ideas to solve/make things.”A scout is resourceful and thrifty”.

yourself?

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

I love and am proud that I have got to a position in my life that I have been recognised professionally and have worked with an amazing group of children and helped them to achieve their best. I am mostly proud of my beautiful family and the 4 beautiful grandchildren that I get to enjoy.

What’s in store for you in 2022? What’s next for you? Any projects?

My plans on a professional level are up in the air due to the mandates that are in place in WA. I hope to produce some story books with Key Word Signs, see my grandchildren more often and to make a difference.

What is your vision for Allied Health in Australia?

For Allied Health Assistants to be utilised more widely in the community, especially in paediatrics.

How can we connect with you? georginaj@emril.com.au

Allied Health

AWARDS

Get involved with this awesome community!

Get your business in front of 1000’s of Allied Health professionals and help us celebrate, inspire and collaborate across the amazing healthcare community.

Sarena Jones Founder & Occupational Therapist Allied Health Awards hello@alliedhealthawards.com

alliedhealthawards.com