I am about to commence the fourth year of my Bachelor of Social Work degree through Deakin University (Honours) and have over thirteen years’ experience as an early childhood educator and director, writer and publishing company owner. As someone who has extensive lived experience of overcoming and managing my own and loved ones’ mental health concerns, I understand the varying (and often intersecting and intergenerational) challenges that can inhibit healing and recovery. In addition, I have lived experience as a family violence victim/survivor and recognise that children are victim/survivors in their own right.
As an emerging critically reflective and reflexive social worker, I am seeking a role that will allow me to further develop my skills and experience while I complete my degree. I hope to practice in the family court, dispute resolution, and/or family violence space once I graduate, and wish to expand on my lived experience, knowledge, and past career skills as I work towards securing a role that fulfils my passion for social justice and human rights. I have extensive experience working with children and families, which has provided me with a rich repertoire of transferable skills. I am an avid self-directed and intentional lifelong learner, committed to continually furthering my knowledge so that I can help to enact social change, and advocate for social justice with individuals, families and communities. I draw predominantly upon trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches, as well as anti-oppressive practice, and have a growing interest in research and social policy. I am especially passionate about children’s and men’s mental health and well-being, and actively advocate for refugee and Indigenous Australian human rights.
My lived experience and career combined have provided me with a rich range of contexts to draw upon and transfer into practice regarding legislation, support and processes related to family violence, dispute resolution, and family services. I have recently been engaged in a research project working with the Karen/Karenni refugee community, which has provided me with skills in qualitative data collection and research analysis, as well as community participation and working with interpreters. In addition, I believe that being a parent in a blended family, along with my innate empathetic and non-judgemental nature, would see me thrive in any position supporting families and/or children.