Mental Health Nurse Collective

Welcome to our new mental health nurse Yolande Maltman

Yolande is a passionate and dedicated Registered Mental Health Nurse with over 30 years experience working within the Tertiary, Private and Non Government sectors, in senior clinical roles and with clients of all ages. She practices person-centred and trauma informed personalised care and support, respecting independence and client informed decision making.
Yolande feels strongly about family, carers and loved ones being part of the care planning process to support positive goal achievements and outcomes.

Yolande offers a range of therapeutic and psychological interventions:
• Brief Intervention counselling
• Risk assessments and management plans
• Management Plans
• Harm minimisation
• Motivational Counselling
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy skill activation
• Solution Focused Therapy

Yolande takes a collaborative approach to the support she provides being inclusive of others the client would like to be included, as well as their General Practitioner, Psychiatrist and other health professionals.

Yolande offers:
Face to face, Telehealth and phone calls as options for support
Comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments
Medication management and side effect education
Physical health monitoring
Advocacy and secondary consultations
Liaison and case conferencing with client, families and other health professionals and supports
Report writing for the NDIS
Comprehensive, quality documentation
High professional ethics, standards and practice
Yolande has a positive, happy and empathetic approach to support and care
Yolande is currently working within the Goulburn Murray Region and is accepting referrals.

Welcome Sharon to the Mental Health Nurse Collective

Sharon Schneider-Loos- Mental Health Nurses Collective

Sharon is a passionate mental health nurse and family therapist, who has worked across the tertiary and primary health sector in the Southern and Eastern regions for the past 25 years, she has post graduate qualification in mental health nursing (psychiatry) and postgraduate qualifications in Family therapy. Having worked across the public mental health sector, and as a credentialed mental health nurse in various therapeutic settings has has equipped her with the necessary skills to adapt to the ever-changing needs and preferences of people and communities, honing on skills and knowledge, holistic assessment, using diverse therapeutic recovery orientated approaches and interventions to support consumers and carers across multiple domains.

In recent years Sharon has worked in clinical and leadership roles with local NGO providers such as Each, Mentis Assist, YSAS-Headspace, Wellways and alongside various NDIS providers in the region. Sharon has more recently achieved great success in establishing service operations for the first Mental Health and Wellbeing Local services in Frankston, in line with the recommendations of the Mental Health Royal Commission, working collaboratively with lived experience community members, emphasising the importance of people being supported in decision making principles and practices related to all aspects of their care. Sharon has had the opportunity to lead and develop new initiatives in this regard, and be a lead in developing policy, procedure and clinical governance systems for the NGO sector.

Sharon has had the opportunity to work with disciplines at all levels, further enhancing her skills and experiential learning. In late 2019 Sharon completed her Family Therapy training to further compliment her skill set. Throughout her career she has been able to build positive relationships with key stakeholders in the Southern and Eastern regions, particularly with GP’s, tertiary services, psychiatrists, youth mental health, AOD services, and NDIS providers and other community based agencies. As a team player, Sharon encourages and promotes working within a multidisciplinary team approach to ensure consumers receive wrap-around care that is delivered in a timely and efficient manner.

Sharon has had many years of experience working with those who experience complex and ensuring mental health challenges, that can involve high levels of psychological distress, exposure to trauma, and/or conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and mood disorders. Her skills set and areas of interest encompass the following areas:

Undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments including, mental state, psychosocial, functional and physical assessments of clients. Provide brief to long term psychological therapy utilising evidence based modalities including Cognitive Behavioural therapy, Acceptance and Commitment, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, family therapy and trauma informed care principles.

Provide individual and family therapy support for adults of all ages and young people aged 12-25, dealing with crisis, complex behaviours, and experiencing significant mental health problems. Establishing a therapeutic relationship with the clients, their families and carers.

Working with CALD communities, refugees and asylum seekers.
Regularly review clients mental state and risk. Monitoring medications and ensuring compliance, provide education and support to clients in relation to their individual recovery goals/ plans
Providing psychoeducation on physical and mental health care to clients, carers and their networks.

Coordinating services for the client in relation to accessing GPs, psychiatrists and allied health workers, including arranging access to interventions from other health professionals as required.

Provide case formulations/secondary consultation to help support, and educate internal and external agencies working with the client, their families and support networks.

Develop individually tailored comprehensive behavioural management/crisis support plans-su***de prevention, recovery care plans for complex cases

Outreach and telehealth services

Clinical supervision

Meet our new nurse Jo (Joanne) Johnson Credentialed Mental Health Nurse

Jo has a broad range of experience of working in high intensity acute areas of nursing and within community health settings.
She is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), holds a Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing, and is credentialed with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN).
Her experience encompasses work within public, private and not-for profit organisations. Working across Acute Mental Health in inpatient settings, working for 14 years in Crisis and Assessment Team in the north-east areas of Melbourne. Over the past 13 years, Jo has shifted into the Community Health setting, working with the
Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) and Primary Health Network in a community setting. Caring for individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds, impacted by significant mental health challenges, with co-occurring substance use disorders, family violence and physical health disorders.
In her practice, she believes in the importance of a person-centred and trauma informed approach, that places the individual at the forefront of their care. In respecting autonomy, she aims to empower individuals to make informed decisions about their
care and recovery journey.
Being guided by, and addressing, the social determinants of health with an evidence-based approach to care, she aims to promote overall wellness and supporting each individual in achieving their optimal health outcomes.

I offer the following community outreach/home visit service:
�• Comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, recommendations & therapy
�• Care planning and coordination�
• Consultation, treatment plans, psychoeducation and advocacy

• Mental Health & Risk Assessment, developing safety plans�
• Physical health education and assessment�
• Liaison with the treating team and care providers.
• Medication management including monitoring for the efficacy of medications, pharmacological education to promote understanding and promotion of timely medication reviews.
�• Evidence based therapeutic interventions utilising a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).
• Psychosocial interventions including positive skills training and coping enhancement�
• Mindful, trauma sensitive in all approaches�• Telehealth • Outreach • Report writing
Catchment areas include Bass Coast, South Gippsland, Cardinia,
Mornington Peninsula - other areas considered.

Meet our new nurse Vanessa
Vanessa is a credentialed mental health nurse through the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing and a registered AHPRA mental health nurse with a Masters Degree in Mental Health Nursing. She is passionate about providing quality, compassionate, and comprehensive mental health services to adolescents and adults
Vanessa has previously held senior clinical roles at Alfred Health Youth & Adolescent mental health services, Forensicare court liaison and mental health advice service, St Vincent’s Forensic Clinical Specialist, and Monash Health Forensic Clinical Specialist.
Vanessa’s extensive experience includes the specialist fields of youth and adolescent mental health, early psychosis, and forensic mental health. She has experience in forensic risk assessment and report writing, court and corrections liaison, acute mental health support and management, personality disorder, complex presentations, alcohol and other drugs, along with family and systems work
Vanessa’s therapeutic practices are underpinned by a variety of therapeutic models including: strengths & recovery oriented practice, narrative therapy, early intervention, the explanatory model of mental illness, person-centred counselling, brief intervention, solution-focused therapy and motivational interviewing

Expertise and experience
Individual mental health assessment, treatment planning, counselling and psychosocial support
 Working with families to support loved ones experiencing mental health crisis or distress
 Working with individuals and families to help navigate the mental health system
 Trauma informed approach to care and support
 Crisis assessment, mental health first aid, solution-focused therapy
 Education, training, and primary intervention,
 Professional supervision and reflective practice
 Secondary consultation to service providers and care teams working with people with complex presentations
 Interagency consultation and liaison to support systemic interventions in cases with high complexity and/or significant risk. Assistance in formulation and intervention planning for high-risk behaviours
 Liaison between health and justice systems, courts and corrections
 Risk assessment and forensic risk assessment
 Identification and intervention for problem behaviour/s. Report writing and recommendations to address and manage challenging or problem behaviours

Meet our new Nurse Rebecca.

My Name is Rebecca Hoskin, I am a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse with 18 years' experience working within the mental health sector in Geelong and the surrounding areas. I have a broad range of experience, having provided services within various mental health settings, including acute, subacute, psychosocial rehabilitation, community-based therapeutic interventions, and stepped care psychological therapy services.

I have learned over the years working with clients experiencing complex and enduring mental health problems that Mental Health Nurse led therapy offers a uniquely holistic framework and leads to enhanced overall health outcomes for clients.

I am passionate and motivated to work alongside people to achieve their mental health recovery and life goals through building capacity and self-confidence.

Skills:
• Conduct bio-psychosocial and functional assessments and formulation.
• Risk assessment and risk management planning.
• Provide psychological interventions including but not limited to;
-Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
-DBT skills development
-Motivational interviewing
-CBT and behavioural activation
• Liase with other health providers and medical practitioners involved in a client's care to optimise outcomes.
• Report writing and evidence-based recommendations.

How I work:

My overarching approach to therapy is person centered, trauma informed, and recovery orientated.

Getting to know you: I will come to you and meet you where you feel most comfortable. I will complete a range of assessments while I get to know you and what is important to you. This will help us understand your strengths, barriers to recovery and where to focus our attention in meeting your goals.

Support you to work on your goals: We will use a variety of different activities and strategies depending on your needs and desires to help you to build and practice the skills you need to be able to achieve your goals in a sustainable way. Throughout this process we will explore your personal values and rediscover parts of you that you may have forgotten existed. I will work with your support team when needed to enhance your overall care.

Complete any required reports for the NDIS: I will work with you and the people in your life to understand what you need for your continued recovery, then provide evidence and advocacy for you through skilled report writing.

Meet our new Nurse Douglas

Douglas Mponda - Clinical Nurse Consultant
Douglas Mponda is a Registered Nurse with over 24 years’ experience, who has completed his BSc (Honours) in Nursing (Mental Health) plus a Postgraduate Certificate in Alcohol & Other Drugs Studies
He is a Clinical Nurse Consultant specialising in Adult mental Health; Drugs & Alcohol work as well as Forensic (offending) mental health.

His experience is broad, and he has worked within public, private and not for profit organisations.

These included a range of clinical areas encompassing acute inpatient units, community and crisis teams.

Douglas was instrumental in establishing, developing and managing a number of services, both here in Australia and back in England.
Douglas offers a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and a flexible approach to therapies that are based on person -centred and trauma -informed practice, with a recovery oriented framework. Douglas aims to support individuals to achieve their optimal physical and mental well-being.

Douglas offers:
• Home visits to assess and support clients/participants
• Ongoing support and therapy, I am qualified and experienced in Alcohol & Other Drugs
• Formulating a risk assessment and risk management plan
• Behaviour assessment and Positive Behaviour Support
• Liaison and case conferencing with family and other health professionals
• Report writing to support NDIS Plans
• Education and training for clients/participants and staff
• Clinical supervision
• First line consultancy, offender specific risk assessment and management support to the mental health workforce for the following behaviours of concern:
• Violence and/or Threateners
• Stalking and/or Sexual Offending
• General Offending
• Querulous (Vexatious) Complainants
• Fire-setting

Meet our new Nurse Linda

Hi everyone, my name is Linda Smith (previously known as Linda Biddle).

I am a mental health nurse and I also have post graduate qualifications in Developmental Psychiatry, Family Therapy, Initiatic Sensorimotor Art & Clayfield Therapy and Clinical Supervision. I have been a mental health nurse for 30 years and have specialised in child, adolescent, and family mental health.

I have a variety of clinical experiences in different settings which include, tertiary mental health services (Monash Health and Royal Children’s Hospital),primary mental health in Hastings and Frankston, GP clinics (The Hastings Clinic and Frankston Health Care) and Headspace Knox and the Department of Education which I have held the roles of family therapist in a special school and mental health practitioner in a mainstream secondary college.

As an experienced child and adolescent mental health nurse/ family therapist/ sensorimotor art therapist I competently provide the a following:

• Bio-psychosocial developmental assessment
• Comprehensive mental health risk assessments, mental state examinations and crisis interventions
• I provide psycho-education regarding medications and other health concerns. I can provide reports to care teams, GP's, Paediatricians and Psychiatrists regarding physical and mental health concerns and care.
• I support families by implementing family therapy treatment modalities to develop and improve engagement, develop resilience, personal and professional connections, communication, and relationships.
• I provide individual therapy, counselling, family therapy and sensorimotor art & Clayfield therapy.
• Initiatic Sensorimotor Art therapy and Clayfield therapy provides an alternative therapeutic modality which is assists with complex childhood trauma without the participant having to “re-tell” or re-traumatising the participant.

Initiatic Sensorimotor Art and Clayfield Therapy is a creative therapy that assists with healing without having to “talk about problems”. Initiatic Sensorimotor Art Therapy is offered to anyone who wants to engage in an alternative therapy that doesn’t involve “talk” therapy.

These therapeutic modalities are suitable for both children, adolescents, and adults.

If you are interested in Sensorimotor Art Therapy or Clayfield Therapy – here are some You Tube links to what it is all about
• Guided Drawing: https://youtu.be/0eCXnEeX78Y
• Initiatic Sensorimotor Art Therapy:https://youtu.be/J0gzO4OU1F4Clayfield:
• Clayfield: https://youtu.be/xU0KVSK4-EY
• Clayfield: https://youtu.be/s374ZulOsJcRight

Meet our Nurses

Sarah's passion for mental health ignited over 25 years ago when dissatisfied with her GP and psychologist's lack of answers regarding her depression and anxiety, she set on a journey to find her own. She embarked upon extensive studies to understand the human experience, specifically wellness. What she found was life-changing, too valuable to be kept to herself, so she embarked on a career that would enable her to share the information that transformed her life with others.

Over 14 years as a Mental Health Nurse, Sarah worked in multiple roles, including Clinical Coordinator, ANUM, Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and embedded Mental Health Nurse in emergency services, forensic, community, medical clinics and inpatient units, including ICU, parent and infant, adolescent and eating disorders.

Sarah is particularly interested in working with those with depression (including postnatal), anxiety, eating disorder, palliative, psychosis and mood disorders diagnoses. Her passion for caring for those who care for them sees her offering clinical supervision, education and mentoring. As an introvert in her spare time, Sarah enjoys exercising, meditating, gardening and op shopping and loves nothing more than sharing great food and conversation with loved ones.

Sarah offers a range of services all through Telehealth:

Client Centered, trauma informed care via telehealth services.

Provision of evidenced based psychoeducation and psychotherapeutic interventions and support to participants for the management of their health recovery.

Work collaboratively with consumers, family/carers and other health professionals to support patient care needs and to develop and implement Collaborative Care Plans.

Provide one-on-one clinical nursing services including Motivational interviewing, Brief interventions, Counselling, Harm reduction and relapse prevention to support participants to address recovery-oriented goals in line with the Collaborative Care Plan.

Monitor and support participant’s medication management.

Undertake comprehensive mental health and psychosocial assessments, ongoing risk assessments and develop safety/risk management plans.

Provide clinical care coordination for participants engaged with multiple services, including GPs.

Coordinate and participate in shared care with internal and external services, including telehealth attendance at care team meetings, case coordination and clinical reviews.

Clinical Supervision, education, training and coaching/mentoring of support staff

Meet our Nurses

Trudy is a mental health nurse with 22 years’ experience. She completed her mental health nurse training in 2001 in the UK and have been fortunate to work in this field both in the United Kingdom and Australia.

She is a member of Australian College of Mental Health Nursing. Trudy had worked in both inpatient and community settings both in mental health and AOD sectors.

She has a strong passion and interests to support clients in their recovery journey working alongside their families or carers.

Trudy works within a recovery orientated practice and is skilled to provide some therapeutic treatment modalities below:

Outreach support and assessment to clients.

Medication management and supports.

Conducting different clinical measures to identify symptoms, areas of concern and also assist in developing care or positive behaviour plans.

Support to GPs and also other members of the care team alongside family or carers, liaison and referral.

Clinical Supervision and education.

Cognitive Behaviour based intervention strategies. Anxiety and Stress management.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Solution Focused Therapy. Strength Focused work.

Psychosocial supports, family and carer interventions.

Motivational interviewing, Brief interventions.

Counselling. Harm reduction. Relapse prevention.

Capacity building.

Conducting bio psychosocial assessments, Mental Health and AOD assessments.

Report writing, Risk Assessment and Management plans

In her spare time Trudy enjoys sightseeing, reading and walking.

I would like to introduce a new therapy that is available for our clients through NDIS. If you are interested, please get in touch with me via my email : [email protected]

https://youtu.be/baalpOg3Yts

Unyte iLs Safe & Sound Protocol Learn about Unyte iLs's Safe & Sound Protocol—bringing the science of safety to life from the bottom up.

Very soon I will be introducing a very exciting therapy that works on the vagus nerve. Before I share this new treatment, I wanted to post a great video about the role of the nervous system and how the poly vagus nerve is impacted when we have experienced trauma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdIQRxwT1I0

Trauma and the Nervous System: A Polyvagal Perspective This video was developed to give a basic introduction and overview of how trauma and chronic stress affects our nervous system and how those effects impact o...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/access-to-medicare-subsidies-amid-growing-crisis/100428270

Mental health nurses seek urgent access to Medicare subsidies amid growing crisis Australia's top mental health experts say they are frustrated highly skilled mental health nurses are being "sidelined" during the nation's pandemic response.

Please see our new Poster which describes what we do in an easy to read and understand format.

Meet Our Nurses

Hailing from Wales in the UK, Steve is a Registered Nurse with close to 40 years’ experience as a health care professional, working in Australia since 2001. He is educated to Master’s degree level with published research utilising cognitive therapy approaches in the management of suicidality.

His work in the field of su***de prevention resulted in him receiving a commendation award for “Outstanding Clinical Nursing Leadership” in the Victorian State Nursing Excellence and Commitment awards 2004.

His career has consisted of a variety of senior clinical, managerial and analytical roles across the private and public health sectors. He has also held an honorary lecturing position at the University of Melbourne, School of Nursing.

Steve’s formal qualifications are:
• Registered General Nurse.( RGN) – University of Wales, Swansea, UK
• Registered Mental Nurse.(RMN) - University of Wales, Swansea , UK
• Certificate in 'Working With People Who Use and Misuse Substances’ - University of Wales, Swansea
• Certificate in ‘Teaching, Assessing and Supervision’ - University of Wales, Swansea
• Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing (Mental Health) - University of Melbourne
• Master of Nursing (Research) – University of Melbourne

In the last 10 years, Steve has been consulting in the insurance medicolegal field, working in acute mental health roles and managing a complex care program that provides evidence based therapeutic interventions including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; as well as mental health promotion to clients who are at high risk of mental health disorder relapse, substance use disorders, hospitalisation, su***de, self-harm, abuse, neglect, and homelessness.

He has strengths in working with people with a wide range of presentations and diagnoses; depression/ anxiety, psychosis, mood disorders and personality disorders, as well as dual disability and dual diagnosis. He has a particular interest in co-morbid medical conditions.

Steve offers a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and a flexible approach to therapies that sits in a broad based, individualised, person-centred and trauma -informed practice, with a cognitive behavioural leaning. Within this framework, he aims to support individuals and their carers to achieve their optimal physical and mental well-being.

In working towards a person’s mental health recovery Steve assists in developing goals and a plan to achieve optimal physical and mental health and confidence to engage with other services and supports. Alongside these facets of intervention, he manages and assesses risk and as required, will develop client safety plans which will help others to understand the client’s symptoms and behaviours, and how best to communicate, respond and support them in the process.

In addition, Steve will assist the client to develop healthy coping strategies and communicate the best way support workers can help the client to utilise these skills as well as broader liaison with the client’s care team; including psychiatrists, GP, psychologists, and other practitioners that assist in the communication of client’s needs and goals to achieve outcomes for the individual and their supports.

Meet our team of Nurses

I would like to introduce myself to you, my name is Linda Galbraith. I am a registered nurse with AHPRA and hold a Master of Nursing (Mental Health). I am also a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse with the ACMHN Australian College of Mental Health Nursing.

I began my nursing career in 1988 and worked in the public hospital & private sector. I particularly enjoyed the challenges of nursing in a range of long term rehabilitation units for patients with amputations, spinal injuries, strokes and other medical conditions. This inspired me to seek further education in mental health to inform my nursing practice.

I moved into Mental Health Nursing in 2003 and gained a broad range of clinical experiences across the public mental health sector including acute inpatient, acute & recovery teams, Adult Prevention & Recovery Care unit & Community Care Units and more recently in the Primary Health Network community setting as a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse.

My qualifications and experience enable me to embrace the breadth and complexity of mental health nursing and support people that are experiencing severe, complex and enduring mental health illnesses. Community mental health nursing is my passion.

Taking a holistic approach, guided by evidence, I work in collaboration with the individual who has mental health issues, their family and their community, to guide recovery as defined by the individual.

I offer the following service:

Comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and care planning
Consultation and education
Trauma informed care
Linkage and liaison
Medication management
Physical health information/education
Evidence Based Therapeutic interventions and Counselling • Psychosocial interventions including skills training and coping enhancement
Utilisation of strength and hope based approaches •
Home visits
Telehealth
Report writing
Training for staff providing support work

Meet our team of Nurses

Deb is a Credentialled Mental Health Nurse with over thirty years of experience within the Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities sectors.

Her experience is broad, and she has worked within public, private and not for profit areas. She was instrumental in establishing and managing a number of services, both here in Australia and back in England.

In March 2020 Deb decided to start a private practice for clients with complex issues and needs. She has now joined forces with other highly qualified and experienced Credentialled Mental Health Nurses.

Deb offers:

Home visits to assess and support clients.
Ongoing support and therapy, qualified and experienced in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Trauma Therapy.

Deb has a keen interest in language disorders and has completed training in Talking Mats.
Social Stories to support positive behavioural change.
Risk analysis and management.
Developing and presenting on line education around Mental Health for clients with a Disability.
Development of Support Plans.
Sexual/Relationship Counselling for clients with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability.
Family and Professional liaison both Psychiatric and Medical.
Report writing to support NDIS Plans.
Clinical Supervision.
Clinical scoring to pinpoint issues and needs.

Meet our team of Nurses

Rosie Cantley- Smith is a Registered Nurse, who has completed her Masters of Nursing (Mental Health), and is a Credentialled Mental Health Nurse with the Australian College of Mental Health.

Previously, Rosie has held lead roles in research, quality and education. She has over 30 years’ experience in mental health, and has worked in a broad range of clinical areas including acute inpatient units, community and crisis teams, and more recently in primary health, based in general practice.

Rosie offers a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and a flexible approach to therapies that are based on person -centred and trauma -informed practice, with a cognitive behaviour therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy, and recovery oriented framework.
Rosie aims to support individuals to achieve their optimal physical and mental well-being.

Rosie offers:

Home visits to assess and support clients.
Ongoing support and therapy
Formulating a risk assessment and risk management plan.
Development of Support Plans.
Liaison and case conferencing with family and other health professionals.
Report writing to support NDIS Plans.
Clinical scoring, using outcome measures, to identify issues and need for support.
Education and training for clients and staff.
Clinical supervision for nurses.