Staff
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Andrew Bruun, Director Research and EducationAndrew has been working with high-risk adolescents for over 20 years and was a founding member of the YSAS implementation team.Andrew’s early work was with the Federal Government Community Rehabilitation Services Youth Independence Unit in Brisbane where he implemented and conducted rehabilitation programs for young people with mental health and developmental issues. Prior to working with YSAS he spent six years (two of them as Co-Director) developing and managing the Youth Program at Task Force Community Agency in Melbourne’s inner-south. The Youth Program was one of only three Victorian alcohol and other drug services catering specifically for adolescents. Andrew is recognised as a pioneer in this highly specialised and emerging field. Over time, Andrew has had a key role in several workforce development and research initiatives in the adolescent alcohol and other drug and complex needs areas. He has been instrumental in developing high quality resources and publications for those providing direct services in this field. He is credited with developing the original blueprint for what is now YSAS in a position paper prepared in 1994 for the then Inner City Regional Youth Committee and later submitted to the Victorian Premier’s Drug Advisory Council. Andrew qualified in Community Welfare at the Queensland University of Technology in 1984. He then studied Social Work at Monash University, graduating in 1990. He has a Diploma in AOD work (YSAS 2003) and a Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment (University of Melbourne 1998). Andrew has nine years’ counselling experience and is an Hon Fellow with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne. | |
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Constance Karametos, Senior Project OfficerConstance has over 15 years’ experience working in the alcohol and drug sector. Prior to her current position, Constance was the YSAS Senior Project Officer, Service Development and Organisation Support. Previous experience includes manager of Tandana Place, Waverley Emergency Adolescent Care, AOD counsellor at DHS Parkville Youth Residential Centre, Community and Research Development Worker at Banyule Community Health Service, and manager of the drug withdrawal and assessment program at the Windana Society. Constance is experienced in education and training and has provided external consultancy in these areas.Constance’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Social Work, a Grad Diploma Health Promotion, Cert IV Workplace Training, Dip Community Services, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Cert in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Cert in Critical Incident Stress Management. | |
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Dr Penny MitchellDr Penny Mitchell is currently working as a Senior Research Fellow at YSAS. She is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE) at the University of Melbourne.Penny has worked in the field of health services research and program evaluation for over 20 years. Her early work was in the mental health field, and spanned research into schizophrenia, transcultural mental health, youth suicide prevention, and primary mental health care. Penny was centrally involved in the evaluation of the National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy which ran from 1995 to 1998. Over recent years Penny’s research interests have moved towards issues of organisational behaviour and service development in health and human services, particularly intersectoral collaboration and system-level strategies for better serving clients with complex psychosocial needs. Her PhD, based at the University of Melbourne and completed in 2007, examined the mental health care roles and organisational capacities of a wide range of primary health and social care services. Penny also holds a BSc in Psychology (UNSW) and a Masters of Public Health (USyd). Penny is currently working on a program of research with Andrew Bruun and the YSAS Research and Education Team. The aim is to develop and test a set of performance indicators and measures that recognise both the unique and shared contributions of services that collaborate to care for young people with multiple and complex needs. | |
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Tony Palmer, Research and Education ConsultantTony has worked with the YSAS Education and Training Unit for 11 years. Initially his work involved delivery of regional drug and alcohol training across Victoria to a wide range of workers who interfaced with substance affected young people. These included youth, health, protective and Juvenile Justice workers. Tony has extensive experience in the drug and alcohol sector with a focus on working with young substance users. He has had roles in training, direct service delivery, community development and education.While at YSAS Tony has developed a range of resources for agencies and workers dealing with young people and played a key role in reorientating the YSAS Fitzroy Day Program into a primary health facility. Prior to working at YSAS Tony developed the Residential Recovery Program (which provided housing to people who had recently undergone detoxification). Subsequently he was responsible for planning and implementing the first outreach needle and syringe exchange program (NSEP) in Victoria. The model (operating from vehicles using the just introduced mobile phone technology) became the standard model for all outreach NSEPs. Tony has also created a range of programs, resources and training materials, including the Safer Using Series comprising 12 harm reduction pamphlets initially distributed by DHS. The series is now distributed in Victoria, NSW, Northern Territory and Tasmania. Tony continues to be involved in the provision of training to local government, the police, youth organisations, community health and community groups. Tony’s qualifications include a Diploma of AOD work and Cert IV in Workplace Training & Assessment. | |
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Kylie Quirk, Research and Education ConsultantKylie has worked in the drug and alcohol field for 15 years. During this time her focus has been on youth drug and alcohol work and more particularly on increasing young people’s access to services. This is consistent with her background in psychology and sociology. Kylie’s experience includes five years as a youth outreach worker in the Indigenous community of Victoria and work in residential case management.In the seven years she has been with YSAS, Kylie has managed the Eastern Youth Residential Withdrawal Unit and the Koori Youth Healing Service. She was part of the project team that designed and implemented the initial Youth Healing Service Model. Within the training team, Kylie has been involved in the development of the Best Practice Guidelines for engaging and retaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders in AOD treatment, the delivery of the Certificate IV in drug and alcohol work to the Koori Drug and Alcohol workers, the design and delivery of Amphetamines Type Stimulants training, as well as smaller scale projects with the Indigenous community. | |
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Ann Tattersall, Research and Education ConsultantAnn has worked in the community and health sectors for over 25 years in a variety of positions. She has worked as a vocational counsellor for people with psychiatric and hearing disabilities, and as a teacher and nurse. Her experience as a coordinator and youth counsellor in a youth-focused alcohol and other drugs service included extensive work with young people at high risk, including those involved with Juvenile Justice, both on community based dispositions and in detention. Ann was funded through the Victorian Law Enforcement Drug Fund to undertake research into young women presenting with challenging, violent, and offending behaviours. Ann has also played a leading role in the development and delivery of the forensic AOD workers training.Ann has been part of the YSAS Research and Education Unit for seven years and during this time has played a substantial role in the development of YSAS AOD training content and materials for the community services sector. Ann’s qualifications include Dip Teaching, Dip. Ed., Grad Dip Counselling, Dip Community Services, and Cert IV Assessment and Workplace Training. She is currently undertaking a Masters of Health Studies - Addiction. | |
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Lou Vaughan, Project Worker, AdministrationLou has worked on a number of projects with the YSAS Education and Training team. Her achievements include:
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Steve Wilson, Research and Education ConsultantSteve has over 24 years’ experience working in the human services sector developing innovative practice and service system responses for young people. Prior to joining the YSAS Research and Education Unit, Steve worked in a range of government and community-based organisations including positions in direct service, management, community development, research, policy development and training.In 2007, Steve was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study international programs for young people involved in self-injury. He holds a Diploma of Community Services: Alcohol and Other Drugs Work as well as Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training. He brings to his work extensive knowledge and practice experience in working with young people. This experience encompasses alcohol and other drugs, homelessness, CALD communities, STI/HIV, sport and recreation and male sexual assault. Since joining YSAS Steve has developed and conducted workforce training in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, managing aggressive clients, and responsive services to young people who self-injure. Recipients of this training have included government and non-government services as well as private sector organisations across Victoria, nationally and within South East Asia. Steve is also the author of a number of formative publications that include:
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Rachael Green, Research Officer
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