Health Consumers Centre

I have always wanted to make a difference through my work. I started my career in immunology research, working in a lab, and very early on I can remember it feeling like such a long distance between the work | was doing and meaningful change for people. That and a significant health issue in my early 20s made me reassess where I was at. I chose to study public health and the thread of meaningful work and transformative change has been a feature of the further steps I have taken in my career since then.

In 1997, early in my career in public health, I joined the team at BreastScreen Victoria where I worked for 7 years. This was when I first learnt on the ground about consumer and community engagement. It was embedded into all elements of our work; our governance and the expertise of consumers was valued equally with that of clinicians and leaders in our services. It was also a time when the breast cancer advocacy movement was gaining momentum, and I had the privilege of working alongside Lyn Swinburne as the Breast Cancer Network Australia took form. I was inspired and emboldened by the incredible women that I was working with at the time, and we started pushing the boundaries of consumer and community engagement practice all those years ago. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Family is so important to me and it’s just as well as I have a large one. My partner Nick and I have a blended family with five daughters and a new addition this year, our granddaughter Daisy. Add in a few partners, extended family and friends and you’ll find me in my happy place, cooking up a storm and feeding all the people! Nourishing others nourishes me!

That teaching lights me up. I recently had the opportunity to participate as a guest speaker in two Uni lectures and I loved it and would like to do more.

The things you see as weaknesses now will turn out to be your greatest strengths. Just be you, heart and soul, keep turning up for you and others and you’ll be okay.

Speed reading (if I could have a cheeky two skill combo, l’d go for speed reading and photographic memory).

Ron Gutman: The hidden power of smiling. TED talk.

I watched this talk at a very challenging time in my life when I was willing to try anything and everything that could possibly improve my wellbeing. It is an elegantly simple concept and a life hack that has served me well

I started off my career as an Occupational Therapist working in mental health services. There was a lot about the work which I loved- working so closely with people, learning about their motivations supporting people to work on the things that mattered to them. But it was hard to ignore how broken the mental health system was. I felt like I was part of a system that was failing people, so I turned my attention to trying to improve it. For me this looked like championing and enabling lived experience leadership.

In my late 20s, while living in London, I studied social innovation and co-founded a social enterprise focused on creating belonging and inclusion in the workplace. We collaborated with young people often excluded from meaningful work due to factors like their age, their race, their religion or class. This period was transformative for me, as I deeply reflected on and grappled with the forces of power and privilege. Recognising how these dynamics play out in my interactions, as well as in consumer and community engagement practices and the health system at large, has fundamentally shaped my approach to work.

Knitting is a skill l’ve learnt in the last year. I love having a project to work on and creating something tangible.

Making time to get out of the city and into nature is so vital. During summer my partner and I will take a picnic and find swimming spots along the creek. There are also so many beautiful walking trails out of Melbourne we love to explore.

For a bit of fun, I love going to boot scooting classes. This is a space that celebrates queer joy, it’s inclusive and a bit silly.

Reducing the number of tabs | have opened on my web browser has a direct correlation with reducing my stress levels!

One of your biggest strengths is questioning the way things are done and not settling for le status quo. While school might not always encourage that in you, don’t let it dull our curiosity. Creating positive change in the world means having the courage to challenge the way things have always been done.

I wish I could speak other languages.

Left Write Hook.

This is an incredible documentary that follows a group of adult survivors of child sexual abuse and trauma. The group embarks on a lived experience-led program that incorporates boxing and writing to support connection and healing. I recently heard a panel discussion with people involved in the film recently and apparently it will be available on a streaming platform soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

I didn’t set out to work in health transformation. I started my career as a lab-based research scientist, but life had other plans. It was a series of distressing health experiences about ten years ago, when I was a stay-at-home mum of twins, that pushed me to become a consumer advisor. As someone living with chronic conditions, I need to regularly navigate the health system to get the care I need, so I can stay well and be there for my kids. Over time, that drive to get the care I needed evolved into a passion for improving the system for others as well. Now I’m inspired by all the people I meet who are part of the health consumer movement: staff and consumers who can imagine a fairer or better functioning health system and are working together to make that a reality.

In my role, and in this work, I’m always learning. My lived experiences of chronic illness, mental health and disability combined with my experiences of being a carer for family members with disabilities has meant l’ve had to question a lot of assumptions I had about people and how the world works. I try to bring that open minded view when I work with health consumers and community members. As humans, it’s easy to judge and make assumptions so I try to notice when I’m doing that and challenge myself to be open and listen deeply to hear what is actually being said.

Dancing! A few years ago, I took a leap and joined my first tango class as a personal growth challenge—| wasn’t a dancer (or so | thought), and tango felt way outside my comfort zone. But I ended up falling in love with it, and l’ve been hooked ever since. Since then, l’ve explored other styles of dancing, like 5Rhythms, contact improvisation, and belly dancing and each one has brought something unique. I love the way dancing helps me be present in my body, find connection, and be creative. It’s become my joy, my release, and honestly… my medicine and therapy.

That I am a fridge and pantry hoarder. A friend recently helped me organise my pantry and fridge and they were shocked to discover I had items that had expired several years ago. I was shocked that they were shocked. I mean, what’s wrong with keeping dried or pickled food beyond its use by date?!! It’s still good!

Don’t worry so much. You are adaptable, you can solve problems, it’s going to be ok. (I’d also give this advice to my uni-student self, my 30-year-old self, and my 40-year-old self and will probably be giving it my 70-year-old self too!)

Sewing! Most of my wardrobe is from op-shops, and l often find gems that would be perfect with just a tweak or two. I’ve managed a few DIY fixes that I’m pretty proud of, but l’ve never properly learned to sew-so l’m kind of winging it. A few years ago, I picked up a vintage sewing machine at an op-shop (it proudly says “Made in West Germany“—so I know it’s old!). Some functions no longer work and there’s no manual, so there’s a lot of guesswork involved. I’d love to be able to confidently tailor or totally transform pieces, so l don’t have a growing pile of partially altered clothes!

If you’re looking for a movie to watch, it’s worth checking out Mickey 17. I saw it last weekend and really enjoyed it, which was a surprise as l’ve had a string of underwhelming movie experiences this year. Mickey 17 is a science fiction black comedy directed by Bong Joon Ho. 1 was feeling very clever when I made the connection between the creepers and the Ohmu insects from Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli movie, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (1984) because l’m generally ignorant when it comes to TV and movie trivia.

I understand firsthand how daunting it is navigating the healthcare system, facing itural barriers and having to put my advocacy hat on to accompany my mum to doctors’ appointments as a young girl.

I believe in change, and that I can contribute to a safer, healthier and equal Victoria. To amplify voices like my mums and empower communities to join the discussions is key to making this happen, as they are experts of their own lived experiences.

I have had the privilege of learning many important life and career lessons as a young girl. As someone who naturally has a nurturing, helping attitude, I picked up early that these traits could push for change, but that I’ll also need to be ready to adapt and prepare for setbacks, exercising my patience to keep fighting the good fight. This really came from being a frustrated pre-teen in a GP’s office, advocating for my mum’s health concerns, ensuring her pain is taken seriously, and doing my very best to translate medical jargon into my native language.

This experience isn’t only limited to me, and that knowledge is what fuels my fire that burns for change, drawing me to work that I realise I have indirectly been doing since I was a young girl.

If I’m not cruising around in my car with the windows down, you’ll most definitely find me spending time with my loved ones.

Apart from the fact that I can eat sashimi and survive after declaring that I never EVER would … I’ve also realised the things you want the most love taking their sweet time to arrive, so buckle up and enjoy the ride aka celebrate the little wins and embrace the obstacles.

I’d love to one day be able to hear your pet’s inner monologue.

I recommend that you all watch David Attenborough documentaries; very soothing voice and cool animals!

My Mum. She is a nurse and growing up, I remember being in a myriad of healthcare settings with her, some of which felt warm and comfortable, and others felt quite abrasive. Watching my Mum exercise her natural skills for connection and care – and seeing just how valuable they were to people who were navigating a challenging system in a trying time – really inspired me to use my similar skills in the same way.

My education background has coalesced in a magical way to influence my work with consumers and community members. I am a counsellor by trade, with a background in psychology and gender studies, which contributes to the person-centered, intersectional lens that I bring to work with the Centre. But I am also a theatre major with a long history in performing arts. My experiences in the arts industry cemented my deep value for human connection, in all its wonderful forms. If I can forge a safe, genuine, and reciprocal connection with someone through my work at the desk each day, then I’ve had a good day!

Being crafty arty farty – playing guitar, sewing, knitting, designing, singing, theatre- making, colouring, collaging, writing and everything in between. If it’s crafty, it’s probably going to nourish me.

Oh, and the beach. The Scorpio sign / WA child in me is deeply connected to the healing power of the ocean.

I’m learning to be a bit more patient, accepting, and loving when it comes to the way my brain and body work. It’s also so awesome to notice that learning these things for myself is increasing my capacity to hold these things for others – double win!

Listen to your gut and don’t be afraid of what it has to say. It’s got you.

My whole life l’ve wanted to wake up and realise I’m an amazing hip-hop dancer. But alas, I still dance like Mr. Bean.

If you haven’t seen it yet, watch Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen, and it always makes my heart flip in all those juicy ways.

I’ve worked in health for many years, initially in the prevention and early detection space, but more recently on a variety of transformation projects. We all know our health system is far from perfect, but it’s heartening to know that changes are always being made. The system improvements the consumers we work with can influence will directly impact the lives and experiences of many people to come.

I’ve been struck by people’s honesty and compassion. Many consumers and community members have had bad experiences with our health system, but they approach this work with positivity and creative determination. They have helped me to more deeply appreciate the value of consumer and community engagement and to see it as a necessary part of system transformation.

I love spending time with animals, whether it be our dog, watching birds, raising lambs or volunteering at an elephant rescue park in Thailand.

And at the risk of sounding daggy, I also love yarn – knitting, crochet, spinning. There’s always something on my needles!

Worry less about what other people think and spend more time exploring what you really want.

To speak another language. I wasn’t given the opportunity to even try at high school and my one effort since was a kick to my confidence.

Hard to stop at one but… read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It’s a beautifully written, incredible tale of life on the streets in India. This book will stay with me forever.

Part frustration, part optimism. Let me explain. Years of working as a clinician left me frustrated with the slow pace of system change. I kept tinkering at the edges, making small improvements, but that just wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to be involved in bold action, in addition to incremental fixes, to drive meaningful change for users of services. My optimism was restored when I got involved in projects that leveraged data, technology, and innovation methods to reimagine how we provide services to truly meet consumers’ needs.

As an OT I was privileged to work with so many people at times in their lives when they were distressed and in crises. Ileant to listen and ask questions to understand where they were emotionally and practically before planning the next steps. I endeavor to bring this kind of respectful engagement and curiosity to all my human interactions. As a reward, learn something new every day from these interactions.

Spending time with my family, especially my two teenage boys. I also enjoy yoga, walking in nature and travelling.

Not to worry so much about the future and what will happen, trust more that everything is going to be OK.

Fly a helicopter! It would be so much fun doing that for a while.

Watching the documentary Third Industrial Revolution: A Radical New Sharing Economy six years ago was a perspective-shifting experience for me. Jeremy Rifkin, an economic theorist, lays out a case for harnessing technology for the greater good of humanity and in the process changing the way we think and be in this world.