Psychologist
Aged Care Consultant, Wise Care
SARENA JONES
Senior Occupational Therapist, Queensland Health
Director @ Allied Health Support Services
Founder @ Australian Allied Health Awards
After graduating from Charles Sturt University in NSW, Sarena began her career in Geelong with a brief occupational rehabilitation role for youth with brain injuries then spent several years in acute and rehabilitative rotational positions across Victorian hospitals. Shortly after she travelled to the UK and for many years, worked across London and regional areas in general acute, geriatric, cardiac rehabilitation, complex neurological rehabilitation, acquired brain injury, rapid response, intermediate care and community health / social services positions. In between, upon short visits home to Australia, she worked in transition care and community rehabilitation positions, before finally settling on the Sunshine Coast. There she has worked across in-patient rehab, out-patient rehab and leadership roles for the last twelve years. Upon returning from an extended period of maternity leave and having two beautiful and very busy children, she has enjoyed a steep learning curve in founding Allied Health Support Services in early 2016. In 2017, she successfully co-created an accessible virtual professional development platform for health professionals. In early 2018, however, her vision of creating a national event to both bring together and celebrate, allied health professionals all over the country, finally became a reality, in the Australian Allied Health Awards.
Connect with Sarena – LinkedIn
JO MUIRHEAD
Rehabilitation Counsellor
Principal at Purple Co, Author of “The Entrapreneural Clinician”
Jo is all about connecting people to purpose through inspiration and innovation. Author of The Entrepreneurial Clinician, she is also the Founder and Principal Consultant of PurpleCo – a team of specialist allied health consultants dedicated to helping people who experience injury illness and trauma reclaim their lives through work.
Jo graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Health Science, Rehabilitation Counselling in 1994.
Jo is passionate about the health benefits of work and truly believes that everyone has the right to meaningful and rewarding employment.
PurpleCo grew out of this belief as a truncated form of PURpose for peoPLE.
Connect with Jo – LinkedIn
JULIE BAJIC-SMITH
Dr Julie Bajic Smith is a registered psychologist who has been working with the elderly for the last decade in community and residential settings. Julie trains aged care workforce in learning how to recognise and respond to emotional changes in clients by incorporating psycho-education and trains mental health professionals in how to incorporate aged care into their private practice. Julie has extensively researched wellbeing in home care workforce and strategies to improve resilience. Julie’s post-doc examined supported decision-making in dementia and she is currently publishing in this field.
Connect with Julie – LinkedIn
SARAVANA KUMAR
Physiotherapist
Associate Professor, University of South Australia
As a leader in the field of evidence-based practice, I am responsible for the delivery of a suite of evidence-based practice courses at the School of Health Sciences. This is a deliberate strategy as my research interest directly align with my teaching interests which underscores my commitment to the teaching-research nexus. I am at the forefront of development and implementation of novel curriculum and digital technologies (such as audio feedback) for the courses that I teach. These have resulted in sustained positive student satisfaction and improvements in student performance and retention. As an enthusiastic and committed educator, I strive to provide a positive and supportive environment for UniSA students through making their experience an enjoyable, relevant and meaningful opportunity for learning. My teaching influences students from several different professional backgrounds including but not limited to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, medical radiations, health science, clinical exercise physiology, human movement.
Connect with Saravana – LinkedIn
NATALIE JACK
Music Therapist
Clinical Supervisor, Professional Development, Speaker
Since becoming a registered music therapist in 1999, I have worked in various settings, and experienced the rollercoaster ride that seems to be an accepted part of being a health care worker. What I’ve learned so far is that reliable, empathic and knowledgable support is essential to any healthy, long term career in the health & helping professions. So, now that’s the service I offer – so you can get off the rollercoaster too.
- Master of Mental Health Science – Monash University
- Post Grad Diploma of Music Therapy – University of Qld
- Bachelor of Music – Queensland Conservatorium of Music
- Diploma of Business – Swinburne University
- Diploma of Counselling (in progress) – AIPC
- Advanced Certificate in Supervision – The Supervision Centre UK
- Policy & Projects Officer & Supervision Working Group member – Australian Music Therapy Association
- Management Committee Member – Australian Clinical Supervision Association
- Speaker and guest lecturer at Australian and international conferences, workshops and universities
Connect with Natalie – LinkedIn
JADE SCOTT
Osteopath
Director, Western Region Health
Founder, GrowthRx
Jade Scott is a leading identity within Australia’s allied health community who has mentors practitioners at every stage of their career. Having successfully established a number of osteopathy clinics in Victoria, known collectively as Western Region Health, Jade recognised an opportunity to create meaningful change and innovation within the Allied Health Industry.
Jade championed a reinvention of the traditional ‘fee for service’ model that currently supports the income 35 staff an a payroll of over 1.3 million. With this in mind, she has been at the forefront of the corona virus threat. Her knowledge extends across all remuneration platforms from employment, contractors, rental agreements and sole traders and HR implications that may affect most.
Jade’s expertise lies in business consulting and strategic implementation. She specialises in cultural change and has supported over 135 Private Practices and another 500+ Osteopaths through her post-graduate education and courses. She was also a lecturer at Victoria University for 8 years, consults to the Osteopathic designated advisory team at Employsure and will soon help to facilitate a business focus group for Osteopathy Australia. Her personal mission is to connects allied health professionals through world-class leadership and education.
Jade recently completed her prestigious Authentic Leadership Development program at Harvard University and is finishing her research in Clinical Leadership at Melbourne University. She believes there is no greater time for us all to lead than now!
With a passion for helping others and vast knowledge Jade is a respected industry leader. Her strategies and pro-active measures, ‘A 5 Stage Strategy to Survive and Thrive’ has been implemented as valuable resource for small businesses during these testing times.
Connect with Jade – LinkedIn
CLARE BATKIN
Occupational Therapist and Clinical Educator
Owner – Your OT Tutor
Clare is an experienced occupational therapist that is passionate about clinical education, knowledge translation, quality improvement and research. She is dedicated to inspiring allied health professionals to engage in life-long learning, and in 2022 founded her business “Your OT Tutor” (www.yott.au), providing clinical education services to occupational therapy students and occupational therapists.
Clare graduated from the University of Newcastle with first class honours and a university medal in 2008. She has extensive experience as a clinical educator in hospital, community, and university settings, across public and private health sectors. Her clinical areas of expertise include working with adult clients with a range of physical impairments, including neurological, orthopaedic, burns, surgical, hand therapy and age-related conditions. Clare has presented and published her clinical research and clinical education quality improvement projects at a national and international level.
Finding ways to help new graduate therapists bridge the gap between what they learn at university, and what they need to know for clinical practice, is a particular area of interest for Clare.
Connect with Clare – LinkedIn
LUKE HASSAN
Accredited Practising Dietitian
Active Health Clinic
Luke’s mission is to ‘make invisible illnesses visible’ by advocating for those with Invisible Illnesses and supporting them in their nutritional health. He is the lead dietitian at Active Health Clinic in Melbourne, where they specialise in providing care to people who live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Pain conditions, Dysautonomia and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders. He is passionate about making quality nutrition accessible for every BODY, no matter their functional capacity.
Connect with Luke – LinkedIn
MEGAN WALKER
Health and Medical Marketing Professional
Director, Market Savvy
Megan Walker is a health and medical marketing professional with over 25 years experience connecting clients and patients with reputable health services through ethical and relationship marketing. Megan is the Director of Market Savvy www.marketsavvy.com.au and works closely with private practices across Australia to help them reach more people and change more lives.
Connect with Megan – LinkedIn
KARINA LEWIS
Occupational Therapist
Allied Health Career Consultant
Karina Lewis (B.Occ Thy, MPhil, MPH, Grad Cert Career Development) is an experienced occupational therapist and career counsellor for health professionals. She has a passion for equity in health care and the development of a fulfilled, resilient healthcare workforce. Karina has a diverse clinical background, with a strong interest in hand therapy, public health, research, and clinical education.
Karina developed a strong interest in team dynamics, career planning and development while holding leadership positions responsible for staff supervision, selection, development, and retention. Additionally, she understands the challenges of balancing career with a young family and negotiating return to work following parental leave.
Karina brings a holistic approach to career counselling, providing insight and support regarding career planning, professional skill, and capability development.
Connect with Karina – LinkedIn
JESSICA SILES
Social Worker and Equine Therapist
Sunshine Coast Equine Assisted Therapy
My childhood passion to work with both people and animals led me to complete a Bachelor of Social Work in 2009. In continuing to fulfill my goals and expand my practice I completed training with the Equine Psychotherapy Institute in 2015.
Over the last 13 years I have worked in the Disability Sector, supported families and young people who have experienced trauma as well as working therapeutically with young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours.
It is my ongoing goal to continue to increase my knowledge and practice wisdom in this innovative field of animal assisted therapy as well as continuing to pursue my passion for connecting with animals and people.
I look forward to working alongside you and offering a horse human connection experience.
Connect with Jess – LinkedIn
KIT KLINE
Nature Based Therapist
Founder, Nature Based Therapy
Kit Kline was born in Canada and moved to Australia when she was 10. Kit is a decedent of the Wampanoag people on her paternal side and is a member of the Sou’West Nova Metis Council. Kit has always felt a strong connection to her First Nations ancestry and believes her philosophy on health and wellness derives from this connection. She has 17 years’ experience working as a Counsellor and Educator in the social and community services sector with both public and private health services specialising in mental health and addictions. Kit established the modality Nature Based Therapy, which is recognized with the International Institute of Complimentary Therapies (IICT), due to the success she was having with the people she was working with when she incorporated ‘nature’ into her work practice.
Kit is has obtained both a master’s degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Indigenous studies. Her post graduate studies
include a Diploma of welfare studies, Diploma of alcohol and other drugs, Diploma of holistic healing, and cert IV’s in youth work and training and assessment.
Kit is currently completing a master’s in social work with Deakin University.
Kit is a recent graduate of the Leaders for Geelong program 2015-2017 and is committed to creating healthy people, families and communities while at the same time protecting our natural resources and environment.
Kit is a mother to three daughters and one son and enjoys coastal life in Moriac, Victoria. In her personal time, she enjoys taking her family on picnics to local forests, bushwalking, mountain bike riding and cooking healthy organic food. She also enjoys long road trips, travelling to new destinations and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds.
Connect with Kit – LinkedIn
SHANE BROWN
Senior Physiotherapist
Director and Physiotherapist at The Physio Movement
Shane is the Director, head mentor and Senior Physiotherapist at The Physio Movement and has spent 15+ years studying to help him develop skills in Physiotherapy and knowledge in a wide range of areas. With formal qualifications in Education, Project Management, Sports Coaching, Food Coaching and Physiotherapy, Shane believes the day you stop learning is the day you stop living. In the physio world Shane has had a career with great variety, whether it was travelling abroad with Olympic sporting teams, working with world class surfers on the Gold Coast, spending winters with Olympic and elite skiers & snowboarders in Canada or working on 30 billion dollar oil and gas projects.
Shane’s specialties include sports injury management, treatment of running injuries, biomechanical analysis, postural and work related disorders, Injury pre-habilitation & screenings, the role of health & nutrition in chronic disorders & injury management and improving holistic health for individuals, families and the community.
With his wife Belinda, Shane established The Physio Movement (TPM) in 2015. Shane’s mission is to provide innovative and holistic services to help everyone achieve the best possible performance in health and lifestyle.
Connect with Shane – LinkedIn
BELINDA SUTHERLAND
Senior Leader Allied Health, Disability, Aged Care
National 360
Belinda Sutherland is currently the National Director of Clinical Services at National 360, a multidisciplinary community Allied Health provider. Belinda is an Occupational Therapist and a Senior Allied Health Manager with over 20 years experiences across health, disability, and aged care.
Belinda is a passionate, skilled, adaptable, and highly motivated Clinical Services Manager. She has strong clinical knowledge at both an operational and strategic level and her strengths lie in her leadership and management across multidisciplinary allied health care.
Belinda has worked in the NDIS scheme for over five years and is passionate about building a strong , capable allied health workforce to work in the disability sector. Belinda commenced her career as a sole rural OT in MT Isa and is passionate about supporting allied health careers in regional and remote communities.
Connect with Belinda – LinkedIn
CHRISSY HARADA
Nutritionist
Founder of Sunshine Health and Nutrition
Chrissy Harada is a university qualified nutritionist who also has a journalism & PR degree. She is the founder of Sunshine Health and Nutrition in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast and has a special interest in gut health, optimal ageing, food intolerances and correcting vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Connect with Chrissy – Sunshine Health and Nutrition
