Category: Staffing

We realise that while many of you reading this work with some members of our team, many of you don’t know who we are!

To change this, we have decided to share with you an interview with one of our team members in each of our e-newsletters.

In August 2024, we shared our interview with VTMH Consultant Psychiatrist Justin Kuay. This time, Olivia has kindly agreed to be interviewed.  

Name: Olivia

Job title: Carer Consultant

Qualifications: Bachelor of Science (Psychology), and Bachelor of Music (Performance)

Time at VTMH: Two years

Tell us your work story: Before joining VTMH, I was juggling casual jobs alongside my undergraduate studies in science and music. During that time, I had the chance to try out a variety of roles, from selling cheese at a supermarket to mentoring and tutoring secondary school students. I also volunteered with organizations like Headspace and Raise, which gave me valuable insights into mental health and supporting young people.

Joining VTMH was my first professional step into the mental health sector, and it has been an incredibly rewarding learning experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn in such a supportive and dynamic environment, and I’m excited to keep building my career in this field.

What attracted you to this role at VTMH? I was drawn to the work of VTMH because of its strong commitment to creating a culturally responsive mental health and wellbeing sector. As someone who values the importance of understanding diverse perspectives, I was eager to contribute my own lived and living experience to support this important mission.

Proudest achievement/s while working at VTMH: I am incredibly proud of the work we accomplished for the 2023 forum, ‘Women Empowering Communities: Deepening the Dialogue in Mental Health and Wellbeing’. It was truly inspiring to have the opportunity to highlight the powerful grassroots initiatives led by women in this space.

What do you hope for and envision for the future of VTMH? I hope that VTMH continues to champion the inclusion of diverse voices and varied perspectives, both in lived and living experience engagement and across the broader sector. 

What do you enjoy most about your role? The opportunity to collaborate with a supportive and talented team that values the voices of lived and living experience. I’ve also greatly appreciated the chance to learn from my colleagues, whose expertise and insights have been invaluable in helping me grow professionally.

What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy singing, playing guitar, crochet, hanging out with friends and family, and playing with my cat, Persimmon.

What’s the last book you read? Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

What’s the first concert you ever attended? Bastille, with my best friend in high school.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list? England, to visit my sister and go to Glastonbury.

Tell us something we might be surprised to hear about you? On my non-VTMH days, I am a singing teacher

The Daryl Oehm Oration, which is held every two years, took place this year on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, at the elegant St Andrews Conservatory in Fitzroy. The event brought together stakeholders for an evening of networking and reflection, complemented by thought-provoking keynote addresses and cultural performances.

The evening featured a keynote address by Emily Unity, an award-winning advocate and creative, who shared their lived experiences across intersectional identities. Emily’s speech explored five key themes, each presenting two perspectives: one highlighting the positive effects of culture on mental health, and the other acknowledging its potential negative impacts. These “double-edged” themes, as Emily described, reflect the complex but deeply human experience of navigating multicultural mental health. Their presentation also highlighted “Multicultural Minds,” a project amplifying the voices of over 300 Experts by Experience from nearly 150 cultures.

The program began with a heartfelt Acknowledgement of Country by the MC, Nartarsha Bamblett, a proud First Nations woman and community leader, who shared reflections on connection to self, culture and community. Adding to the evening’s vibrancy, the Sri Lankan Dance Academy of Victoria delivered a stunning cultural performance that captivated the audience.

The oration offered not only a chance to network but also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of diversity in mental health. It was a powerful reminder of the strength in community and the importance of honouring diverse lived experiences to drive meaningful change.

This is a new section to our twice yearly e-newsletter. We realise that while many of you reading this do work with some members of our team, many of you don’t know who we are!

To change this, we have decided to share with you an interview with one of our team members in each of these e-newsletters.

This month, Justin Kuay has kindly agreed to be interviewed.  

Name:  Justin Kuay

Job title: Consultant Psychiatrist

Qualifications: MBBS, FRANZCP, M. Psychiatry, B MedSci, cert. psychotherapy psych. (RANZCP)

Time at VTMH: 12 years

Tell us your work story: I graduated from Melbourne University Medical School in 2004 and since then, have worked at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, predominantly at VTMH. For the other half of my time, I work in private practice providing general adult psychiatric treatment including psychotherapy. 

I have also worked at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House) for approximately 7 years before finishing my time there in 2019.

What attracted you to this role at VTMH? I previously worked at VTMH as a registrar before fully qualifying as a consultant psychiatrist and so had a chance to see the valuable work that VTMH does. What I liked about VTMH was the opportunity to promote culturally responsive care both at individual and organisational levels. During this process, VTMH encourages reflective practice both within VTMH as a team as well as facilitating similar spaces for discussion with organizations and individuals. Coming from a background in practicing psychotherapy, I really value and see the effectiveness of this in VTMH’s work.

Proudest achievement/s while working at VTMH: Being involved in the spirituality and diversity discussion project.

What do you hope for and envision for the future of VTMH? I hope that VTMH can continue to help support the implementation of government frameworks and policy in the cultural responsiveness space. I hope that organisations VTMH works with can see the benefit of engaging diverse populations and provide them with culturally responsive care.

What do you enjoy most about your role? Facilitating reflective spaces.

What do you like to do in your free time? Play piano, drums, guitar and reading.

What’s the last book you read? The Edge of Collapse series (a post-apocalyptic thriller) by Kyla Stone

What’s the first concert you ever attended? Dream Theatre in Melbourne.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list? South Korea

Tell us something we might be surprised to hear about you?  I like 80s-style rock music and metal-style guitar. I also have a deep connection to my Christian faith.

We currently have a vacancy available for a permanent, part-time (16 hours per week) role as a Communications Consultant with VTMH.

This is a new role within VTMH and the successful candidate will be responsible for leading and executing the development, implementation and assessment of Communication strategies for the Unit.

Please visit the St Vincent’s Hospital careers page here to find out more about this exciting new role.

The link above should take you directly to the advertisement on the St Vincent’s Hospital website. If it does not, you can find the job advertised on Page 2 under St Vincent’s Public Hospital Melbourne Careers.

We currently have a vacancy available for a full time fixed term (until 30 June 2024)
Evaluation & Research Assistant.

The successful candidate will:

• Undertake evaluation studies of specific projects within VTMH
• Collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and impact of these projects
• Provide recommendations for VTMH on the basis of the evaluation findings
• Develop reports and presentation for each evaluation project

Please visit the St Vincent’s Hospital careers page here to find out more about this exciting new role.

This is a fairly new section to our twice yearly e-newsletter. We realise that while many of you reading this do work with some members of our team, many of you don’t know who we are!

To change this, we have decided to share with you an interview with one of our team members in each of these e-newsletters.

In July 2023, we shared our interview with Consumer Consultant Naomi Chapman. This time, Adriana Mendoza has kindly agreed to be interviewed.  

Name: Adriana Mendoza

Job title: Manager at Victorian Transcultural Mental Health

Qualifications: Psychology

Time at VTMH: Almost 6 years

Tell us your work story: I have extensive national and international experience as a leader and mental health worker. I have worked in various regions of Colombia, Northern Territory and Victoria dedicating my professional life to contribute to the mental health sector and organisational reforms to respond to the realities of diverse communities. 

Supervising, mentoring and coaching mental health practitioners has been a key component of my work, as I deeply value accompanying self-reflection processes.

I have also worked directly with consumers, family members, carers and supporters providing counselling and psychotherapy. In Colombia I worked with survivors of political violence, in Alice Springs with First Nations communities, and in Victoria with consumers and carers experiencing very challenging mental health situations.

Working in collaboration and co-creating possibilities have been part of my philosophy. For example, in the Northern Territory I supported services and community leaders to co-design wellbeing services with and for First Nation communities. In Victoria I have also supported community and mental health organisations to enhance their service quality and internal organisational culture. The meaning of partnership and collaboration has been deeply enriched by working alongside lived and living experience workers, as well as community members.

Working at VTMH over the last years has been deeply meaningful in many ways. I believe that my role as VTMH Manager is connected with all previous roles that I have undertaken nationally and internationally.

The mission of the VTMH Unit and the dedication of each team member make me feel very connected with VTMH.  I can genuinely say that VTMH is fully committed to build the capacity of the public Mental Health and Wellbeing sector to deliver services that respond to the needs and strengths of diverse communities. VTMH is leading and joining efforts to build and sustain a safe, inclusive and responsive mental health system.

We do this by:

 a) Providing recommendations to governments, peak bodies, and stakeholder groups to bring a transcultural and intersectional lens to key priority areas.

 b) Supporting organisations to implement organisation-wide approaches to embed cultural responsiveness.

c) Strengthening the capacity of the mental health and wellbeing workforce by providing opportunities for learning, self-reflection, and sharing of knowledge.

In the context of the Mental health reform, I have found the conversations and collaboration with the leads of various organisations very stimulating and relevant. This includes mental health and wellbeing providers, the Department of Health (DoH), Lived and Living experience sector, Community sector, and strategic cross-sector platforms.  

I have also found internal work at VTMH to be deeply committed to our own growth as a Unit, implementing strategies to maintain the quality of our programs and providing supportive spaces for practice development and critical reflections. At the VTMH Unit “collective aspirations” are shared, and “walking the talk” is a driving force for our internal development and practice.

I am looking forward to continue joining efforts that promote a more humanistic, inclusive and culturally responsive system

What attracted you to this role at VTMH? The mission. Supporting the mental health and wellbeing sector to enhance cultural responsiveness in Victoria is completely connected to all parts of my identity as a person and worker.

Proudest achievement/s while working at VTMH: Seeing VTMH growing, which meant creating two new ongoing positions at VTMH: 1) Carer Consultant, and 2) Monitoring, Evaluation and Research consultant. 

What do you hope for and envision for the future of VTMH? Continue as leaders for change in the mental health reform, supporting the sector, organisations and individuals to embed and sustain culturally responsive practices, cultivating and creating more alliances and opportunity for collaboration, supporting inclusive practice where diverse voices are invited and valued and continue responding to the stages of the Mental health reform.

What do you enjoy most about your role? After working hard on a project and “planting seeds”, I really enjoy the feeling that I get when I can see “the fruits”. Seeing meaningful results takes time and effort. 

What do you like to do in your free time? Going to restaurants with my kids and husband, talking with my mother and family who are in Colombia (even if this is through WhatsApp), watching a good movie, playing with my kids, enjoying a sunny day with family and friends.

What’s the last book you read? “The book of joy. Lasting happiness in a changing world” by his holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Demond Tutu with Douglas Abrams.

What’s the first concert you ever attended? Salsa music, when I was in high school.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list? The Philippines! My mother in law is coming from Colombia to visit us, so we will have a family trip!

Tell us something we might be surprised to hear about you? Everyday in the morning, my husband and I have a mantra that we say with our kids to encourage self-confidence and self-love in them.

This is a new section to our twice yearly e-newsletter. We realise that while many of you reading this do work with some members of our team, many of you don’t know who we are!

To change this, we have decided to share with you an interview with one of our team members in each of these e-newsletters.

In December 2022, we shared our interview with Kimberley Wriedt. This month, Naomi Chapman has kindly agreed to be interviewed.  

Name: Naomi Chapman

Job title: Consumer Consultant

Qualifications: Bachelor of IT (Swinburne University)

Time at VTMH: 6 years

Tell us your work story: I was a consumer representative for nearly 12 months at North West Area Mental Health, also known as Waratah Clinic, prior to commencing with VTMH in 2017. This included sitting on the board of ‘C-Drive’ (Consumer Drive), playing a key role in the ‘Create 2’ Art Exhibition for consumers and budding artists, and co-facilitating nurse’s intake sessions with fellow consumers.

I studied IT at Swinburne University and worked in the IT industry for 16 years before transitioning to my current Consumer Consultant role, which I consider a more meaningful vocation. I am also a practising Christian, which has helped me greatly in my recovery journey.

What attracted you to this role at VTMH? The opportunity to use my lived experience to bring to life concepts concerning culturally responsive care, to have something meaningful come out of my mental health challenges.

Proudest achievement/s while working at VTMH: Co-facilitating our Lived Experience Community of Practice with Abie, Ben and Olivia (three of my VTMH colleagues).

What do you hope for and envision for the future of VTMH? I hope that VTMH grows in funding and expertise so that we remain the lead transcultural and intersectional mental health service across the state.

What do you enjoy most about your role? The people in my team including my manager Adriana and lived experience co-worker Olivia. Everyone in the team is proactive, helpful and very knowledgeable in their fields which makes coming to work a pleasant and motivating experience.

What do you like to do in your free time? I hand out gospel tracts each Saturday in the city (corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets), I also go to church on Sundays. I catch up with my brother Ben, a new Christian, each Tuesday on Teams for fellowship. My hubby and I also have date night each Saturday where we try out local restaurants.

What’s the last book you read? Dawn of the Antichrist by Donny Budinsky.

What’s the first concert you ever attended? Metallica or possibly Peter Gabriel.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list? Jerusalem, to see places where Christ and his disciples lived, died and worked.

Tell us something we might be surprised to hear about you? I play the Scottish bagpipes and studied music in year 12 (playing that instrument).

We currently have a vacancy available for a permanent, part-time Education & Service Development Consultant (30.4 hours per week).

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing education and service development support to mental health services in Victoria’s public health system in order to improve quality of service delivery to people from diverse backgrounds.

Please visit the St Vincent’s Hospital careers page here to find out more about this exciting new role.

This is a new section to our twice yearly e-newsletter. We realise that while many of you reading this do work with some members of our team, many of you don’t know who we are!

To change this, we have decided to share with you an interview with one of our team members in each of these e-newsletters.

In July we shared our interview with Shehani De Silva. This month Kimberley Wriedt has graciously agreed to be interviewed.  

Name: Kimberley Wriedt             

Job title: Education & Service Development Consultant

Qualifications: Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

Time at VTMH: 11 years

Tell us your work story: I started working in the mental health field around 2009 as an Outreach Worker and Group Program Worker in the community managed mental health sector. I really loved that job and getting to meet people where they were – in their homes, shops, at the beach – it was a great experience. I then worked as a Team Leader for a Home Based Outreach Service again in the community managed mental health sector. It was in that role that I undertook training through VTMH and ended up working at VTMH a little while later.

What attracted you to this role at VTMH? I was really taken by the work of VTMH after participating in VTMH workshops. I really connected with the field of transcultural mental health and the systems focus of the Education and Service Development Consultant role as I’ve always been interested in the social determinants of health and how health inequities come about.

Proudest achievement/s while working at VTMH: I was really proud to be involved in a project a few years ago that developed resources around the topic of working with interpreters. The project included some video interviews that captured a range of perspectives that are often not captured when this topic is discussed. I’ve also been involved in the Mental Health and Cultural Diversity Community of Practice, which started the week before Covid impacted us all in 2019, and is still running today. I’ve met some fantastic workers through that project and believe the space has allowed for some really great discussions and learning moments. 

What do you hope for and envision for the future of VTMH? I actually got asked this question a few years ago for my website bio, and I’m giving the same answer as it still rings true – that VTMH continues to grow and evolve in ways that meet contemporary challenges and opportunities, and that we continue to collaborate with mental health services and systems in bold and creative ways to achieve greater equity in mental health care.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I like being able to focus on the big picture; about our systems and the impacts they have. I also really enjoy being able to be creative when it comes to developing resources, and collaborating with a range of people to develop them. In workshops and consultations, I’m always hearing new perspectives, and I feel very lucky to have a role where I’m always being challenged and learning something new. Lastly, it’s wonderful to work with a great group of colleagues who share a passion for this work.

What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy playing social netball, dog-sitting, and hanging out with my adorable 4 year old niece.

What’s the last book you read? After deciding to go back to university this year to do a Graduate Certificate in Public Health, my reading of late has been centred on text books! However I think it was Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

What’s the first concert you ever attended? It was either Lily Allen or U2.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list? Cambodia, to visit a good friend of mine.

Tell us something we might be surprised to hear about you? I was a movie extra in a Melbourne-based Zombie film once. People are often also surprised when I tell them I worked briefly in the Real Estate Industry, before working in mental health.

I began my work at VTMH in February 2022, but it was a role that I had dreamed of since I was a junior doctor fresh out of medical school. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in transcultural psychiatry and unfortunately such training roles are currently very limited in the public mental health sector. I was so happy when I found out that I got the job!

Sometimes when you have such high expectations, it’s difficult for the daily realities of a job to measure up. But my year at VTMH has been everything I imagined and more. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the expertise of my colleagues, from community leaders and advocates and from other clinicians. 

For me, one of the biggest takeaways from this year is the importance of relationship building. For any project to succeed, there needs to be trust and safety in the relationships between team members and with external stakeholders. I’ve learnt so much from the way my colleagues conduct community consultations – how they listen, how they acknowledge power differences, their warmth, the richness of their stories and the stories they are able to elicit from others. They bring their whole selves to their roles including their own lived experience. They advocate with passion and heart. They are system thinkers and see the bigger picture. 

I hope that I’m able to take all this with me and embody such qualities in my future practice. I will miss this team dearly and I am so immensely grateful for all the lessons they have taught me.