sOcial WOrk careers Graduate prOfile BOOk - Health Sciences ...

Faculty of Health Sciences 

Social Work 

Careers 

Graduate 

Profile Book

Occupational Therapy and 

Social Work Can Take You 

Places…. 

Thank you for considering a degree in either occupational 

therapy (OT) or social work (SW) from Curtin University. 

These courses have been taught at Curtin for many years 

and during this time we have graduated hundreds of 

occupational therapists and social workers who are now 

employed in a range of workplaces and communities in 

Australia and globally. 

In my job as the Head of School, I am often asked what 

an occupational therapist or social worker does and 

where do they work. So we decided to put together this 

book to give you a taste of where a degree in OT or SW 

might take you. 

In this graduate profile book, we have also included 

some thoughts from employers on the valuable skills, 

competencies and attributes that our Curtin graduates 

of occupational therapy or social work bring to their 

workplaces. The book also highlights the impact our 

graduates are making in these workplaces and our 

community – both locally and internationally. You will 

note that many of the people we have highlighted have 

not stayed working as either occupational therapists or 

social workers, but have used their degrees to move to 

other areas of work as politicians, managers, community 

rehabilitation leaders and educators to name a few. 

Enjoy the stories and all the best for your future studies 

and careers. 

Professor Lorna Rosenwax 

Head, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work 

For further information about our range of courses 

please contact: 

The Faculty of Health Sciences 

School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work 

Email: futurestudents@health.curtin.edu.au 

Phone: +61 8 9266 3600 

Fax: +61 8 9266 3636 

www.ot.curtin.edu.au 

Disclaimer: the information in this publication was correct at the time of printing. 

The University reserves the right to make changes as appropriate. Curtin University 

of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J / Sydney Campus of Curtin University of 

Technology CRICOS Provider Code 02637B July 2010 

www.ot.curtin.edu.au

Social Work 

Fight for our Rights! 

Are you committed to the attainment of personal wellbeing, 

social justice, human rights, equity and respect for 

all people Do you want to work with individuals, families, 

groups and communities who experience difficulties or 

are marginalised from society Do you want to provide 

appropriate services and community resources to meet 

people’s needs and to provide them with the opportunity 

to develop their potential This course will equip you to 

understand and respond to social issues within both the 

national and international arena. 

This course will explore ways for understanding people 

and their interactions with others and between people, 

their communities and society. The link between 

theory and practice is highlighted to provide an 

innovative learning space for you to develop your skills 

and knowledge in key areas of social work practice. 

Underpinned by an understanding of social work practice 

as an ethical enterprise, this course promotes an ethic of 

inclusiveness, participation and an understanding and 

valuing of difference. 

The key areas of learning in this course include: human 

development and behaviour in cultural contexts; 

family and group dynamics; community practice in 

diverse settings; social theories for understanding the 

interrelationship between individuals and society; 

interpersonal and written communication; working in 

human service organisational contexts; legal contexts 

of practice; research for social work practice; social 

policy development and analysis; and principles of 

social justice, ethics and human rights. Field education 

is significant when linking theory and practice in social 

work education and you will undertake two semesters of 

70 days each in a human services agency. 


What the Employers Say 

Department for Child Protection 

Terry Murphy, Director General 

A career with the Department for Child Protection will 

allow you to work with a group of dedicated, skilled and 

professional people who are committed to protecting and 

caring for vulnerable children, young people and families in 

our community. It will give you the chance to make a real 

difference. 

Social Work and other human services graduates are sought for 

professionally challenging and rewarding positions throughout 

Western Australia. The range of positions is diverse, and 

includes areas such as placement and support, providing child 

adoption services, foster carer recruitment, family and domestic 

violence support, crisis care, and the promotion of responsible 

parenting. 

The Department for Child Protection is seeking social work 

and other human services graduates who are diverse, 

compassionate and motivated individuals to join our team of 

skilled and dedicated professionals. Because our workforce is 

the key to our success, professional development opportunities, 

flexible working arrangements, career pathways, a supportive 

and friendly workplace, and a commitment to diversity are 

important to our organisation. 

Working with the Department for Child Protection will give you 

the opportunity to make a contribution to enhancing the lives 

of vulnerable Western Australian children and young people, as 

well as individuals and families in crisis. These are our children, 

and your future. 

For more information relating to the Department for Child 

Protection, go to www.childprotection.wa.gov.au. 

Hills Community Support Group (HCSC) 

Hills Community Support Group (HCSG) is a not-for-profit 

organisation working with people with disabilities, frail older 

people, people with mental illness living in the community and 

youth at risk. Our focus is on individual well-being, personal 

strengths and community inclusion. 

Over many years, our relationship with Curtin University’s 

Faculty of Health Sciences has enabled the School of 

Occupational Therapy and Social Work students to participate in 

fieldwork, and to experience and confirm career directions in the 

area of aged, disability and youth. 

Students are encouraged to bring fresh ideas and their knowledge 

of current research. This invariably benefits ongoing program 

development. Funding is often made available for students to run 

special pilot projects or evidence-based research. 

HCSG has a significant partnership focus in making things 

happen which opens doors to exciting and innovative 

opportunities to trial new directions, examples of this are 

individual wellness and person-centred services. The School of 

Occupational Therapy and Social Work students on placement 

here have embraced the chance to learn from hands-on 

experience and to test their theory base. 

Subsequent to doing her placement with HCSG Youth Services, a 

Curtin University social work student is now the Manager of Youth 

Services with responsibility for a $2M plus budget. She continues 

to look to the School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work for 

students and graduates for her highly skilled team. 

HCSG with its diversity of funding and service range can offer an 

ideal learning environment for placements, first-hand experience 

and career pathways. 


Graduate Destinations 

Social Work 

The career options available to graduates are diverse 

and wide-ranging. The list below provides a snapshot of 

some of the job destinations and job titles of graduates 

that have entered the workforce. Have a read through 

this graduate profile book to find out about some of the 

wonderful career pathways and opportunities that our 

graduates have followed. 

Employers 

Anglicare 

Bentley Hospital 

Centrecare Inc 

Centrelink 

Department of Child Protection 

Department for Communities 

Department of Corrective Services 

Department of Defence 

Department of Health 

Department of Health (Osborne Park Hospital) 

Department of Health (Princess Margaret Hospital) 

Fremantle Hospital 

Genetic Support Council of WA 

Office of the Public Advocate 

Perth Primary Care Network 

Richmond Fellowship 

Royal Perth Hospital 

Ruah Community Services 

Selby Older Adult Mental Health Service 

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital 

Job Titles 

Case Manager 

Community Case Worker 

Community Correction Officer 

Corrections Officer 

Counsellor 

Field Officer 

Intensive Support Officer 

Juvenile Justice Officer 

Marketing Coordinator 

Medical Social Worker 

Mental Health Professional Social Worker 

Resource Officer 

Social Worker 

Ward Social Worker 


Stacey Larke 

Field Worker, Department for 

Child Protection 

BSW (Distinction) (Curtin) 

(2009) 

My mother is a social worker and despite my initial 

efforts to move in a different direction, I found myself 

drawn to the values of social work. After embracing the 

field I graduated with my social work degree in 2009. 

Studying social work was a journey that developed my 

professional knowledge and skills, as well as my personal 

identity and understanding of how I exist and interact in 

the world. 

The two placements I completed confirmed to me that 

this degree was worth studying, if only for the range of 

opportunities and fields of practice that are available 

upon completion. During the fourth year of my degree, I 

was able to complete my final placement with Anglicare, 

Kinway in Kununurra. I fell in love with this magical place 

and knew that this was where I wanted to spend my first 

year as a social worker. 

I am now employed at the Department for Child 

Protection in Kununurra. I am a case worker for the 

Children in Care team and have ten children that I 

case manage on a daily basis. My role is to supervise 

the safety and well-being of these children including 

carer and contact arrangements, education, health and 

recreation, ensuring cultural and emotional welfare. 

All of the children in care in Kununurra are Aboriginal, 

which provides a wonderful opportunity for me to gain 

experience and insight into working with individuals, 

families and communities of this culture. My role as a 

case worker is far from easy and I constantly reflect on 

my values, Australian values, past and present policies, 

history, culture and language while trying to maintain 

culturally appropriate and reflexive practice. What I enjoy 

most is the closeness to the children who I am working 

towards keeping safe. They are such incredible souls 

and are some of the most courageous and resilient little 

people you will ever meet. 

In the future I plan on returning to university in Canada 

to study art therapy. I am keen to build on my knowledge 

of how play therapy, puppet therapy, art, music and 

theatre can all be utilised in therapeutic ways. 

Social work is a wonderful degree that sets you up for 

life with a foundation of knowledge, understanding and 

practice tools that are centred on values of social justice, 

self determination and, above all, tolerance. If you are 

interested in working with people in meaningful ways to 

make positive change through engagement, developing 

skills and nurturing the soul, I would recommend 

social work as a place to start. Furthermore, I highly 

recommend you take the opportunity at some point to 

embrace the challenge and put your skills to practise in 

the magical land of the Kimberley! 


Stian H Thoresen 

Research Associate, Centre 

for Research into Disability 

and Society, School of 


Social Work, Curtin University 

of Technology 

BA Contemporary History 

(2003); PostGradDip Social 

Welfare (2004); PhD Social Work and Social Policy 

(Curtin) (2009) 

I accepted a position as a research officer for an 

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute 

(AHURI) research project in the school while my doctoral 

thesis was being marked. The project investigated 

housing outcomes among young people who have been 

in out-of-home State care and was a collaboration 

between researchers at RMIT University; Curtin 

University, Monash University; University of Tasmania 

and Hanover Welfare Services. This project has now been 

completed (final report available from www.ahuri.edu. 

au). 

Following the completion of the AHURI funded 

project I moved to a Research Associate role with 

the Centre for Research into Disability and Society. 

I am currently working on three projects. The first 

is reviewing strategies and supports for people with 

disability to undertake and complete apprenticeships 

and traineeships, as well as outcomes following 

course completion. This project is in partnership with 

EDGE Employment Solutions Inc. The second project 

is an external evaluation of the Disability Services 

Commission’s Inspire Project aiming at facilitating social 

inclusion and community participation for young people 

with significant disabilities. The project is under the 

auspice of Southcare Inc. Finally, I am also working on 

a research project developing indicators and a manual 

for the evaluation of Personalised Residential Supports 

for people with disability. This project is in its second 

phase, funded through a Lotterywest grant and under 

the auspice of National Disability Services, Western 

Australia. 

I have been fortunate to be able to continue to develop 

my research skills and outputs following my PhD studies 

in the School; with a continued focus on social justice. 

This includes participating and presenting at conferences 

and research seminars, writing journal articles and other 

peer reviewed publications, and continued professional 

development in an academic environment. I really enjoy 

broadening my own understanding and generating new 

knowledge with a strong policy focus. 


Angela Barns 

Lecturer, School of 


Social Work, Curtin University 

BSW (Hons) (Curtin) (2000) and 

PhD (Curtin) (2007) 

While many courses say they’ll change your life, in 

reality very few do. Social work at Curtin University is an 

exception; studying social work at Curtin changed my 

life. I came to the Bachelor of Social Work after working 

in mental health services for a number of years. This 

experience was invaluable but I always felt that there was 

more I could do, more I should know. 

I’d heard about the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at 

Curtin from practitioners in the field, particularly its 

reputation for producing graduates who were confident 

in both theory and practice. However, given my rather 

chequered history in tertiary education, the thought of 

a four year program seemed a little daunting. Advice 

from the Social Work academic coordinator at Curtin to 

take it just one semester at a time seemed a good plan. 

And it worked; after my first semester of the BSW I knew 

I had found the right degree and the right university. 

Throughout the four years I was taught by educators 

who were passionate about teaching and about social 

work; this was contagious and by the second year I was 

hooked! 

During this journey I fell in love with research, especially 

the qualitative kind. It began with a unit in the third year, 

continued into Honours and later, to a PhD. In many 

ways I fell into my PhD when a research unit called 

WiSER (Women in Social and Economic research) were 

looking for a social researcher with a background in 

gender issues. Despite not knowing a great deal about 

economics (or really about the economy) it was my 

educational background in social work, with its emphasis 

on understanding context, appreciating difference and 

working social change, which led to my success in 

gaining an Australian Postgraduate Award - Industry. 

During my PhD studies I began tutoring in social work 

at Curtin. I also fell in love for the second time – finding 

my own passion for teaching and education. Working as 

a social work educator is having the best of both worlds; 

combining social work values and understandings 

while facilitating social work students’ learning. It is 

in this everyday practise as a social work educator 

that I am reminded of the uniqueness of social work 

as a profession; a profession which dares to make a 

difference. Dare to be a social worker It’s one of the best 

decisions I’ve made. 


Mayor Paddi Creevey, OAM 

Mayor of Mandurah 

BAppSc (Social Work) (Curtin) 

(1975) 

I am a graduate of the former Bachelor of Applied Science 

(Social Work) course at Curtin University, and have 

recently received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 

for my work in local Government and the Mandurah 

community. I was absolutely humbled and honoured. I 

never, ever dreamed I would receive this award, I can’t 

quite get my head around it, it’s very special, and I can’t 

stop smiling. 

I have more than 30 years experience in the social work 

arena and lend my expertise to a range of community 

groups in the region. Currently, I play a fundamental role 

in the local community as Mayor of Mandurah. I have 

a wealth of experience in local committees and panels, 

having held leadership roles on many occasions. 

As well as my council duties, I am also Chair of the 

Governing Council of the Challenger Institute of Training, 

a member of the Peel Inlet Management Council and a 

member of the Peel Region Planning Committee. I am the 

local Government representative on the Peel Planning 

Commission Board and Regional Development Australia, 

Peel and serve on an advisory group on higher education 

in Australia. 

I acknowledge my fellow councillors and other people in 

the region as pivotal to my success. 


Michael Berry 

Senior Social Worker, Sir 

Charles Gairdner Hospital 

BSW (Curtin) (2002) 

I didn’t really know what I should do when I finished 

school. I fell into studying social work at Curtin 

University following some career advice with one of 

my school’s career advisors, as I have always been 

interested in human rights issues and social justice. I had 

a wonderful experience during my time at Curtin. I was 

involved with the Student Association and experienced a 

real learning curve throughout the course. I was able to 

complete my second year placement in Port Hedland and 

did some work on Aboriginal Communities. For my final 

placement, I went to East Timor for four months which 

was an amazing learning experience. 

Following graduation I left Australia for the United 

Kingdom. I had various roles such as working with 

refugees and unaccompanied minors, in community 

aged care and in healthcare and hospitals. My work 

allowed me to follow my passion for human rights and I 

was able to get a broader understanding of working with 

people who are disadvantaged and socially excluded. As 

my career developed I moved into health and hospital 

social work where I found I was able to support people 

and their families when they were most vulnerable. My 

degree has given me a wonderful opportunity to get paid 

while travelling. It enabled me to be employed in the 

health and social care sector in the United Kingdom and, 

it was a lot more stimulating and better paid than an 

administrative assistant or bar work! 

Presently I am working as a senior social worker in 

the Emergency Department of Sir Charles Gairdner 

Hospital. I really enjoy my current role. At times it is 

very challenging, yet at the same time, rewarding. I 

am working with sudden bereavements and provide 

support counselling to relatives for traumatic incidents. 

The organisation highly values the contribution made 

by social workers and we are considered important 

members of the multidisciplinary team. We work in a 

vibrant departmental environment which is committed 

to delivering a high standard of social work practice. 

Studying social work at Curtin opened many doors 

for me. I have had some amazing work and personal 

experiences as a result. I found my degree allowed me to 

pursue some of my passions and allowed me to advocate 

and support people when they need it most. This course 

is really an opportunity, if you take it. I did. 


Joo Dee Loh 

Senior Social Worker, 

Department for Child 

Protection 

BSW (Hons) (Curtin) (2008) 

I almost did not enter the social work program at Curtin 

University and was offered a place elsewhere. After 

visiting the Curtin Bentley campus, I found the university 

ambience suited my needs – multicultural, eventful and 

welcoming. 

The social work honours program allowed me the 

leisure and pace of doing a research study that greatly 

interested me whilst completing my degree. 

In my final year of university, I took up an offer of 

employment with my final practicum agency because I 

enjoyed my field placement in the public sector. I am still 

working here full-time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my social work degree at 

Curtin, learning a wide range of social work skills like 

interviewing, assessment, group facilitation, report 

writing, and a myriad of ways of engaging with 

clients. I also enjoyed learning about the theoretical 

underpinnings of social work. 

As a social work practitioner, my epistemological 

position continues to help me frame clients’ descriptions, 

recognising how actions, interpretations, values and 

cultural background can influence and affect meaning 

and decision-making. 

I enjoy my job in child protection as there are varied 

roles. A major part of my role is to ensure – to the 

best of my ability – the safety and protection of 

children. The many facets of my role include tasks like 

investigation, assessment, legal action, report writing 

and collaborative work with families, children and the 

community to promote the safety and well-being of 

children. It is a job that I am proud of. 


Lana Moncur 

Social Worker, Self Harm and 

Crisis Counselling Service 

(SHACCS), Sir Charles Gairdner 

Hospital 


Completing Masters of Human 

Services (Counselling) 

I graduated from Curtin University in 2005 with a 

Bachelor of Social Work. I thoroughly enjoyed my degree 

and believe that it prepared me well for the diverse 

employment opportunities that have followed in my 

social work career. 

Since graduation I have worked in community aged care, 

child protection, the drug and alcohol field and various 

positions in hospitals including neurology, neurosurgery, 

plastic surgery, cardiology, psychiatry and intensive 

care. 

After graduation I quickly realised my passion for 

counselling and in 2008 I returned to Curtin University 

to begin the Master in Human Services Counselling at 

the School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work to 

strengthen and broaden my counselling skills. 

I have found that the content of the course has fulfilled 

my expectations for learning. This course has been a 

timely learning adventure as I now work in the Self Harm 

and Crisis Counselling Service at Sir Charles Gairdner 

Hospital. This position is very rewarding and continues 

to provide me with opportunities to practise as a 

counsellor. 

This is just the beginning… 


Leanne Mirabella 

Principal Consultant - 

Mirabella Counselling and 

Consultancy Services 


Since completing my degree at Curtin University in 

1995, I have experienced so many various and exciting 

positions. My social work degree allowed me to be 

employed in different fields including health promotion, 

Government policy and planning, social project 

management, counselling, hospital social work, grant 

management, mental health, and I’ve worked with the 

Aged Care Assessment Team too. 

I have managed a charitable foundation for the 

Australian Medical Association, developed numerous 

training programs for the public and private sector, 

worked for Lotterywest coordinating a grants program, 

implemented large television and radio public education 

campaigns, developed numerous promotional and 

educational websites, and coordinated state-wide 

conferences and workshops. 

Now I run my own consultancy and counselling business 

where I am contracted for all types of work by the 

Government and not-for-profit health and social services 

sectors. Last year I had the honour of developing the 

first awards program in Australia for the social work 

profession – The Western Australia Social Worker of the 

Year Awards 2009. At present I am working as a contract 

assessor for the Department for Child Protection, a 

conference organiser for the health and information 

technology sector, a counsellor for private clients, 

and a social work placement liaison person for Curtin 

University. 

As you can see from the above, I am a person who likes 

to be challenged and I enjoy variety in my work. My 

social work degree has enabled me to take advantage 

of many exciting opportunities and meet numerous 

interesting people along the way. 


Carolyn Johnson 

Lecturer, School of 


Social Work 


I can honestly say studying social work is the best thing I 

ever did. I left school when I was fifteen years old and did 

a variety of jobs, none of which made me happy. By the 

time I was twenty-eight I was a successful engineering 

draftswoman, working in the mining industry, and was 

bored and stuck in a rut. From the day I began my social 

work course at WAIT (now Curtin University) as a mature 

age student back in 1975, I have never been bored. 

Social work is a profession that welcomes mature age 

students as well as school leavers, and values the life 

experience they bring to their studies, and to their work. 

It is a profession that provides a variety of experience 

across many fields of practice. There is always important 

work to do in social work that has the potential to 

enhance people’s lives, and contribute to a fairer and 

more just society. Social work makes a difference. 

I graduated in 1980 and am now a social worker, lecturer, 

researcher and author with thirty years experience, 

having worked in the criminal justice system, the Family 

Court of Western Australia, Child Protection and private 

practice. In 2002 I was winner of the Grace Vaughan 

Award for Excellence in the Field of Social Justice for my 

research on familicide, which was later published in the 

journal Family Court Review and in the books Come with 

Daddy and Remember Me. 

I worked in prisons for many years and coordinated the 

initial trauma response to the Fremantle prison fire and 

hostage taking incident; set up the first communitybased 

sex offender treatment program in Western 

Australia; was the co-author of the Columbus Project, 

which initiated differential case management of child 

abuse and domestic violence cases in the Family Court 

of Western Australia, and was instrumental in devising a 

program which assisted parents, with mental health and 

substance abuse issues, to separate and minimise the 

impact of this on their children. 

I was a keynote speaker at the International Conference 

on Intra-familial Homicide at Surfers Paradise, 

Queensland in December 2008 and was a member of 

the National Advisory Group to the Federal Government 

on intra-familial homicide. I am currently a member 

of working parties advising the State Government 

on domestic violence risk assessment and risk 

management, and on a domestic homicide review 

process. I am happy now to be a full time lecturer 

and researcher in the School of Occupational Therapy 

and Social Work at Curtin University and to have the 

opportunity to teach students who, like me, have been 

drawn to this wonderful profession. 


Dr Kay Hallahan, AO 

Chair of the Council on 

Homelessness 

BAppSc (Social Work) (WAIT 

now Curtin) (1980), Doctor of 

Letters (Curtin) (2002) 

Graduating as a social worker from Curtin University 

provided me with the knowledge and skills significant in 

preparing me for unexpected opportunities for positions 

I had never contemplated. Following graduation, mine 

was a life of pathways continually opening up to new, 

challenging and rewarding roles. 

I was elected to the State Parliament two and a half years 

after graduating and to the Ministry just over six years 

after course completion. It was with some trepidation 

that I faced the complex demands of that first portfolio, 

the Community Services portfolio in 1986. 

In all responsibilities undertaken, as a newly graduated 

social worker and then as a Member of the Legislative 

Council (and later the Legislative Assembly), and in 

various portfolios including Local Government, Planning 

and Education and Training, I was acutely aware that 

I was benefitting from and well-equipped with the 

knowledge and skills acquired during the social work 

course. 

In the years following that Parliamentary career, I 

continued to draw on a broadened knowledge and 

skill base applying it in roles assisting various not-forprofit 

organisations at the local, state, national and 

international levels. 


Dion Leeuwenburg 

Clinical Social Worker, Health 

Department 


After graduating from the Bachelor of Social Work course 

at Curtin University in 2003 I was lucky enough to be 

able to secure work immediately with the Department 

for Community Development where I worked as a field 

officer for three years. This was a very challenging, 

yet rewarding role for me and I was able to apply the 

theoretical and practical social work skills I learnt in 

working with young people and their families. 

During this time I maintained an interest in some of 

the key systemic and therapeutic ideas I studied at 

university and my practice moved into the area of 

counselling. Since 2005, I have worked as a clinical social 

worker providing counselling and psychotherapy for 

young people and adults with mental health issues. I 

obtained the title of Mental Health Social Worker through 

the Australian Association of Social Workers, which 

allows me to offer Medicare rebates to clients referred by 

general practitioners. I now work part-time as a clinical 

social worker for the Health Department and also have 

my own private practice. 

I cannot speak highly enough of my time at Curtin 

University or the teaching staff. The knowledge and 

experience I gained has been priceless. I have had 

the privilege to be mentored by highly skilled and 

experienced professionals in the fields of social work and 

psychology, some of whom have become good friends 

and supporters. I am presently applying to study in 

the Masters program with the School of Occupational 

Therapy and Social Work. This is another opportunity for 

me to develop my knowledge base. 

I have discovered that a social work degree really does 

enable you to work in such a broad range of roles. My 

social work colleagues work in research, policy, case 

management roles, community development positions, 

family support and therapy roles with government, notfor-profit 

groups and private practice. 


Lindy Hall 

Senior Social Worker, Sir 

Charles Gairdner Hospital 


My social work training has held me in good stead for a 

range of exciting and challenging career opportunities. 

Upon graduating in 1984, I joined the Health Department 

as a mental health social worker at Graylands Hospital. 

This was a powerful experience, exposing me to a range 

of social justice issues and the important role social 

work has in adding value to client care. It was during 

these formative years that my interest in family work 

and working collaboratively with others to achieve great 

outcomes was forged. 

In 1990 I became a member of a social work department 

in a large tertiary teaching institution – Sir Charles 

Gairdner Hospital. Here I continued to work in the mental 

health arena honing my skills in advocacy and promoting 

client resilience through application of strengths-based 

practice. This work environment provided many new 

opportunities to continue my professional development, 

including roles related to team leadership, management 

and education of both social work students and students 

from other professions. In addition, I have also been 

fortunate to undertake a research project related to 

family resiliency with the Centre for Mental Health 

Research. 

My recent appointment as the non-coronial post-mortem 

coordinator for the hospital highlights the versatility of a 

social work degree. I believe it is the unique skill set that 

allows for such transferability. This winning knowledge 

combination enables social workers to excel at managing 

people in a vast variety of complex situations. 


Megan Richards 

Manager -Youth Services, 

(HCSG) Hills Community 

Support Group (Inc) 


I completed my fourth year practicum in 2004 at what 

was then a small youth service operated by the Hills 

Community Support Group (HCSG) in Midland. At the 

end of my placement I was offered a position, first as an 

Outreach Worker then six months later as the Manager of 

the Youth Services. I soon found the skills gained during 

my social work degree would take my career to places I 

had never imagined - or even thought possible. 

During my placement I had encountered a young woman 

who had come to me seeking assistance to leave her 

violent partner, I was shocked to learn she wasn’t able to 

access existing women’s refuges as she was considered 

too young – she was only 15 years old – this meant that 

without family support and with nowhere else to go she 

was forced to return to her violent partner. However with 

the support of my employer and the skills I had gained 

I was able to bring together a range of Government 

and non-Government organisations with the aim of 

addressing this unacceptable situation. After much 

hard work, and collaboration by all who were involved, 

Kira House opened temporary accommodation for 

young women in 2008. Kira House now provides safe 

and supportive accommodation for young women aged 

between 14 and 18 years who are escaping domestic/ 

family violence. The service will move from its temporary 

accommodation to a purpose built refuge able to house 

up to six young women and their children this year. 

Kira House is the only refuge of its kind in Western 

Australia, and is almost always full; however we have 

found that the majority of young women who come to 

Kira House do not return to their violent partner – which 

is significantly different to the experience of other 

women’s refuges. While we do not really know the reason 

for this, we suspect it is due to the benefits of early 

intervention in the cycle of violence. Since the opening of 

Kira House I have had contact with a service in Tasmania 

which is seeking to develop a similar service. 

It has been both a huge privilege and incredibly 

rewarding to be part of this amazing process. At the 

beginning of my degree I had never imagined this is 

where my social work career would lead. When you 

graduate with your social work degree I hope you too 

will find you are only limited by your passion and your 

imagination. 


Bill Budiselik 

(BAppSc (Social Work) (1974); 

Graduate Diploma Business and 

Administration (1985); PhD 

candidate under examination 

(2010) 

A qualification in social work has provided the basis of 

an enjoyable, stimulating and much-loved career, and 

an excellent platform to undertake further studies and 

research. In my 35 years as a social worker I have played 

many roles in church, Government and not-for-profit 

charitable organisations, and at times have carried 

responsibility for statutory child and family welfare, 

family and individual support, and juvenile justice 

programs in rural, remote and metropolitan parts of 

Australia. I am particularly enjoying my current teaching 

role at Curtin, taking the opportunity to meet and 

influence a new generation of social workers. 

My PhD topic, ‘Child-Safe Organisations’, is close to my 

heart. My interest in the topic emerged from various 

professional experiences including: 

• My appointment in 1974 as the first social worker 

employed by the Christian Brothers in Western 

Australia to work in their child care institutions, which 

are infamously associated with child abuse. 

• In the mid 1990’s, as a member of the then Prime 

Minister’s Task Force on Youth Homelessness, coming 

to grips with the vulnerability of children who were 

victims of familial child abuse, only to be further 

abused in organisations or in care,and, 

• In the late 1990’s as an executive member of the 

then Western Australian Department of Family and 

Children’s Services, reading a heart wrenching letter 

from the mother of a pre-school child who had been 

abused by his teacher. The mother’s guilt about 

denying her child’s early attempts to bring his concerns 

to her attention was palpable. She wrote the letter 

asking the department to tell those responsible for 

children to listen to them. 


Emma White with 

colleague Pricilla 

Williams, Halls Creek DCP 

District Director, Department 

for Child Protection, East 

Kimberley 


Studying social work at Curtin remains one of the most 

enriching experiences of my life to date. The course and 

teaching staff really encouraged me to build on my 

existing knowledge and experience, and also opened 

my mind to new and different ways of thinking and 

understanding the social and political world. I particularly 

loved the research, social administration/policy, and 

critical reflexive practice units of the course. 

Since graduating, social work has taken me places I 

would only have imagined when I was studying. I have 

worked in Sri Lanka for a Women’s Development Centre, 

in grass root positions in the homelessness sector, at 

Curtin University at the then School of Social Work and 

Social Policy as a research assistant and tutor, in policy 

and evaluation for State Government and for the last 

six years for the Department for Child Protection in the 

Kimberley Region. 

If you are considering social work you must also consider 

working in rural and remote Australia at some point in 

your career. When I started in the Kimberley I worked 

directly with individuals and families, where I soon learnt 

that to work effectively for the safety and well-being 

of children and their families, I needed to engage with 

the cultural, geographical and community context. The 

remoteness of the Kimberley, like many other regional 

and remote locations, presents a unique opportunity to 

work collectively with community and other Government 

and non-Government agencies. The diversity of this 

practice experience is rewarding, challenging and a 

fantastic way to work, live and contribute to the broader 

community. 

My current role as district director in the East Kimberley 

is equally as rewarding. I have the exciting challenge 

of contributing to, and connecting the organisation’s 

strategic vision with the local context, meeting the 

learning and development needs of a diverse staffing 

group and working with community leaders and with 

other agencies for the well-being of children, their 

families and communities. 

Each social work role I have been in has been very 

different from the other. However, it has been the lessons 

learned from the theory and practise in social work that 

have connected these experiences and enabled me to 

engage with such diversity. If you have an interest in 

understanding and working with a diversity of people and 

places and are committed to social change then social 

work is definitely for you. You will not regret it! 


Dawn Bessareb 

Associate Professor 

Indigenous Research Centre 

for International Health Curtin 

University 

BSW Honours, PhD (Curtin) 

(2007) 

I am an Indigenous woman from the Kimberley who 

completed my social work degree as a mature age 

student, graduating with honours in 1996 and my PhD 

in 2007. 

Since graduating as a social worker I have had 

an interesting career. Social work is an extremely 

transferable degree that enables one to work across 

different settings such as clinical practice, policy, 

counselling, child protection, family violence, drug and 

alcohol, community development and mental health. 

I have worked as a child protection worker carrying out 

investigations, case work, counselling and training with 

a major focus in Aboriginal child protection. I worked as 

a senior policy officer for the Department of Indigenous 

Affairs managing the development of a child abuse 

awareness video, targeting Aboriginal communities. 

This rewarding project won the Premier’s Award in two 

categories in 2002. 

I have also worked as a senior manager for the 

Department of Attorney General for the Courts and 

Tribunal services. My job in this capacity was as a 

cultural advisor in assisting courts to implement an 

Aboriginal policy and strategy across Western Australia. 

In this role I had input into policy, training and supported 

the implementation and rolling out of Aboriginal Liaison 

Officers (ALO’s) across the State. I worked with the ALO’s 

and courts to develop a training package to educate 

Aboriginal people about court processes, language and 

how to repay fines and get their licence back. 

Since completing my doctorate I now work as an 

associate professor with the Centre for International 

Health Curtin engaging in Indigenous Health research 

in the Aboriginal community. I have been a team 

investigator on a National Health and Medical Research 

Council (NHMRC) capacity building grant and am 

currently a chief investigator on two different NHMRC 

grants. 

One grant with the Telethon Institute for Child Health 

Research trialled an Aboriginal parenting program in 

Perth and the other at Curtin is a capacity building 

grant looking at mental health issues in the Aboriginal 

community. I have helped to develop an international 

Indigenous Health unit and deliver lectures on Indigenous 

issues across Curtin. I also supervise both masters and 

PhD students.

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