Trainer Bios
Sue Harrison – Senior Trainer, VICSERV
Sue has over 15 years' experience working in public and community managed mental health services in Victoria. She has skills in case management with adults of all ages, development of projects to improve access to services, and in program design and evaluation. Sue has a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Therapy, and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Sue’s training experience includes undergraduate teaching and placement coordination, student supervision, and the design and delivery of the Certificate IV in Mental Health to the community managed mental health sector. Her training interests include stigma reduction, and the development of meaningful partnerships that facilitate recovery.
David Braniff
David’s association with mental health commenced in 1997. While living in London and working as a Civil Engineer he was struck by a major psychosis which came on very quickly. He was 25 at the time and on a holiday of a lifetime. Between 1997 and 2000, David experienced fluctuating periods of wellness and had been hospitalised six times. Disruption to life and a promising career was immense.
Many slow, but valuable and rewarding years of recovery followed. With an enquiring mind and intellect and a commitment to living in 'reality', David has gained many insights from his experience and has chosen to share this understanding with others. He works as a Recovery Mentor (Peer Support Worker) promoting the many important themes of recovery. He is active in speech writing and making public presentations. He enjoys sharing personal stories of a very interesting psychosis and raising awareness within the community of the issues surrounding mental illness and recovery.
Indigo Daya
Indigo is a recovery expert by experience. After years of life as a revolving door psychiatric patient - heavily medicated, unemployed and without hope - Indigo finally found a therapist and a keyworker who saw her potential rather than her limitations. From here the real recovery work began. Indigo’s experiences have taught her that hope is never unrealistic.
Indigo has seven years' experience working in the community mental health sector as a facilitator, keyworker, arts program coordinator, and is currently the project manager of Voices Vic – an award-winning, state-wide recovery program for people who hear voices or have unusual experiences. Indigo is also an independent mental health trainer, speaker and consultant, specialising in group work, art and recovery, innovation and consumer-led approaches. She mentors and trains other experts by experience to work in the sector and has spoken at many mental health conferences and public events.
Indigo also has almost a decade of experience working in the corporate sector in project management, product management, marketing and human resources. She has a PhD in Madness (University of Life) in addition to her more traditional qualifications of a Bachelor of Business, Diploma of Management and Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. She is currently completing post-graduate studies in Psychology.
Loretta Foster
Loretta has recently joined the training team at VICSERV and is excited about the opportunity to share her skills and experience with others, and to contribute to the growth of quality and excellence in the PDRS sector through training. Loretta has over 20 years' experience in the mental health system in Victoria. She has worked in the clinical sector in rehabilitation services, acute units and in community case management and crisis assessment teams. She has worked in the PDRS sector since 1999, and is currently the manager of mental health programs at Gateway Community Health in Wodonga. Loretta is an Occupational Therapist, with a Master’s Degree in Science (majoring in Mental Health), and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Wayne Harrington
Wayne has over 20 years’ experience working in the mental health field, including acute mental health services, correctional mental health services and community managed mental health services. Wayne completed his training as a psychiatric nurse in 1989 at Mont Park and Larundel Hospitals. In 1992 Wayne commenced work at a PDRSS providing housing and support for consumers making the transition to community living in the early phases of deinstitutionalisation.
In 1997 he moved to correctional health services where he established a rehabilitation program at Port Phillip Prison for prisoners experiencing mental illness. In 2000 he returned to a PDRSS where he had a leading role in developing and expanding a broad range of services and later managed this PDRS. In 2007 he established his own business providing training, consultation and supervision, primarily in the psychiatric disability sector. He is currently a member of the VICSERV training team and is also providing sessional training to international medical graduates and international nursing graduates on cultural assimilation to the Australian health system.
Alice Henderson
Alice completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology and Sociology in 2001 at Monash University. Since this time Alice has been working in the community services sector, primarily in PDRSS. Alice began her career supporting people with dual disability, and then went on to support youth who had experienced trauma and abuse issues, and adults who had experienced serious mental illness. Alice has worked in a variety of community settings, such as outreach, day program and residential services.
Alice obtained a Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) in 2009 and a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment in 2010. Alice is currently employed as a Project Officer in the Learning and Development Team at Mind, and has worked in a similar position, alongside writing policy, curriculum, facilitating Minds’ CALD Reference group, for five years. Alice also teaches students at TAFE as part of the Certificate IV in Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs.
John Katsourakis - Development Manager, Training, VICSERV
John has 20 years’ experience in designing, developing and delivering learning and development programs in both private and public organisations. John came to VICSERV from The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (Victoria's peak body for child and family welfare) managing the learning and development needs on behalf of the sector. John has specific expertise in managing training for a peak body to service members' needs and developing staff and managers in leadership, communication, interpersonal and team building skills to enable improved workplace performance and productivity.
John has a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Physical Education and Recreation for the Disabled, Diploma of Business (Frontline Management), Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is an accredited Myers Briggs Type Indicator Administrator.
Anthony Stratford
Anthony is the Senior Training and Develpment Officer at Mind Australia. He is an Honorary Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne and a member of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership. Anthony's work includes writing and delivering modules for the RANZCPs' Master of Psychiatry degree.
Anthony has a 30-year lived experience of mental ill health and recovery.
Elly Zierke
Elly’s involvement with Psychosocial Rehabilitation started in 1990 when she finished her Degree in Social Science, and then commenced as a relief worker in a residential rehabilitation program. Since then she has worked for several NGOs in a variety of roles. This includes working in home-based outreach, supported housing and day programs, as well as managing a day program and outreach service. She has skills in case management, group facilitation and evaluation.
During her working life, Elly has trained in different modalities such as Transactional Analysis, Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Hypnotherapy, and Neuro Linguistic Programming and has Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Elly retired five years ago and spent her time travelling and doing relief work in a range of settings and roles. Additionally, she is involved in providing training for VICSERV and facilitating Drink Drive Education Programs and Alcohol Assessments for people who have lost their licence due to drink driving offences.