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Our people
Our staff have complementary skills and experience in research, clinical treatment, policy, service development, education and communication. Our people include clinically trained researchers, and specialist psychologists, who are supported by our professional services team. Our specialist practitioners maintain their clinical skills in their private psychology practices.
Professor David Forbes
BA (Hons) MA (Clin Psych) PhD
Director
David joined ACPMH in 1999 as Deputy Director, and was appointed Director in January 2012. He is a clinical psychologist with many years’ experience in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems following trauma. He has worked in both acute crisis and continuing care settings across the community mental health system and in specialist traumatic stress services. David has played an active role in all three arms of ACPMH’s areas of activity: research, education and training, and policy and service development. He was the Chair of the working party for the Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. He has also published widely in the area of posttraumatic stress in the international literature.
Management group
Associate Professor Meaghan O'Donnell
BAppSci BSci (Hons) MPsych (Clin) PhD
Director of Research
Meaghan joined ACPMH in 2003 after completing her postgraduate clinical psychology training at the University of Western Australia in 1996 and her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2003 (under the supervision of Professor Mark Creamer). Meaghan has published widely in the area of posttraumatic mental health, holds a number of large research grants and is involved in both national and international research collaborations. She is an associate editor for the European Journal of Psychotraumatology and is on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Meaghan is involved in a number of research projects that encompass a range of areas including epidemiology, phenomenology, intervention, and biology of posttraumatic mental health, and the mental health issues in military and veteran populations.
Dr Andrea Phelps
BA (Hons) MPsych (Clin) PhD
Director of Policy and Service Improvement
Andrea joined ACPMH in 2003 as a clinical specialist, after working for 20 years as a clinical psychologist, specialising in posttraumatic mental health since 1997. She is currently leading the policy and service development work undertaken at ACPMH but her role at ACPMH spans across the training, research and service development domains. She has been responsible for managing a number of major ACPMH projects including the development of the Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, advice to the rail industry on management of psychological trauma following critical incidents, and a range of DVA initiatives to promote best practice mental health care for veterans. Within the PTSD field, Andrea’s particular research and clinical interest is in the area of sleep and nightmares. She has completed a PhD on this topic.
Associate Professor Darryl Wade
BA (Hons) MA (Clin Psych) PhD
Director of Education and Training
Darryl joined ACPMH in 2008 after many years' experience as a clinical psychologist in a range of mental health settings. At ACPMH he has developed and managed a range of mental health initiatives to improve access to effective treatment and support for people affected by trauma and disaster including past and present defence force members and their families, and survivors of the 2009 Victorian bushfires. His current research interests include screening and brief interventions for substance use and translating research findings into practice. He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2006 and has published widely on mental health issues affecting young people. Darryl is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the APS College of Clinical Psychologists.
Dr Richard Cash
BA (Hons) PsyD
Senior Clinical Specialist
Richard joined ACPMH in 2012 as a Senior Clinical Specialist. He is a psychologist with vast experience in the treatment of posttraumatic mental health problems within the Veteran community. Prior to his appointment to ACPMH, he was the Deputy Director of the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service in Victoria. Richard has extensive training experience and is passionate about championing evidence-based interventions within allied health. He is involved in policy and service development as well as education and training activities at ACPMH.
Anne-Laure Couineau
BA (Psych) MA (Psych) Grad Dip (Psych)
Senior Clinical Specialist
Anne-Laure is a psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of posttraumatic mental health problems in hospital and community settings. She has specialised in the treatment of war veterans and emergency personnel diagnosed with PTSD and the effects of long-term childhood sexual abuse and neglect. Anne-Laure has a strong background in education and knowledge translation and has led several projects aimed at improving the uptake of evidence-based practice among mental health practitioners. Recent projects led by Anne-Laure include a Department of Veterans’ Affairs national training initiative to up-skill mental health practitioners, and an ADF national training program. Anne-Laure has also completed a fellowship with the National Institute of Clinical Studies focusing on the implementation of evidence-based treatment of PTSD.
Nick Davies
BA (Soc) BAcc
Business Centre Manager
With 15 years experience across the IT, recruitment/HR, superannuation, Defence and community sectors, Nick comes to ACPMH having recently completed a double bachelors degree as a mature age student. Nick’s broad experience across a range of business disciplines complements and supports the rigorous academic endeavour of his ACPMH colleagues. While his professional focus remains firmly in the accounting discipline, Nick has a keen interest in sociological issues and in being an informed citizen. Nick also holds considerable vocational qualifications in professional writing.
Jane Nursey
BBSc Grad Dip Child & Adol Psych MPsych (Clin Neuro)
Senior Clinical Specialist
Jane joined ACPMH in 2010 as a Senior Clinical Specialist. Prior to her appointment she was Manager of Outpatient Programs at Post Trauma Victoria and the Veteran Psychiatry Unit at Austin Health. She has worked in public acute and mental health services across Melbourne for 18 years, including with CAMHS and Adult and Aged Care services. Jane has presented on the neuropsychological aspects of PTSD both in Australia and overseas and coordinated a treatment service for bushfire survivors following the Victorian bushfires in February 2009. At ACPMH Jane is involved in policy and service development projects as well as education and training programs.
Staff
Nathan Alkemade
BA Grad Dip (Psych) PGDip (Psych)
Research Assistant
Nathan joined ACPMH in 2012. He is currently working on a number of research projects, completing literature reviews, analysing data and writing papers for publication. Nathan has experience in factor analysis (exploratory, confirmatory and multi-group CFA), latent class analysis and growth mixture modelling using Mplus. Nathan is currently undertaking an MPsych (Clinical) / PhD at the University of Melbourne. His research includes an examination of the latent structure of MMPI-2 clinical scales, and an assessment of differential item functioning for MMPI-2 comparing normative and traumatic brain injury populations..
Dr Lisa Dell
BAppSci (Hons) PhD
Research Fellow
Lisa joined ACPMH in 2009, having previously worked as Director of Training with the Canadian Air Force managing a range of projects including the development of a comprehensive e-learning training program. She has a PhD in stress management and emotional intelligence, and developed one of the first Australian workplace emotional intelligence training programs. In her role as a Research Fellow, Lisa is responsible for the design, implementation and oversight of a range of policy and service development projects and evaluations.
Susie Fletcher
BAppSci (Psych) PGDip (Psych)
Research Assistant
Susie joined ACPMH in 2008. Her research experience includes conducting systematic literature reviews, data analysis and writing research papers. She is currently involved in a number of research projects at ACPMH. Susie is based primarily at the Alfred Hospital, where she recruits and assesses patients admitted with a traumatic injury. She is also involved in data analysis and writing manuscripts for publication.
Jaiganesh Govinda Swamy
BCom
Financial Officer
Jaiganesh joined ACPMH in 2009, having worked with a number of accounting professionals for many years. He has previously worked in another area of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry as Accounts Officer. Jaiganesh is responsible for managing ACPMH’s day-to-day accounts and other administration related work.
Alexandra Howard
BPsych (Hons) MPsych (Clin)
Research Fellow
Alexandra joined ACPMH in 2010, having worked previously as a clinical psychologist in the private, public and university sectors. In these roles she specialised in anxiety and youth mental health, and developed and facilitated group therapy programs. She also has experience in project management of clinical research trials and community health service program evaluation. She completed her Masters of Psychology (Clinical) from the University of NSW. Alexandra is currently working for ACPMH on a research project providing psychological therapy to people who have experienced posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety following trauma.
Maria Humphries
Communications and Project Coordinator
Maria joined ACPMH in 2009. She has considerable experience in administration of post-graduate training within the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry, and in project administration. Maria is responsible for managing ACPMH’s publications and other communications. Maria is also project manager for a number of training projects, including the nation-wide Trauma-focussed training workshops.
Dzenana Kartal
BSocSc PGDip (Psych)
Research Assistant
Dzenana joined ACPMH in 2011 as a Research Assistant under the NHMRC Program Grant. She has worked in the public and university sectors since 2004. Her research experience includes working with victims of crime, refugees, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and preschoolers. She is completing her PhD examining psycho-social factors impacting the mental health of refugees.
Winnie Lau
BBSC (Hons)
Research Fellow
Winnie has worked as a psychologist across academic and clinical settings. Having worked in the public child and adolescent mental health sector, she joined ACPMH to work as a clinician and project manager. Winnie has been involved in projects examining the impact of trauma on injury survivors; the development of a treatment manual for use in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires; and an early intervention trial for survivors of traumatic injury. She has broad interests in trauma-focussed cognitive behavioural therapies, child and adolescent mental health, and refugee trauma. In 2011 Winnie will submit her PhD, which looks at the psychological wellbeing of young refugees who have experienced trauma.
Delyth Lloyd
MPH (Evaluation) MA (Exp Psy) PCert Clinical Research Management
Research Fellow
Delyth has worked full time in research for over 10 years. She holds a Masters of Public Health specialising in evaluation, and an MA in psychology from the University of Oxford. Del joined ACPMH in 2004 and works across ACPMH’s three key activity areas. She is currently responsible for project design, conduct and dissemination of research and evaluation findings. Del has experience managing a range of large scale national programs as well as smaller specialist programs, primarily in the veteran and military populations. Her diverse research interests include outcomes of Cognitive Processing Therapy, effective training methodologies, and the use of digital technologies for practitioner training and stand alone or adjunct treatment of mental health and wellbeing issues.
Emma Lockwood
BSc GDipPsych PGDipPsych
Research Assistant
Emma joined ACPMH in 2010 to assist with research into the phenomenology of PTSD and its relationship with other disorders. Emma won the 2010 ASTSS Research Prize for her investigation of the latent structure and invariance of PTSD symptoms in veteran samples, and is currently undertaking an MPsych (Clinical) / PhD at the University of Melbourne.
Thi Pham
BA BSc (Hons)
Research Assistant
The holder of an honours degree in psychology, Thi joined ACPMH in 2011 as a Research Assistant and has worked on a number of research projects, predominantly under the NHMRC Program Grant. Previously she has been involved in data management and provision of administrative support for two projects in the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne.
Daniel Redman
Information Technology Officer
Dan joined ACPMH in 2011 and has more than 10 years' experience in all areas of information technology support and management. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Technology (Information Systems) at Swinburne University to further bolster his skills. At ACPMH, he is responsible for managing the IT network and systems and providing IT support to the whole team.
Suzie Sadikovic
Executive Assistant to David Forbes
Suzie joined ACPMH in 2010, has 16 years' experience in all facets of office administration, and is currently studying a BA (Psych) at Deakin University. At ACPMH, she is responsible for providing executive assistance to the Director (Professor David Forbes). Suzie also manages human resources administration and provides administrative assistance to the Board of Management, the Finance Committee and Management Group.
Rebecca Sheehan
Receptionist
Rebecca began working as ACPMH’s receptionist in 2011. She has six years' experience in reception and administration, mainly in the real estate sector. Rebecca’s role is to provide general assistance, administrative support and respond to telephone and email enquiries.
Naomi Stevens
BA (Hons)
Research Assistant
Naomi joined ACPMH in 2011 as a Research Assistant. She has experience conducting alcohol and drug assessments and writing psychological/forensic reports for both government and private organisations. Naomi has a first class honours degree from the Australian National University.
Dr Tracey Varker
BSc (Hons) PGDip (Statistics) PhD
Research Fellow
Tracey joined ACPMH in 2007 and recently completed a PhD in the prevention of trauma reactions in police officers. Her current research interests include the prevention of trauma reactions, early interventions for trauma reactions, and high-risk populations such as the emergency services. In her role as a Research Fellow, Tracey has managed and contributed to several projects across the training and education, policy and service development, and research domains. Tracey has a number of publications, and continues to be involved in data analysis and writing manuscripts for publication.