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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, specialist psychologists and psychiatrists, who are supported by our business services team. Our specialist practitioners maintain their clinical skills in their private psychology and psychiatry practices.
Executive management group
Professor Mark Creamer
Director
Professor Mark Creamer is the Director of the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH). He has many years of clinical and research experience in the area of recovery from trauma and is internationally recognised for his work in the field. He has assisted individuals, groups and communities following a large range of traumatic incidents. His research interests include the nature, assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress. He has published widely in the area and is on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
Associate Professor David Forbes
Clinical Director
A/Prof David Forbes is a Clinical Psychologist with many years experience in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems following trauma and is currently the Clinical Director at ACPMH. He completed both his postgraduate clinical psychology training (1993) and his Phd (2005) at the University of Melbourne. He has worked in both acute crisis and continuing care settings across the community mental health system and as Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre PTSD Unit. A/Prof Forbes has also published widely in the area of posttraumatic stress in the international literature.
Associate Professor Virginia Lewis
Principal Research Fellow
Dr Lewis entered the field of public health in 1987, working for the Victorian Health Department in the Health Promotion Unit Evaluation section. During the 1990s Virginia completed a PhD in the area of social psychology exploring the links between attitudes and behaviour. Prior to joining ACPMH in 2006 Virginia worked at the Australian Institute for Primary Care (AIPC), La Trobe University. During this time she developed particular expertise in evaluating National programs and initiatives, especially those targeting mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Virginia is Director of Research at ACPMH. She is leading a three-year strategic evaluation of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Mental Health Initiatives, and is involved in a range of other projects with the ADF and DVA.
Associate Professor John Pead
Clinical Specialist - Alcohol and Drugs
John Pead is Associate Professor and Clinical Specialist, Alcohol and Drugs. He is a clinical psychologist with a track record in grant funded research and health services management, policy and planning. He has authored several publications including New Concepts in Drug Withdrawal and Amphetamines and Analogues. He is a member of the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Mental Health Working Group and the Australian Defence Force’s, Alcohol and Drug Advisory Group.
Robyn Goodwill
Business Manager
Robyn Goodwill joined ACPMH at the end of April 2007. She has previously worked in another area of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry and has many years experience in managing a private multidisciplinary medical practice. Robyn has also extensive experience in industrial relations working for the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and a national umbrella employer organisation, in both instances in management roles.
Staff
Joanne Cesario
Administration Officer
Joanne Cesario is the first point of contact for ACPMH. Her previous experience includes 17 years as a personal assistant/secretary. She has skills in all facets of office work as well as client liaison.
Liam Connor
Research Assistant
Liam is study assessor on the cognitive processing therapy trial and is based at the VVCS-Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling office in Brisbane. Liam is a final year clinical doctorate student who has completed a placement at VVCS.
Anne-Laure Couineau
Clinical Specialist - Psychology
Anne-Laure is a psychologist who has worked in hospital and community settings with people who have experienced trauma. 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. She has a strong background in group interventions and her previous position involved coordinating the delivery of group work to veterans and their families in Victoria.
Brooke Ferguson
Research Assistant
Brooke is a study assessor on the cognitive processing therapy trial and is based at the VVCS-Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling office in Adelaide. Brooke is a Clinical Doctorate student from Adelaide University where she is conducting research around families and mental illness.
Kate Ferris
Research Assistant
Kate completed a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Honours) degree at Deakin University in Geelong and has had ten years of research experience. Kate has enjoyed working on a variety of Behavioural, Psychosocial and Public Health research projects and has developed skills in both qualitative and quantitative research. She is currently studying a Masters of Public Health with an interest in mental health policy evaluation and international health, and is currently assisting on two research projects on Barriers to Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health Policy Evaluation.
Susie Fletcher
Research Assistant
Before coming to ACPMH in 2008, Susie worked at a rural campus of the University of Sydney where she co-ordinated a longitudinal study of health science students on rural placements and was a lead researcher on a project assessing the supply of health professionals across Australia. Susie has an honours degree in psychology, a number of papers published in peer reviewed journals and in 2007 was the Australian invited speaker at a rural health conference in Beijing.
Maria Humphries
Communications and Project Coordinator
Maria joined ACPMH in 2009 and has previously worked in another area of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry. She has considerable experience in administration of post-graduate training and project administration. Maria is responsible for managing ACPMH’s publications and other communications, and supports projects and training, such as the nation-wide Trauma-focussed training workshops.
Winnie Lau
Research Fellow
Winnie holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Hons) degree and is a psychologist and Project Manager on the Promoting Recovery Study, which investigates the effectiveness of early treatment for posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety in traumatic injury survivors. She is completing her PhD examining psychological outcomes in traumatised refugee populations
Delyth Lloyd
Project Manager
Delyth Lloyd has worked full time in research since graduating in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford in 2001. Del joined ACPMH in 2004. She has conducted research in indigenous communities, and a range of trauma research projects including brain injury and PTSD. Her current projects include the CPT Trial - first Australian community trial of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and roll-out of the DVA Training for Mental Health Practitioners Initiative.
John O'Connor
Senior Clinical Fellow
John is a psychologist who has worked in the area of addictive behaviours (alcohol & other drugs, gambling) and veteran related issues as a clinician, lecturer/trainer, researcher, advisor, and writer/editor of resource materials. During 2006-08 he was the National Director of Clinical Services for the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS). He has published in the areas of controlled drinking, drug education, the nature of addiction/impaired control, and excessive gambling.
Dr. Meaghan O'Donnell
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Meaghan O’Donnell is a clinical psychologist who holds an NHMRC Clinical Research Fellowship. She is jointly based at ACPMH, University of Melbourne and the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI). Dr O'Donnell completed her postgraduate clinical psychology training at the University of Western Australia in 1996 and her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2003. She leads the ACPMH Traumatic Injury Research Program and has published widely in the area of mental health following injury.
Dr. Ruth Parslow
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Parslow worked as a senior health policy officer in both the Queensland and Commonwealth governments. In 1999 she left the public service to undertake doctoral studies in psychiatric epidemiology, after which she worked as a Research Fellow, firstly at ANU and, more recently, at the Orygen Research Centre, University of Melbourne. Ruth has published her research findings widely and brings extensive skills and experience in advanced statistical methods, health policy development and service evaluation.
Andrea Phelps
Clinical Specialist
Andrea Phelps is a clinical psychologist specialising in the assessment and treatment of PTSD. She has worked in hospital and community settings across the acute and continuing care spectrum, providing psychological assessment and treatment services to adults with mental illness, including at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre PTSD Unit. Andrea consults to ACPMH’s clients in the areas of policy advice, service development, and education and training. She is undertaking a PhD in the area of sleep and nightmares in PTSD.
Cecily Schwab
Senior Manager - Strategic Development
Cecily Schwab is a Clinical Psychologist with several years experience in private practice and acute private psychiatry. Cecily also holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School and has gained 10 years experience in private sector business development and planning. Cecily joined ACPMH in this newly created role in April 2009 and is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the APS College of Clinical Psychologists.
Richard Todd
IT Officer
Richard Todd has worked in the IT field at the University of Melbourne for over eleven years and as a commercial programmer for a further four years. He has an Arts degree and postgraduate qualifications in Environmental Science and Information Technology/Management.
Dr. Tracey Varker
Research Assistant
Tracey recently completed a PhD at Swinburne University in the prevention of trauma reactions in police officers. Tracey is a study assessor on the Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) trial and is based at the VVCS-Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling office in Melbourne for one day per week. She is also currently working on the roll-out of the DVA Training for Mental Health Practitioners Initiative, the response to the Victorian bushfires and several other knowledge dissemination initiatives.
Darryl Wade
Senior Clinical Fellow
Darryl Wade is a Clinical Psychologist with many years experience in a diverse range of mental health settings and has previously coordinated government-funded mental health initiatives. In 2006 he completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne which examined the impact of substance misuse on the course and outcome of first-episode psychosis. He has published on mental health issues affecting young people. Darryl is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the APS College of Clinical Psychologists.
Pip Weiland
Military Psychologist
Pip Weiland is a psychologist in the Australian Army Psychology Corps. After commissioning in 2003 she completed her supervision at 1 Psychology Unit, Randwick, providing psychological support to military members in both the Solomon Islands and Iraq. She was most recently employed as the area psychologist for the Darling Downs region in Queensland, responsible for support to the Australian Army Aviation Training Centre and Borneo Barracks. Pip is currently studying a Master of Organisational Psychology at Monash University and has a special interest in leadership training.
Dr. Bronwyn Wolfgang
Research Fellow
Bronwyn Jones Wolfgang received her Masters from the Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin and her PhD from the Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne. Her doctoral research explored the role of emotion regulation in recovery from trauma. Bronwyn's work at the ACPMH includes on a range of policy, service development and knowledge dissemination initiatives.
Valeria Zoteyeva
Research Administration Officer
Valeria completed her degree in Psychology at Saint-Petersburg State University in Russia, specialising in organisational psychology. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Health Psychology and Health Promotion at Monash. Her current research interests include developing a better understanding of the experience and perception of pain. Valeria also has a personal interest in cross-cultural psychology and cultural anthropology, which has been influenced in particular by her experiences living in three different cultures: Russia, Israel and Australia. At ACPMH Valeria works in the Data Management Unit and provides support to research and publication activities for all staff.