Amber Smith
Sunshine Coast,QLD
Summary
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and university counsellor with extensive experience in managing risk responses and critical incidents across tertiary education and private practice settings. Skilled in rapid assessment, crisis intervention, and the coordination of multidisciplinary teams to ensure student and client safety. Recognised for delivering therapeutic and risk-management interventions, and providing professional supervision while contributing to service innovation.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
Work History
Student Wellbeing Counsellor
University of the Sunshine Coast
01.2022 - Current
- Deliver clinical interventions (CBT, ACT, DBT, somatic) for ranging student presentations including suicidality, complex trauma, neurodivergence, and eating disorders.
- Support triage and risk-management processes, contributing to timely responses to student mental-health concerns and coordinating with internal teams and external services as required.
- Design and implement wellbeing initiatives including the Regulate & Restore somatic therapy pilot.
Mental Health Accredited Social Worker
With Grace Therapy
01.2022 - Current
- Provide specialist treatment for broad and high-acuity presentations, with a clinical focus on eating-disordered behaviours, complex trauma, and body-image disturbance.
- Deliver tailored interventions for current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, addressing service-related PTSD, moral injury, and complex adjustment difficulties.
- Support clients with psychosocial disabilities under NDIS, integrating therapeutic work with functional recovery planning, case management, and coordination of multi-disciplinary supports.
- Conduct comprehensive risk assessments and critical-incident responses, including suicide prevention, self-harm management, and post-incident follow-up.
- Provide formal professional supervision to practising social workers, ensuring high clinical standards and embedding trauma-informed practice within the wider service.
- Collaborate with psychiatrists, dietitians, GPs, and veteran support services to deliver holistic, multi-disciplinary care and advocate for client needs across clinical and community settings.
Mental Health Accredited Social Worker
The Therapy Movement
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Deliver specialised mental-health assessment and intensive intervention for adolescents and young adults (12–25) presenting with complex trauma, emerging personality disorders, neurodivergence, and high-risk behaviours.
- Provide integrated treatment planning combining ACT, DBT, schema therapy, somatic approaches, and family-systems work to stabilise risk and address entrenched patterns.
- Undertake formal risk assessments and crisis interventions, coordinating safety plans and rapid escalation with emergency services, schools, and primary care providers.
- Lead multi-agency case conferences to address psychosocial barriers such as housing instability, family violence, and legal issues, ensuring continuity of care across education, health, and justice sectors.
- Offer professional supervision and mentoring to social work students and early-career clinicians.
Behavioural Support Carer
Autism Camps Australia
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Provide behavioural and emotional support to camp participants in accordance with NDIS goals and positive-behaviour support plans.
Course Examiner
University of Southern Queensland
01.2021 - 01.2024
- Designed and delivered online curricula for the Bachelor of Human Services; Youth Work Practice and Foundations of Human Services, including live tutorials, student mentoring, and assessment moderation.
- Integrated current clinical practice and trauma theory to strengthen graduate readiness.
- Collaborated with faculty to refine assessment criteria and enhance evaluation processes.
- Provided feedback on student submissions, promoting learning and improvement in academic performance.
Senior Intervention Clinician
Headspace
01.2017 - 01.2022
- Provided intake, psychosocial assessment, and ongoing therapy for young people aged 12–25 presenting with complex mental-health needs.
- Supervised social work students and clinically managed the intake team in the absence of the clinical lead.
- Delivered community engagement sessions to schools and youth services, improving early intervention pathways.
Rehabilitation Social Worker
Sunshine Coast University Hospital
01.2018 - 2019
- Led psychosocial assessment, complex discharge planning, and therapeutic interventions for patients with significant medical, mental-health, and trauma presentations.
Clinical Lead / Senior Dental Practitioner
Bupa Dental
01.2005 - 01.2022
- Managed a multidisciplinary dental team, supervised clinicians, and delivered paediatric and adolescent dental assessment and treatment inclusive of functional orthodontics and orofacial myofunctional therapy.
- Provided adult scope dental examination, and preventative treatment.
Residential Youth Worker
United Synergies
01.2020 - 01.2021
- Supported adolescents in a supported-independent living program, implementing behavioural and emotional-regulation strategies aligned with trauma-informed care.
Intake & Crisis Intervention Clinician
Open Arms
2020 - 2022
- Conducted high-risk triage, crisis counselling, and brief interventions for current and ex-serving Defence members and their families.
- Coordinated multidisciplinary referrals and managed acute suicide risk.
Education
Mental Health Accreditation -
AASW
01-2022
Master of Social Work -
Queensland University of Technology
01-2018
Bachelor of Applied Health Science - Oral Health
University of Queensland
01-2005
Skills
- Autonomous practice across high-risk, complex presentations
- Leadership in risk management and critical-incident response within tertiary and community settings
- Multicultural competence
- Crisis intervention techniques
- Biopsychosocial assessments
- File and record keeping
Timeline
Student Wellbeing Counsellor
University of the Sunshine Coast
01.2022 - Current
Mental Health Accredited Social Worker
With Grace Therapy
01.2022 - Current
Mental Health Accredited Social Worker
The Therapy Movement
01.2022 - 01.2025
Behavioural Support Carer
Autism Camps Australia
01.2022 - 01.2025
Course Examiner
University of Southern Queensland
01.2021 - 01.2024
Residential Youth Worker
United Synergies
01.2020 - 01.2021
Rehabilitation Social Worker
Sunshine Coast University Hospital
01.2018 - 2019
Senior Intervention Clinician
Headspace
01.2017 - 01.2022
Clinical Lead / Senior Dental Practitioner
Bupa Dental
01.2005 - 01.2022
Intake & Crisis Intervention Clinician
Open Arms
2020 - 2022
Mental Health Accreditation -
AASW
Master of Social Work -
Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Applied Health Science - Oral Health
University of Queensland
Training
- ACT (Russ Harris)
- Low-Intensity CBT
- DBT
- Buteyko Breathing
- Safeside Suicide Prevention
- Circle of Security
- Trauma & Attachment (Bessel van der Kolk)
- Somatic and Polyvagal Interventions (Pat Ogden, Wisemind)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy
- Art Therapy
- Advanced Risk Assessment (QCMHL)
Hobbies and Interests
Muay Thai, Surfing, Meditation, Buddhist Psychology, Travel, Parenting fur-children