DEBBIE TOKIC
Kealba,Australia
Summary
An empathetic and culturally sensitive approach to working with individuals and families, grounded in a steadfast commitment to ethical practice. Expertise in building rapport and trust establishes a strong foundation for effective interventions and positive outcomes. Integrated therapy methods combined with reflective practice promote continuous skill enhancement, addressing the evolving needs of clients and the broader community. A strong collaborator dedicated to team goals, with proven skills in problem-solving, client care, and effective communication, ensuring reliable and flexible performance in dynamic environments.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Family Engagement Practitioner
Anglicare Victoria
01.2023 - Current
- Within the Residential Care environment, I collaborate with staff and partner agencies to design individualized programs for vulnerable youth facing emotional and behavioural challenges.
- This coordinated approach provides comprehensive support, treatment, therapy, and guidance aimed at fostering independent living.
- I engage with young people and their families to facilitate connections and deliver support, with an emphasis on developing, maintaining, and strengthening family relationships.
- I advocate for the interests of young people and families, ensuring their needs are represented.
- I work alongside families to establish objectives aligned with the Child Protection Case Plan framework, focusing on reunification or enhancing family connections and support networks that aid youth on their path to independent living.
- I conduct thorough family assessments and recommend modifications to case plans, prioritizing the support of family relationships and facilitating reunification when appropriate.
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
01.2021 - 12.2022
- Advocated for clients'' rights and needs within the agency and broader social service system, ensuring fair treatment and access to essential resources.
- Enhanced family well-being by conducting comprehensive assessments and developing individualized case plans.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams, sharing vital information to ensure holistic support for families in need.
- Referred clients to appropriate team members, community agencies and organizations to meet treatment needs.
- Ensured accurate documentation of case progress by maintaining detailed records and submitting timely reports to supervisors.
- Coordinated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive support for clients.
Multisystemic (MST) Psychiatric Family Therapist
MacKillop Family Services
12.2019 - 12.2020
- My role involved assessing family dynamics and developing strategic plans to achieve positive outcomes.
- I further refined my case conceptualization abilities through collaboration with my team, the MST Lead Family Therapist during weekly client reviews, and in partnership with the MST psychiatrist.
- As part of my duties, I integrated evidence-based methods into the therapeutic interventions, tailoring each approach to fit the unique needs of every client.
- The following therapeutic interventions were included: Structural, strategic, and multi-systemic family therapies.
- Cognitive behavioural techniques for children and adults.
- Substance abuse treatment.
- Implementation of behavioural therapy within both home and educational environments.
- Trauma treatment with exposure, cognitive therapies, and stress inoculation training.
- Developed and implemented safety plans for families in crisis.
- Facilitated care team meetings and collaborated with Child Protection services.
- Attending quarterly MST Family Therapy training.
- In my capacity, I fulfilled weekly after-hours on-call responsibilities, which involved responding to phone inquiries and outreach efforts beyond standard working hours.
Coordinator of Family Services
MacKillop Family Services
05.2018 - 12.2019
- I led the team in delivering child-focused, family-centred services for vulnerable families, providing practical, culturally sensitive support and promoting values of justice, hope, collaboration, compassion, and respect.
- I consistently achieved service delivery targets by implementing changes to the minimum EFT work requirements for family services.
- Additionally, I initiated staff recruitment efforts to ensure compliance with client servicing standards as outlined by funding requirements.
- Providing supervision to staff on a fortnightly basis—and weekly where necessary—to address individual needs and support professional development, exceeding the monthly supervision requirement specified in the MacKillop policy and procedures.
- I trained and developed inexperienced staff.
- I reviewed staff development plans and approved training goals.
- I performed a comprehensive evaluation of the forms, processes, and procedures at Family Services Footscray and proactively established collaborative partnerships with Family Services Melton and MacKillop Parenting Service.
- I established comprehensive procedures for student placements, encompassing induction activities as well as outlining expectations for supervisors and team members in supporting students.
- Additionally, I clarified student competencies to ensure they were prepared to assume greater responsibilities.
- I facilitated monthly case review meetings for all family services teams in collaboration with a psychiatrist to promote consistent service delivery and address emerging challenges within families.
- These sessions cultivated an environment of reflective practice and ongoing development, enabling staff to exchange insights and enhance their professional skills.
- I worked independently with minimal support and supervision from my manager.
- I collaborated with Family Services staff to facilitate the delivery of parenting programs including Tuning into Kids, Money Matters, and Circle of Security.
- Additionally, to address family violence concerns, I coordinated training for Family Services staff in the 'Breaking the Cycle' program to better support families experiencing adolescent violence.
- I fostered partnerships with Community Based Child Protection, Child FIRST, and the Western Child and Family Alliance.
- I represented my manager at the monthly Child and Family Service Alliance Operations Meetings, where I actively participated.
- I initiated discussions and assessments of Child FIRST referral processes to address quality concerns.
- I approved funding for families and submitted monthly expenditure reports to the Alliance within designated deadlines.
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
08.2014 - 12.2018
- I was able to further develop my Family Therapy competencies by incorporating therapeutic approaches into my Case Management responsibilities.
- I performed risk assessments following the Best Interests Framework and engaged Community-Based Child Protection for consultation as required.
- Educated clients about psychological concepts and processes.
- I utilized a systematic approach when working with clients, facilitating change by engaging families to address obstacles and fostering effective collaboration with other professionals.
- I coordinated and led routine Care Team Meetings.
- I gained experience assisting and supporting families affected by domestic violence.
- I learned about the NDIS Insurance scheme and helped clients obtain funding and access services.
- I took an active role in participating in case reviews and reflective practice sessions.
- Demonstrated experience supporting families dealing with mental health challenges, histories or current instances of violence, disabilities and NDIS coordination, trauma, complex family dynamics, as well as grief and loss.
- Knowledge of the legal requirements and frameworks are important for supporting clients with complex needs.
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
08.2009 - 08.2014
- I handled a complex portfolio of client cases.
- Consistently demonstrated a positive attitude in the workplace, fostering effective teamwork.
- I contributed input and constructive feedback to facilitate the development of services.
- I conducted case assessments and evaluations to ensure best practices were maintained in case management.
- I helped deliver services using a strength-based, family-focused approach that prioritized the child's best interests.
Child Protection Practitioner
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
05.2007 - 08.2009
- In the Child Youth and Family Engagement team I was case managing families and attended court to seek extensions or long-term Child Protection orders.
- My role involved assessing risk, ensuring families were supported appropriately and securing compliance with court orders.
- I prepared court reports evidencing breaches and prepared evidence for court.
- My achievements were that I had run numerous contests and provided evidence ensuring the best interest of the children.
- I had managed to finalize numerous cases that were unresolved for four years or longer by securing long-term safety and placement of the children into permanent long-term kinship and foster care.
- While working in the Investigations Team, I would interview families and services to assess reports of abuse.
- Engagement with parents and children, effective communication skills and clarity of expectations was essential to achieve positive outcomes.
- My achievements were that I worked with numerous families to achieve long term changes either by supporting change, assessing risk and where required to take matters to court.
- Https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/
Personal Financial Consultant
State Trustees
03.2005 - 05.2007
- Conducted comprehensive financial reviews to identify areas for improvement in client portfolios.
- Monitored clients' accounts to determine changes to improve performance or accommodate life changes.
- Advocated for the best interests of clients and reviewed and made recommendations for ongoing Guardianship Orders.
- Attended annual Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) Guardianship Hearings for all clients in my caseload.
Temporary – Various Roles
Adecco
01.2000 - 01.2005
Corporate Support Executive & Reporting Specialist
Optus Corporate Business Centre
02.1997 - 09.1998
Customer Service Coordinator
Optus Corporate Business Centre
02.1995 - 02.1997
Customer Service Representative & Technical Specialist
Optus Customer Service Centre
02.1993 - 02.1995
Education
Master of Clinical Family Therapy - Marriage And Family Therapy
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Victoria, VIC01-2020
Graduate Diploma of Applied Psychology - Industrial Psychology
Victoria University
Melbourne, Victoria, VIC01-2002
Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences - Psychology
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Victoria, VIC01-1992
Skills
- Trauma-Informed Practice
- Crisis Intervention
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Safety Planning
- Case Management
- Client Advocacy
- Excellent communication and writing skills
- Work collaboratively to foster teamwork and build positive relationships
- Displayed organized and efficient work practices and documentation
Affiliations
- Australian Association of Family Therapists (AAFT)
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), 32369
Certificates And Licenses
- Working with Children Check
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- Victoria Drivers Licence
Training And Professional Development
- Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, 2025
- Motivational Interviewing, 2025
- Multisystemic (MST) Psychiatric Family Therapy, 2018
- Multisystemic (MST) Psychiatric Family Therapy, 2019
- Single Session Family Therapy, 2019
- Family Sensitive Training (Robyn Miller and Karen Sullivan), 2021
- Sexual Abuse Investigation (Child Protection), 2008
- Best Interest Case Practice Model (Child Protection), 2008
- Tuning into Kids, 2019
- 123 Magic, 2019
- ABCD Parenting Program, 2019
- Breaking the Cycle, 2019
- Safe and Together, 2021
- Safe and Together – Choose to Change: A campaign on men who choose violence, 2021
- MARAM (Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management), 2021
- Working with Families where there are Adult Offenders (Sexual or Violent), 2021
Timeline
Family Engagement Practitioner
Anglicare Victoria
01.2023 - Current
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
01.2021 - 12.2022
Multisystemic (MST) Psychiatric Family Therapist
MacKillop Family Services
12.2019 - 12.2020
Coordinator of Family Services
MacKillop Family Services
05.2018 - 12.2019
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
08.2014 - 12.2018
Family Case Manager
MacKillop Family Services
08.2009 - 08.2014
Child Protection Practitioner
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
05.2007 - 08.2009
Personal Financial Consultant
State Trustees
03.2005 - 05.2007
Temporary – Various Roles
Adecco
01.2000 - 01.2005
Corporate Support Executive & Reporting Specialist
Optus Corporate Business Centre
02.1997 - 09.1998
Customer Service Coordinator
Optus Corporate Business Centre
02.1995 - 02.1997
Customer Service Representative & Technical Specialist
Optus Customer Service Centre
02.1993 - 02.1995
Master of Clinical Family Therapy - Marriage And Family Therapy
La Trobe University
Graduate Diploma of Applied Psychology - Industrial Psychology
Victoria University
Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences - Psychology
La Trobe University