Etheon Parkes
Sydney
Summary
Over 25 years international experience in disability, mental health, and human rights. Holds extensive expertise in crisis management, leadership, mental health assessments, treatment planning, clinical supervision, and dispute resolution. Has a proven ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, courts, and community leaders. Skilled in preparing and presenting complex submissions to tribunals. Experienced leading a part-time clinical city private practice supporting young people and adults. Flexible, culturally literate, and ready for work travel, with a history of managing crises and defusing conflicts in challenging environments, both in Australia and around the world.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
TEAM LEADER - Clinical & Residential services
Inner City Men’s Homelessness & Health
07.2025 - Current
- Provide daily leadership, supervision, and performance feedback to case-support teams, ensuring high-quality, client-focused service delivery.
- Implement the National Homelessness Stream Model of Care to deliver strengths-based and person-centred case management, tailored to recovery pathways.
- Manage intake, risk assessments, incident responses, and compliance with funding, legislative, and accreditation standards.
- Facilitate data-driven continuous improvement, reviewing client feedback, practice outcomes, and leading quality improvement initiatives.
- Promote high-standard client records management and take part in policy review, and internal audits.
- Act as a key liaison with internal stakeholders and external agencies, including health, justice, housing services, to advocate for clients and strengthen service coordination.
- Embed culturally competent practice, with awareness and responsiveness to the needs of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+, CALD and neurodiverse clients.
- Building out clinical services provided by St Vincent’s Hospital, Counselling students, accredited Forensic Psychologists, Mental Health Social Workers, and Intake/ Senior Intake officers. Reviewing, and improving their and other practices across all clinical services provisions, and treatment plans for residents.
- Review and build deeper clinical and reflective practice aspects to Social Worker/ case manager supervision and practice.
- Current one year contract.
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER
Villawood Immigration Detention Centre
05.2025 - 07.2025
- Delivering high-level emotional, psychological, and social support to individuals in detention experiencing trauma, mental health distress, family separation, and cultural dislocation.
- Undertaking detailed psychosocial and risk assessments to identify the needs and vulnerabilities of clients, including mental health risks, child protection concerns, and self-harm or suicide risks.
- Design and oversee individualised case plans in collaboration with medical staff, Australian Boarder Force, and external service providers to support client wellbeing and outcomes.
- Serve as a key advocate for humane treatment, safeguarding vulnerable individuals, ensuring client’s rights are respected in-line with national and international human rights standards. Making client welfare and human rights representations to Foreign Affaires, Australian Boarder Force, and other government departments to promote client dignity, rights, and interests.
- Collaborate with detention staff, government agencies (e.g., Department of Home Affairs), NGOs, legal representatives, and other healthcare professionals to achieve comprehensive care and services for clients.
- Work directly with officer staff across the facility to culture change their treatments and attitudes toward clients experiencing detention. Work with the facility executive team and senior Australian Board Force members, to ensure officers and security staff culture changes are decisive, consistent, and accountable.
- Leading and supervising, a 12-member team of social workers, case managers, and welfare officers, offering professional guidance, reflective supervision, trauma informed practice and ensuring the team adheres to Australian social work ethics and practice standards.
- Responding to critical incidents such as self-harm, mental health crises, or conflict situations, ensuring immediate and correct interventions are implemented and reviewed.
- Keeping detailed, confidential case notes and reports aligned with MTC corporation policies, legislative requirements, and ethical frameworks.
- Ensuring culturally safe and appropriate practices, when working with diverse detainee populations, including refugees, asylum seekers, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, LGBTQI+ and individuals with disabilities.
- Participating in reviews and the development of policies, procedures, and training programs aimed at improving social work practices within the detention context.
CLINICAL MANAGER
Centre 360 Youth Service
11.2022 - 05.2025
- Oversees / decides client intakes, staff caseloads, and incident response.
- Provides clinical supervision, case guidance, staff appraisals, and decision-making regarding all aspects of daily clinical operations.
- Responsible for all client intakes and all risks assessments and service suitability for 280-320 young people accessing the service per year.
- Reports to government bodies, the CEO, and the Board about funding, outcomes, and team performance.
- Maintains community partnerships and supports clinicians running & reviewing mental health group programs.
- Works with complex young men in contact with the court system and connectional services.
- Located in an Aboriginal city primary school one half day per week as a school child and family counsellor / advocate (5-year placement & ongoing).
- Maintains a small caseload working with young men 16-24 years of age clinically and provides additional circumstantial advocacy/ complex case work when warranted.
ADOLESCENT & FAMILY COUNSELLOR
Centre 360 Youth Service
03.2019 - 11.2022
- Delivered individual counselling and complex case management for youth people (12-24) and families.
- Led Aboriginal service initiatives and secured NDIS funding for young clients.
- Collaborated with schools, police, lawyers, and medical professionals regarding advocacy and clinical support needs of clients.
- Conducted school based clinical group work programmes and mentoring programs for 12–24-year-olds.
HEAD OF INCIDENTS AND SUPPORT
Hireup
03.2018 - 03.2019
- Managed nationwide staff supervision and incident resolution across the Hireup platform.
- Provided crisis support and promoted platform accessibility for users with disabilities.
- Managed staff both on the platform and at HQ, including performance management, reporting to NDIS Safeguards, and investigating potential fraud.
- Provided support to staff across Australia regarding supervision, decision reviews & full performance / quality improvements management.
- Monitored conduct, upholding support, and risk preventative measures across the platform & the wider Hireup Community.
- Adhering to a weekly rotational on-call roster, working autonomously, and managing incident intakes.
- Working with agencies, other companies, NGOS and government authorities directly, and independently across Australia.
- Participating in community engagement activities, and offering guidance to the community, regarding safety and Hireup incident management processes.
- Problem solving and providing crisis support to disability service users and their stakeholders.
- Contributing to policy and platform development, by working with the technology and community education teams, to improve product accessibility for users, and provide improved Support Worker online training.
- Promoting platform user empowerment & choice.
- Upholding interstate and territorial standards/ safeguards, regarding the rights of individuals living with disabilities, and or mental health support needs across Australia using the platform.
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER, CRISIS ASSESSMENT TEAM
Salvemos Al Mundo Esta Noche (NGO)
10.2017 - 02.2018
- Assessed and supported homeless youth for crisis services, securing permanent accommodation, overseeing case plans, and providing case advice to health workers.
- Facilitated access to legal, medical, and community resources for at-risk youth.
SENIOR GUARDIAN
The Public Guardian, Department of Attorney Generals & Justice NSW
02.2008 - 02.2018
- As a Senior Guardian I made legal substitute decisions for a range of clientele living with disabilities, complex mental health presentations and at-risk behaviours. The appointment involved:
- Facilitating and mediating conflict for clients, stakeholders, and advocacy.
- Evaluating and consenting to health programs, plans, medications, and medical procedures.
- Being highly skilled in the preparation and verbal presentation of prompt submissions to the NSW Guardianship Division, about critical matters, such as client restrictive practices, access and coercive accommodation substitute decision making matters.
- Liaising with other Government Departments and NGOs, providing advice and verbal evidence pertaining to client welfare and interests. Statewide travel to visit clients in their communities, building upon client's knowledge of their guardianship cases, and addressing both rural and city client welfare issues and promoting client self-determination.
- Managing high-level risk matters of clients within their family and social composition.
- Facilitating bi-directional flow of information between frontline staff, service staff, clinical staff, and senior management, and ensuring front line staff understand, and can implement Public Guardian decisions, with the client's dignity, interests, and respect always central in practice.
- Acting effectively within a legal context regarding client concerns for their safety and well-being. Mobilising the NSW Police and Ambulance services were warranted.
- Providing written views to courts regarding a client's best interests, welfare and psychosocial history, when a client is subject to a care and protection order, and approaching custodial, and or re sentencing decisions.
- Assessing risk, revising, and directing the implementation of care plans.
- Working with client's and their families, to ensure they are actively involved in and aware of the decision-making process.
- Monitoring the service delivery of case managers, social workers, service managers, and psychologists.
- Chairing case supervision, case direction and case meetings.
- Involvement in committees evaluating and formulating strategies to respond to challenges faced by the Public Guardian, such as the red tape project, and the NSW HIV testing substitute consent Policy review.
- Undertaking file reviews of critical matters, to find strategic themes, critical decision-making points, and making recommendations for both direct case interventions, and any strategic issues, such as staff training, or policy amendments.
- Additional achievements.
- Successfully negotiating with clients under Guardianship, to take a more active role in a supported decision-making framework, regarding their medical, accommodation and service's needs. Breaking down resource limitations for Indigenous clients in rural settings. Constructing highly developed legal arguments in Tribunal settings for Guardianship orders to lapse or have family members appointed. Establishing improved workable service conditions for clients and their stakeholders resulting in client improved wellness outcomes. Gaining a trusting working relationship with clients who are often initially untrusting of service providers. Being able to always uphold the dignity and professional reputation of the Public Guardian's office, regardless of any challenging context. Representing the Public Guardian, and providing family access protocol recommendations, as part of Supreme Court proceedings, reviewing complex guardianship orders.
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER RESEARCHER & GROUP WORKER
Juvenile Guidance (Justice Bureau)
06.2008 - 12.2008
- Conducted forensic assessments and group therapy for juvenile justice inmates.
- Submitted a detailed report to the High Commissioner of Law and Justice, Tamil Nadu regarding my investigations into prison corruption and torture on inmates.
SOCIAL WORKER & GROUP WORKER
Centre of Hope
01.2008 - 06.2008
- Working with women's self-help groups in tsunamis affected areas and connecting families with micro business World Bank loans for business expansion.
- Development of community awareness programs supporting community group interests, through advertising to tribal women in the district and establishing community led female business and community support groups.
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR & CRISIS ASSESSMENT OFFICER
AIDS Council of New South Wales
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Clinical counselling and crisis assessment and therapeutic support of L.G.B.T.Q. I + community members, as well as HIV positive and negative individuals.
- Policy development in addressing medium to long term low-cost counselling for minority groups.
- Group work activity development and projects reviews.
SENIOR SUPPORT WORKER & TEAM LEADER
FRANS Disability Service
01.1998 - 01.2008
- Supported young people with disabilities, providing recreational and educational assistance.
- Lead independence programs for young people, and teaching life skills programs.
- Additional internal roles.
- Team Leader Teenage Independence Program, Dulwich Hill High School. Working with young people to overcome daily home and school challenges. Teaching transport and other related life skills. Maintaining an activities budget.
- Team Leader Teenage Independence Program, Marrickville High School. Lading staff to conduct independence programs with young people, and teaching life skills programs.
Education
Master of Clinical Social Work Counselling -
University of New South Wales
11.2022
Graduate Certificate of Social Work Supervision - undefined
Sydney University
11.2022
Graduate Certificate of Social Work Supervision - undefined
University of New South Wales
11.2014
Master of Indigenous Studies - Health, Law & History
University of New South Wales
01.2013
Bachelor of Social Work - undefined
University of New South Wales
01.2007
Skills
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Analytical problem-solving
- Strong attention to detail
- Team engagement
Languages
Fluent in English, currently learning Spanish.
Timeline
TEAM LEADER - Clinical & Residential services
Inner City Men’s Homelessness & Health
07.2025 - Current
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER
Villawood Immigration Detention Centre
05.2025 - 07.2025
CLINICAL MANAGER
Centre 360 Youth Service
11.2022 - 05.2025
ADOLESCENT & FAMILY COUNSELLOR
Centre 360 Youth Service
03.2019 - 11.2022
HEAD OF INCIDENTS AND SUPPORT
Hireup
03.2018 - 03.2019
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER, CRISIS ASSESSMENT TEAM
Salvemos Al Mundo Esta Noche (NGO)
10.2017 - 02.2018
SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER RESEARCHER & GROUP WORKER
Juvenile Guidance (Justice Bureau)
06.2008 - 12.2008
SENIOR GUARDIAN
The Public Guardian, Department of Attorney Generals & Justice NSW
02.2008 - 02.2018
SOCIAL WORKER & GROUP WORKER
Centre of Hope
01.2008 - 06.2008
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR & CRISIS ASSESSMENT OFFICER
AIDS Council of New South Wales
01.2007 - 01.2008
SENIOR SUPPORT WORKER & TEAM LEADER
FRANS Disability Service
01.1998 - 01.2008
Graduate Certificate of Social Work Supervision - undefined
Sydney University
Graduate Certificate of Social Work Supervision - undefined
University of New South Wales
Master of Indigenous Studies - Health, Law & History
University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Social Work - undefined
University of New South Wales
Master of Clinical Social Work Counselling -
University of New South Wales
ADDITIONAL SKILLS & INTERESTS
Cultural Adaptability: Extensive international adventure travel in over 80 nations, including residencies in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, England, India, Ireland, Lebanon, the Netherlands, & South Africa., Hobbies: Geopolitically nuanced, passionate about sustainable farming, traditional botany, and interior design.
PUBLICATIONS
- An Investigation into Abuse and Corruption for the High Commissioner of Correctional Services, Tamil Nadu State, South India — Chennai Observation Home Report, 2007-2008.
- Lost in Government Bureaucratic Translation: Acting on Lesbian Health in NSW — University of Technology, Sydney, 2007.
- Empowering Freedom and Independence for Adolescents with Disabilities — Department of Education and Training NSW, 2006.
- A Historical Disaster: Aboriginal Mental Health — University of New South Wales, 2005.
- Children's Toys: Objects of Innocent Play, or Persuasive Intent? — Independent Research Project, 1999