KATE PLAZA
Coogee,NSW
Summary
Business Owner with exceptional background in innovative practice and research in child protection, OOHC and systemic advocacy. A proven leader with an engaging demeanour, professional conduct at a high level of consultancy as well as within the wider health system.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director / Owner
Evolve Occupational Therapy Private Practice
11.2020 - Current
- Attachment focused, trauma informed Occupational Therapy service provision for children and young people.
- Specialising in child protection, OOHC, trauma, ASD, ADHD, Developmental Delays.
- Intervention frameworks include: DIR / Floortime (social, emotional, relationally driven model of practice), Sensory Processing and Modulation, Neurobiology of childhood trauma, Zones of Regulation, Window of Tolerance.
- Supervision of therapists via telehealth and face to face.
- Consultation to Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) including placement planning, intervention collaboration, training for staff around trauma and neurobiology from an Occupational Therapy perspective.
- Developing and implementing specialised training on trauma and abuse for Anglicare, DCJ, Barnardos and other OOHC agencies.
- Functional Capacity Assessments for a range of purposes including; children and young people in Out of Home Care (OOHC), young people exiting OOHC, advocacy for acceptance into the NDIS program
- Supported Independent Living Assessments for young people exiting Out Of Home Care post Out Of Home Care settings.
- Participation in and minuting of peer multidisciplinary mentoring groups.
Mental Health Clinician
Taronga Zoo
03.2020 - 11.2020
- Establish and co-ordinate the delivery of individualised programs to support the therapeutic goals for young people with complex needs who are clients of the NSW Department of Community and Justice, Elver Program and participants in Taronga’s programs
- Animal handling and therapeutic work with children onsite at Taronga Zoo based on the individual needs of the client
- Work within a multidisciplinary team focusing on assisting young people with multiple complex needs, including histories of complex trauma
- Develop and deliver training to internal and external stakeholders to best support program participants.
- Provide support to other Taronga programs for children with trauma histories.
Senior State-wide Child Protection Educator
Education Centre Against Violence (ECAV)
06.2019 - 03.2020
- Delivering training to Violence, Abuse and Neglect Sector of NSW Health inclusive of: Child Protection Counselling Service (CPCS), Sexual Assault Services (SAS), Mental Health Teams, Drug and Alcohol Teams, Domestic Family Violence, Allied Health
- Facilitating the learning within the training room, consisting of holding the group, answering questions, facilitating discussion and implementing group activities where necessary
- Developing and modifying training packages for the above target group
- These packages can be 2, 3 or 5 day training packages and can be a combination of topics such as the intersection between domestic and family violence and child protection, working with parents who misuse substances, train the trainer for Child Protection NSW Health, trauma and neglect, working with people who have a disability who have experienced sexual assault
- Participating in Statewide Meetings for Senior Management, particularly child protection teams
- Liaising with the Ministry of Health regarding new policy directives and the roll out of directives
- Assisting with the preparation and delivery of forums, particularly Violence, Abuse and Neglect (VAN) forums and the Joint Child Protection Response (JCPR) Program
- Liaising with Child Protection Teams around the state in terms of their training needs over the year
- Contributing to the development of a Graduate Certificate for the Violence, Abuse and Neglect Sector.
Occupational Therapist
Child Protection Counseling Service; Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
03.2013 - 02.2019
- Set up of the Occupational Therapy service within child protection including referral criteria, liaising with existing counselling staff, providing consultation around occupational therapy services
- Performing specific, comprehensive Occupational Therapy Assessments for children in Child Protection focusing on fine motor, gross motor, daily living skills, sensory processing and emotional regulation
- Providing Occupational Therapy intervention to clients and their carers in an attachment, sensory and regulatory model of service delivery
- Liaising with and collaborating with counsellors on the CPCS team in order to aim for a coordinated care approach
- Set up, facilitation and convener of a clinical peer mentoring group for OT’s in Eastern Sydney
- Attendance at meetings pertaining to the status of children participating in therapy, such as Family and Community Service Meetings, School and preschool meetings, Co-work meetings and supervision
- Liaising and networking with local Occupational Therapy services across South East Sydney, St George and Sutherland health services
- Developing specific trauma informed training for a range of services
- Extensive advocacy and relationship building with the Aboriginal Community in South East Sydney
- Writing and provision of conference papers at national and international levels
- Completion of funding grants and continued advocacy of the OT role in child protection
- External liaising and attendance at various fundraisers for the OT position
- Participation in external, internal and clinical supervision
- Administration duties and meeting attendance as required.
Occupational Therapist
Out of Home Care Assessment Team; Child Protection; Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (Part Time)
08.2011 - 07.2012
- Provide developmental screening and assessment services to children in Out of Home Care Clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team consisting of Speech Pathologist, Doctor, Psychiatrist and Psychologist
- Performing specific, comprehensive Occupational Therapy Assessments for children in Out of Home Care focusing on fine motor, gross motor, daily living skills, sensory processing and emotional regulation
- Liaising and networking with local Occupational Therapy services for referrals
- Providing ongoing relationship / developmental / attachment therapy services for children in Out of Home Care within the Sydney Children’s Hospital catchment area
- Training to staff within Child Protection about the role of the Occupational Therapist
- Training to Occupational Therapists, preschool’s and schools about the impact of trauma on the brain and overall development of children
- Administrative duties such as meeting attendance, report writing, liaising within the hospital
- Supervision of students.
Occupational Therapist
Plumtree Early Childhood Intervention (Part Time)
04.2010 - 01.2017
- Assessment and treatment of children ages 0 – 6 years with disabilities following a DIR / floortime approach
- Writing and facilitating training sessions on Sensory Processing and Social / Emotional Development to internal staff as well as external agencies
- Mentoring and training Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapist’s in the floortime approach
- Writing a successful application for funding for a Sensory / Social / Emotional Group for 6 children as well as implementing the group
- Providing case management for complex families including funding applications, coordination of service delivery, liaising with external agencies and overall coordination of programs
- Participating in weekly staff meetings
- Organising and attending preschool and school meetings as required
- Assisting with parent workshops and training courses as required.
Occupational Therapist
Kids World Pediatric Occupational Therapy
09.2007 - 09.2009
- Performing 2 hour assessment of children including Wide Range of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA), Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP2), Parts of the Sensory Integration & Praxis Tests (SIPT), Clinical Observations, Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), Various Handwriting Assessments, Sensory Profile
- Consultation and feedback to parents directly after formal assessment on the findings of the assessment
- Independently managing a caseload of approximately 30 – 35 children
- Coaching parents on the floortime model of therapy in 1 hour therapy sessions
- Treating groups of 2 or 3 children in 1 hour sessions to address social and interaction skills
- Complete mentoring, supervision and training of students
- Organisation and implementation of social holiday groups of 6 – 8 children following a floortime / sensory program.
Occupational Therapist
Autism Queensland
02.2007 - 09.2007
- Regional and metropolitan visits to schools in support of children with Autism
- Participating in multidisciplinary team meetings for the intervention planning for children with Autism
- Report writing based on a summary of the school visits
- Assisting in the collaboration of regional visits
- Administration duties as required.
Occupational Therapist, Early Intervention
Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC)
03.2006 - 02.2007
- Implementation of appropriate and varied service delivery models that meet the needs of clients aged 0 - 7
- The provision of information and support to clients and their families regarding client’s skills, difficulties and needs relevant to occupational therapy
- Participation in the Individual Planning process within the team to deliver coordinated, effective, needs-based service provision that is family centered
- Case management for clients (includes coordination of Individual Plan / Service Plan)
- Interdisciplinary consultation and referral of clients with specific needs to other team members or to other agencies or government departments
- Development of programs, plans and handouts with subsequent implementation as necessary
- Sensory processing and modulation impacts on functional skills
- Self care skill development (feeding, dressing, toileting etc…)
- Play skills development
- Transition from preschool to school programs
- Social / Emotional growth and development
- Siblings groups.
Education
The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney
Nazareth Senior College
12.1997
Skills
- Training, Supervision & Mentoring
- Sound Judgment
- Consulting
- Goal Setting
- Strategic Decision-Making
- Staff Development
- Performance Improvement
- Strategic Planning
- Coaching and Mentoring
Professional Development
- Complex Trauma in Aboriginal communities (ECAV) (2018)
- International Trauma Conference (2014, 2016, 2018)
- Pat Ogden: Sensory-Motor Psychotherapy (2017)
- Child Protection Counselling Service Training (2017)
- Unveiling Shame - Sexual Assault (ECAV) (2017)
- Neurobiology of Childhood Trauma (Sydney Children’s Hospital) (2017)
- Attendance at National Occupational Therapy Conference (2016)
- Bayley III Developmental Assessment Certification (2016)
- ICDL Certification DIR / Floortime Training, United States of America (2009)
- DIR / Floortime Parent Workshop Training (2008)
- DIR / Floortime Online Conference (2007, 2008)
Certification
- Presentation to Paediatricians on Trauma in the Hospital Setting (2018)
- Presentation at Grand Rounds, Sydney Children’s Hospital – Clinical Neglect Case (2018)
- Co-presented: Working within Aboriginal Communities (Child Protection Week: 2018)
- Convener of Social / Emotional Clinical Education Group, Sydney Children’s Hospital (2018)
- Conference Presentation of OT & Trauma – International Trauma Conference (2018)
- Development of ‘Mum’s and Bub’s’ Aboriginal Group in La Perouse (2018)
- Funding application and success of $300,000 from NAB Bank, Australia (2017)
- Conference Presentation of OT Research – International Trauma Conference (2016)
- Conference Presentation of OT Role and Research – National OT Conference (2016)
- Presentation at Sydney Wide OT Symposium – Trauma (2016)
- Presentation at Grand Rounds, Sydney Children’s Hospital – Hidden Trauma (2016)
- Lecture: Resilience Building in Children, Sydney University (2016)
- Conference Presentation of OT Role in Child Protection – International Trauma Conference (2014)
Timeline
Director / Owner
Evolve Occupational Therapy Private Practice
11.2020 - Current
Mental Health Clinician
Taronga Zoo
03.2020 - 11.2020
Senior State-wide Child Protection Educator
Education Centre Against Violence (ECAV)
06.2019 - 03.2020
Occupational Therapist
Child Protection Counseling Service; Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
03.2013 - 02.2019
Occupational Therapist
Out of Home Care Assessment Team; Child Protection; Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (Part Time)
08.2011 - 07.2012
Occupational Therapist
Plumtree Early Childhood Intervention (Part Time)
04.2010 - 01.2017
Occupational Therapist
Kids World Pediatric Occupational Therapy
09.2007 - 09.2009
Occupational Therapist
Autism Queensland
02.2007 - 09.2007
Occupational Therapist, Early Intervention
Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC)
03.2006 - 02.2007
The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney
Nazareth Senior College
- Presentation to Paediatricians on Trauma in the Hospital Setting (2018)
- Presentation at Grand Rounds, Sydney Children’s Hospital – Clinical Neglect Case (2018)
- Co-presented: Working within Aboriginal Communities (Child Protection Week: 2018)
- Convener of Social / Emotional Clinical Education Group, Sydney Children’s Hospital (2018)
- Conference Presentation of OT & Trauma – International Trauma Conference (2018)
- Development of ‘Mum’s and Bub’s’ Aboriginal Group in La Perouse (2018)
- Funding application and success of $300,000 from NAB Bank, Australia (2017)
- Conference Presentation of OT Research – International Trauma Conference (2016)
- Conference Presentation of OT Role and Research – National OT Conference (2016)
- Presentation at Sydney Wide OT Symposium – Trauma (2016)
- Presentation at Grand Rounds, Sydney Children’s Hospital – Hidden Trauma (2016)
- Lecture: Resilience Building in Children, Sydney University (2016)
- Conference Presentation of OT Role in Child Protection – International Trauma Conference (2014)
Similar Profiles
Adriana BarreraAdriana Barrera
Owner at Private Practice (Why Not Therapy)Owner at Private Practice (Why Not Therapy)
Monica L. DavisMonica L. Davis
Licensed Independent Social Worker at LIBERATION PATHWAYS THERAPY owner/private practiceLicensed Independent Social Worker at LIBERATION PATHWAYS THERAPY owner/private practice
JAN SWISCZJAN SWISCZ
Massage Therapist at Massage Therapy Private PracticeMassage Therapist at Massage Therapy Private Practice