Kathryn Schenk

My placement has been with the Community Liaison Unit, who provide non-legal support to Legal Aid clients.

In this role I have used my skills in support clients in a range of settings including:

• Crisis counselling and assessing for risk of self-harm/suicide
• Supporting clients to attend court/family dispute resolution/legal appointments.
• Providing ongoing 1-on-1 counselling to assist clients in setting realistic goals, developing action plans, and monitoring progress towards achievement.
• Conducted thorough assessments to identify client needs and appropriate intervention strategies.
• Developed individualised counselling plans for clients to incorporate short-term and long-term goals.
• Guided clients in developing skills and strategies for dealing with problems effectively.
• Educated clients on available community resources, fostering a sense of empowerment and self-sufficiency.

I have supported clients with a range of mental health concerns, including:

• Drug and alcohol addition
• Issues relating to family violence
• Ongoing mental health disorders
• Eating disorders
• Severe experiences of trauma
• Relationship breakdowns
• Complex health concerns and disability

As part of my role I have:

• Maintained accurate documentation of client interactions, assessments, and progress notes for effective case management.
• Actively engaged with my supervisor and team to ensure I am providing my clients with the best options available to them and operating effectively as part of team.
• Contributed to a supportive work environment by sharing knowledge, resources, and new findings within the counselling field.

I have been the primary carer for my two young boys since their births in 2018 and 2019.

In my previous career as a Statistician, I worked in the ABS in a variety of roles. Early in my career, I developed a unique ability for understanding complex statistical methods and communicating these in a non-technical way to stakeholders. Using these skills, I moved around the organisation to understand different subject matter areas and improve the way data was collected and communicated to our stakeholders.

My positions included the following areas:

• Business Survey Methodology
• Data Collection Methodology
• Data Quality Management
• Statistical Clearing House
• Disability, Ageing and Mental Health Statistics
• Tax Data and Statistics

General Duties included:

• Liaising with clients about their data needs
• Coordinating statistical activities
• Understanding and improving business activities
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify key performance indicators and establish benchmarks for success.
• Provided guidance on best practices for data visualization techniques to improve clarity and impact of reports presented to executive leadership teams.
• Managed large-scale projects involving multiple data sources, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
• Assisted in the design of surveys and questionnaires to gather high-quality data for analysis.
• Mentored and supervised junior statisticians, fostering professional growth and enhancing team productivity.