Najla Chatila

Riverlands Drug and Alcohol Centre – Lismore

November 2018 – August 2020

November 2020 – April 2021

June 2024 -December 2024 (Agency)

Role: Drug and Alcohol Clinician

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Ongoing commitment to implementation of evidence based practice in working with persons with substance dependence/abuse/misuse.

● Engaging persons with substance dependence/abuse/misuse in the principles of Harm Minimization.

● Clinical proficiency in managing and admitting persons with substance dependence/abuse/misuse to the ward, involving comprehensive face to face clinical and crisis intervention/risk assessments.

● Working with persons engaged in opiate substitution programs.

● Discharge planning: Ascertaining eligibility of appropriate mental health program/services and liaising with external providers to enhance follow-up care.

● Ongoing commitments to a non- judgmental approach to care for clients in a clinical and forensic setting.

● Group Therapy; tailoring and facilitating support groups for persons to address substance use alongside physical, emotional and psychological trauma.

● Intake Clinician- Triaging of mental health consumers. The collection of information helps to determine the urgency of the response and type of response required from drug and alcohol services, mental health or other services.

● Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in engaging clients, members of the multidisciplinary teams and other relevant stakeholders; primarily including the person and their family.

● Implemented crisis intervention strategies when needed, ensuring immediate safety measures were in place for at-risk patients.

Community Mental Health Assessment Team -

Acute Care Service – Lismore Base Hospital

August 2020 - November 2020

April 2021- September 2022

March 2024 - June 2024 (Agency)

Role: Mental Health Clinician in the Emergency Department, Triage and Community

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Safe, evidence based, person centred care in line with the standards, policies and procedures of the Ministry of Health and other statutory authorities.

● Provided community-based interventions and consultation for people who have or may be at high risk of mental health problems.

● Provided care in accordance to the principles of Trauma Informed Care and Recovery and in accordance with the National Practice Standards for Mental Health Workforce and the NSW Health Mental Health Competencies.

● Engaged critical thinking and analysis to guide decision making and aid the development practice that is evidence based and specific to the needs of each allocated mental health consumers.

● Conducted accurate, comprehensive assessments (including bio-psycho-social assessments, family environment and social functioning) as part of the multidisciplinary health care team.

● Documented assessments in a timely manner, communicated and acted upon appropriately, to ensure safe outcomes for mental health consumers across the continuum of hospital and community-based care.

● Managed time and prioritised the clinical workload within finite resources to ensure delivery of optimum standards of care that meet patient/client needs and expectations.

● Utilised all available information to develop, monitor and evaluate a plan of care in consultation with mental health consumers, carers and other members of the multidisciplinary health care team including psychiatrists, specialist services and GPs.

● Ensured mental health consumers maintained appropriate status according to the NSW Mental Health Act and that the requirements of the Mental Health Act were continuously met (including all aspects of applying for and monitoring CTOs and participating in Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings).

● Applied the principles of mental health rehabilitation and recovery using a strengths-based collaborative framework to maximise effectiveness the care and outcomes for mental health clients whom presented in crisis or experienced an acute phase of mental illness.

● Proven accountability for the decision to delegate, including the monitoring of communication and evaluating practice outcomes.

● Pursued, promoted and facilitated the ongoing professional development of self and others to ensure currency of knowledge and skills.

● Maintained professional boundaries at all times whilst working with an at risk, vulnerable and distressed mental health consumers, families and carers, managing complex clinical issues with multiple stakeholders whilst maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

● Demonstrated flexibility and innovation in clinical service provision whilst working in a rural setting where many of our clients live in isolation with limited access to resources.

● Delivery of care including linkages to primary care supports, support for recovery, physical health screening, psycho-education, short term therapy and medication support.

Emergency Mental Health, -Alcohol and Other Drugs, Allied Health and Peer Team (EMAAP) – Monash Medical Centre AND Emergency Psychiatric Service

Role: Mental Health Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Emergency Department

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Mental health review and risk assessment of patients presenting to the Emergency Department with Victorian Police and/or the Victorian Ambulance service, seen in the Behavioural Assessment Room (BAR) to determine the most appropriate mental health follow up - EMAAP assessment with discharge plan and/or 28 day follow-up by the outreach team or alternatively referred onto Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS) for comprehensive mental health review with further plan.

● Rapid response assessment and risk review of patients in the emergency department on referral from the medical/nursing team to determine the most appropriate patient centred, trauma informed outcome to optimise mental wellbeing.

● Managed time and prioritised the clinical workload within finite resources to ensure delivery of optimum standards of care that meet patient/client needs and expectations.

● Utilised all available information to develop, monitor and evaluate a plan of care in consultation with mental health consumers, carers and other members of the multidisciplinary health care team including psychiatrists, specialist services and GPs.

● Conducted accurate, comprehensive assessments (including bio-psycho-social assessments, family environment and social functioning) as part of the multidisciplinary health care team.

● Documented assessments in a timely manner, communicated and acted upon appropriately, to ensure safe outcomes for mental health consumers across the continuum of hospital and community-based care.

● Implemented crisis intervention strategies when needed, ensuring immediate safety measures were in place for at-risk patients.

● Delivered high-quality patient care by conducting thorough assessments and provided therapeutic support.

● Participated in case reviews with multidisciplinary teams to discuss complex cases and develop collaborative solutions for individualized care plans.

International Health and Medical Services (IHMS)

September 2009 – November 2019

Role: Acting Mental Health Team Leader/ Mental Health Nurse.

Manus Island (Papua New Guinea), Nauru Island, Christmas Island, Darwin, Perth & Melbourne.

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Comprehensive face to face clinical and crisis intervention/risk assessments on mainland Australia and offshore.

● Contributed to development of clinical practices, procedures and protocols in addressing mental health interventions, goals and outcomes of asylums seekers in detention environments.

● Provision of specialty information to external multi-disciplinary services and government agencies regarding critical issues pertaining to asylum seekers mental health/complex care needs.

● Worked collaboratively with asylum seekers, their family members to identify mental health outcomes, interventions and goals through tailored individualized mental health management plans.

● Facilitation of staff meetings to address clinical and operational requirements of the service to ensure identified models of care are achieved, including the provision of cost effective mental health consumer care.

● Active contribution in district meetings to address policy and procedure implementation and change, ensuring compliance within legal frameworks.

● Provided effective communication throughout the service to promote positive team functioning and facilitate consumer focused service delivery.

● Supporting the multidisciplinary team in addressing client with complex mental health issues and needs, within an evidence based approach.

● Group Therapy; tailoring and facilitating support groups for clients of different ethnicities, nationalities and religious affiliations to address physical, emotional and psychological trauma of consumers seeking asylum.

● Ensuring staff are meeting key performance indicators and legislative requirements.

● Discharge planning: Ascertaining eligibility of appropriate mental health program/services and liaising with external providers to enhance follow-up care.

Randstad Nursing Agency

June 2011 - September 2012

Roles: Registered Nurse- Acute Medical and Emergency Departments.

1. Augathella Hospital

(2) Cloncurry Multi-Purpose Health Service

(3) Charleville Hospital

(4) Dirranbandi Multi-Purpose Health Service.

Clinical Responsibilities:

● High standard of general nursing care to patients on the ward and triaging of mental health consumers in the Emergency Department.

Torres Strait - Thursday Island Hospital

9th January 2012 – 3rd April 2012 Authorized Mental Health Practitioner (QLD)

Role: Clinical Nurse - Specialist Adult Mental Health Team.

Thursday Island Hospital – (Saibai Island Community Clinic, Horn Island Community Clinic and Mabuiag Island Community Clinic).

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Comprehensive Mental Health and clinical assessments of mental health consumers in accordance with cultural needs and access to services locally.

Nambour General Hospital - Sunshine Coast, Queensland

September 2009 –April 2011 Authorized Mental Health Practitioner (QLD)

Roles:

Clinical Nurse- Acute Care Team

Clinical Nurse at Mental Health Hospital Assessment Team (MHHAT) and

Clinical Nurse –Triage

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Crisis intervention and advanced assessment of consumer via telephone triaging and face to face assessments in the Emergency Department, with follow up care in the community.

Cairns Hospital, Cairns, Queensland

May 2009 –July 2009 and

January 2018 –May 2018 Authorized Mental Health Practitioner (QLD)

Roles:

Clinical Nurse -Homeless Health Outreach Team and

Community Mental Health Team

Registered Nurse –Emergency Department

Mental Health Nurse – Mental Health Ward

Clinical Responsibilities:

● Worked within the Recovery framework to meet mental health consumers needs; addressing mental and general health, homelessness and substance misuse issues.

● Application of interpersonal and communication skills within a multi-disciplinary team including negotiation, consultation and conflict resolution.

● Knowledge of and implementation of the relevant policies and standards into practice in a clinical setting (Queensland Mental Health Act, National Mental Health Policy, State and Regional policy directions and the National Standards for Mental Health Services).

November 2008- April 2009

Role: Registered Nurse –Emergency Department

Clinical Responsibilities:

Comprehensive general and mental health assessment of mental health consumers in the Emergency Department whom have presented either voluntarily or whom have needed treatment under the Mental Health Act (2000), arrived on a Justice Examination Order, an Emergency Examination Order or presented with a community case manager.

July 2008- November 2008

Role: Mental Health Nurse – Mental Health Ward Authorized Mental Health Practitioner (QLD)

Clinical Responsibilities:

Supervised staff practices whilst in charge to ensure clinical care had been provided in accordance with Queensland health policies, procedures and processes in low and high dependency milieu.

● Assisted consumers and family members in the education of health care needs.

Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria

February 2006 (Graduate Nursing Year) - June 2008

Role: Registered Psychiatric Nurse / In Charge

Responsibilities:

● Understanding and application of the Victorian Mental Health Act.

● Completion of graduate year of nursing, orientation of new staff members and preceptor to a number of graduate nurses as clinical skills developed.