NATALIE KISILEVICH
Carrum Downs,VIC
Summary
Dynamic and relational youth mental health professional, currently serving as Student Wellbeing Leader in a high school, with a strong commitment to nurturing student wellbeing and engagement. Skilled in advanced counselling microskills - active listening, empathic responding, and purposeful questioning, to create safe, trusting spaces for young people. Accredited Lifeline Crisis Supporter and Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor, with expertise in trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and youth mental health program delivery from headspace National. Recognised for fostering authentic connections, delivering impactful workshops, and driving lasting positive change. Seeking a counselling placement in a setting that values inclusion, celebrates diversity, and empowers young people as active authors of their mental health journey.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Student Wellbeing Leader
Preshil, The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School
Kew, VIC
05.2023 - Current
- Provide short-term, solution-focused counseling for high school students and families, utilising a range of counseling microskills, and make appropriate internal or external referrals.
- Conduct comprehensive risk assessments and safety planning for suicide risk, self-harm, family violence, abuse, and neglect, in line with state legislation, and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
- Developed and lead the Student Wellbeing Committee to amplify student voice in shaping mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Maintain strong networks with local mental health services, and integrate these into the school’s referral pathways.
- Developed and implemented a whole-school postvention plan, and facilitated operational debriefs following critical incidents.
- Provide trauma-informed de-escalation and classroom support to assist students' reintegration into learning environments.
- Lead and contribute to a whole-school approach to wellbeing, engagement, and inclusive practices.
- Design and deliver evidence-informed workshops for families, including a drop-in clinic to promote understanding of adolescent development and mental health needs.
- Facilitate student support group meetings, leading to the development of tailored Individual Education Plans and student wellbeing plans.
- Collaborate with families, allied health providers, and community services to provide wraparound care.
- Deliver whole-staff training on early intervention for complex mental health presentations (e.g., self-harm, eating disorders), and legislative responsibilities (e.g., MARAM framework, child safety).
- Advise primary school leadership on well-being strategies, complex student support, and staff training.
- Identify and address policy gaps by developing protocols for NSSI, eating disorder recovery, and gender affirmation.
- Engage in ongoing professional development, including clinical supervision, and sector conferences, to ensure best practice.
- Uphold ethical standards of confidentiality, duty of care, and accurate well-being record-keeping in accordance with privacy laws.
In Schools’ Program Manager
Blue Light Victoria Incorporated
05.2022 - 05.2023
- Led state-wide primary and secondary school wellbeing programs supporting vulnerable student cohorts, fostering connection, and belonging.
- Designed and implemented risk assessment frameworks in line with Child Safe Standards and legislative requirements.
- Reviewed and adapted evidence-informed program content to address the evolving wellbeing needs of young people and school communities.
- Built and maintained strong partnerships with schools, community agencies, and emergency services to support program delivery and student wellbeing.
- Recruited, trained, and onboarded staff, ensuring program quality and child safety compliance.
- Conducted youth voice focus groups across the state to guide program innovation and address emerging wellbeing concerns.
- Delivered presentations at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference on the positive impacts of primary school programs.
- Achieved rapid leadership progression, managing all school programs within three months of employment.
Mental Health Education Consultant
headspace National
04.2021 - 05.2022
- Facilitated mental health education programs for Grade 6 – 12 students and their families, building mental health literacy, coping strategies, and support-seeking skills.
- Tailored our workshop suite to meet the needs of vulnerable students with barriers to engagement; namely, those in faith, specialist schools, and those with trauma histories.
- Worked with school leadership, wellbeing teams, and local headspace centres to identify vulnerable student cohorts, mitigate risk, and ensure clinically safe, appropriate, and timely workshop interventions.
- Implementation of a community-centred approach to school partnerships through liaising, managing, and deepening ongoing relationships with local Government, Faith, and Public Education stakeholders.
- Proactively built relationships in local school communities through presenting at well-being network meetings across the local council, youth services, health promotion, and School Focused Youth Services.
- Quarterly record keeping, evaluation, and report writing for over 100 workshops and stakeholder engagements.
- Designed and delivered new clinically approved workshops on ‘Managing and Understanding Emotions’, and a ‘Year 12 School Leavers webinar’ in collaboration with the Department of Education in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Selected to be part of a ‘School Aged Youth Participation Committee’ to guide headspace on enhancing its participation framework to further incorporate these voices in its policies and services.
- Consistently delivered the highest number of 90+ school workshops in Victoria for three consecutive terms, broadening and deepening knowledge of best practice program delivery in schools.
Be You Community Liaison Officer | Be You Education Consultant
headspace National
06.2020 - 03.2021
- Integrated the Be You Bushfire Program with the broader Be You initiative, delivering tailored wellbeing support to schools across SE Victoria, with a focus on rural and remote communities.
- Designed and implemented professional development and workforce training on the impacts of trauma on student development and engagement in schools affected by the Black Summer bushfires.
- Facilitated trauma-sensitive interventions for families and built staff capacity in self-care and help-seeking across educational settings.
- Strengthened collaborative relationships with education and health authorities, governing bodies, service providers, and community organisations to address emerging school needs.
- Delivered timely, evidence-based support to assist schools in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from critical incidents, including suicide.
- Partnered with local, regional, and state mental health services to enhance help-seeking pathways for children, young people, and families in rural communities.
- Maintained comprehensive records, reporting, and evaluations of school engagements and interventions.
- Produced an e-learning package for Emerging Minds’ Community Trauma Toolkit to guide educators in supporting secondary students impacted by trauma.
- Co-authored a headspace factsheet on the protective role of youth voice in disaster recovery.
- Invited to join a local Principal Wellbeing Network following impactful educator wellbeing sessions, deepening engagement with school leadership teams.
- Selected by the Department of Education to co-deliver trauma-informed training with headspace centres, the Red Cross, and CFA..
Lived Experience Lead
SANE Australia
09.2017 - 06.2020
- Led the SANE Lived Experience Program, designing and delivering an interactive, evidence-informed national training package for 90 Peer Ambassadors across Australia.
- Reviewed and enhanced the duty of care and risk mitigation protocols for lived experience engagement, including screening, risk identification, and safety management for ambassadors and audiences.
- Managed and developed the Peer Ambassador workforce through regular feedback, professional development planning, and targeted training initiatives.
- Chaired the Lived Experience Engagement Network (LEEN), a multi-sector Community of Practice with 15 mental health and suicide prevention consumer engagement stakeholders.
- Designed and delivered staff professional development in participation principles to ensure services, programs, and research reflected the needs of lived-experience communities.
- Oversaw program governance and budget forecasting, including policy development, strategic work plans, board reporting, and presentations to executives and funders.
- Co-designed peer-to-peer storytelling initiatives for youth multimedia campaigns in partnership with Batyr’s Being Herd Schools Program and SANE’s Youth Advisory Group, culminating in a presentation at the International Conference on Youth Mental Health.
- Partnered with regional suicide task forces on the Better Off With You campaign, recruiting and supporting six people with lived experience of suicide survivorship, and collaborating with production partners.
- Reformed the SANE Peer Ambassador Program, strengthening governance, strategic direction, and trauma-informed training frameworks through extensive stakeholder consultation.
- Selected to deliver suicide prevention and postvention training packages to health professionals.
Secondary School Counsellor (Student Placement)
Archbishop Tenison’s School
09.2016 - 07.2017
- Provided weekly counselling to a caseload of adolescents with complex mental health presentations.
- Regular supervision to safeguard and support at-risk young people and implement appropriate interventions and referrals on a need’s basis in line with mandatory reporting requirements.
- Case noting and record keeping in line with privacy and confidentiality.
- Instigated and delivered a ‘Big Brothers’ peer support training program as a targeted intervention for escalating male vulnerabilities. Resulting in disclosures and multidisciplinary intervention.
- Achieved 100% weekly placement engagement through systemic collaboration with families, social workers, and school leadership teams to provide ongoing multi-agency support.
Casual Relief Secondary School Teacher and Tutor
Step Teachers Ltd
09.2016 - 07.2017
- Carried out specialist and non-specialist casual teaching across more than thirty schools, whilst embarking on post-graduate training in the field of child, adolescent, and family mental health and wellbeing.
Education
MA of Counselling - College of Health And BioMedicine
Victoria University
Melbourne, VIC11-2026
Post Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Wellbeing - Multidisciplinary practice with Young People
The Tavistock And Portman NHS Trust, University of Essex
London, England01.2017
Post Graduate Certificate in Education - Social Sciences, Qualified Teacher Status
University of London
London, England01.2006
Bachelor of Science with Honours - Sociology with Psychology
The City University
London, England01.2005
Skills
- Foundational training and experienced application of microskills to build strong relationships
- Foundational training in psychoanalytic and systemic therapeutic modalities
- Foundational counseling-based assessment, case formulation, and use of diverse therapeutic approaches and interventions, with a focus on developmentally appropriate support for young people
- Risk assessment and crisis intervention for suicide, non-suicidal self-injury, family violence, and child safety concerns
- Trauma-informed care, including adolescent development, and mental health expertise
- Skilled facilitator with experience delivering to varied audiences, including leadership teams, educators, and families
- Strong relationship building, stakeholder engagement, and multidisciplinary collaboration
- Program development, change management, and team leadership
- Culturally responsive practice and active inclusion of diverse youth voices
- Exceptional interpersonal and tailored communication skills
Hobbies and Interests
- Headspace Study and Career Mentor
- Extensive international solo travel
- Boxing
- Reading
- Personal development
- Hiking
Working With Children Check
HOLDER OF CURRENT AND VALID WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC)
Professional Development
- LawSense - Law for School Counsellors (03/2024, 03/2025)
- Youth Mental Health First Aid Accreditation (04/2024)
- Together: Youth Access and Inclusion Training, Youth Disability Advocacy Service, 04/01/23
- Berry Street Trauma Informed Education Model, Berry Street, 01/01/23
- New Leaders training, Australian Institute of Management, 09/01/22
- Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness Training, Victoria Police, 08/01/22
- Psychological First Aid and Trauma-Informed Care, Phoenix Australia, Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, 01/01/21
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), LivingWorks, 01/01/19
- Foundations for Building Trauma Awareness, Blue Knot Foundation, 01/01/19
- Responding to Anxiety and Depression in Young People, Royal Free Hospital, Child Mental Health, 01/01/17
- Supporting those with borderline personality disorder, Spectrum, 01/01/17
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), The London Buddhist Centre, 01/01/17
- Certificate in Youth Mental Health First Aid, YMHA, 01/01/16
- Certificate in Working with Self Harm in Adolescents, City Lit, London, 01/01/16
Certification
- Accredited Lifeline Crisis Supporter (CHCSS00113 Crisis Support Skill Set)
- Accredited Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Student Wellbeing Leader
Preshil, The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School
05.2023 - Current
In Schools’ Program Manager
Blue Light Victoria Incorporated
05.2022 - 05.2023
Mental Health Education Consultant
headspace National
04.2021 - 05.2022
Be You Community Liaison Officer | Be You Education Consultant
headspace National
06.2020 - 03.2021
Lived Experience Lead
SANE Australia
09.2017 - 06.2020
Secondary School Counsellor (Student Placement)
Archbishop Tenison’s School
09.2016 - 07.2017
Casual Relief Secondary School Teacher and Tutor
Step Teachers Ltd
09.2016 - 07.2017
MA of Counselling - College of Health And BioMedicine
Victoria University
Post Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Wellbeing - Multidisciplinary practice with Young People
The Tavistock And Portman NHS Trust, University of Essex
Post Graduate Certificate in Education - Social Sciences, Qualified Teacher Status
University of London
Bachelor of Science with Honours - Sociology with Psychology
The City University
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