VANNESSA MONTOYA-BARBARO
Sutherland
Summary
Motivating, inspiring, and influential leader passionate about fostering impactful leadership and learning cultures where individuals and teams feel safe, heard, and valued, and are empowered to learn, grow, and persevere in their work.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Practice Design Specialist
The Parenting Research Centre
04.2017 - Current
- Partner with government and non-government organisations delivering child and family services to design evidence informed frameworks that strengthen service delivery and are aligned with the key principles of child protection legislation and the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021-2031
- Consult with diverse stakeholders to assess and prioritise organisational learning and development needs
- Cultivate thriving learning and coaching cultures that drive strategic outcomes and ultimately empower families to achieve stronger results
- Develop and lead the implementation of evidence-informed training and coaching initiatives to enhance workforce capability and foster high-quality service delivery
- Provide one on one and group coaching to frontline staff, middle and senior managers and executive
- Measure the effectiveness of training and coaching initiatives by implementing assessment and feedback mechanisms, using insights to refine and enhance offerings
- Establish and implement continuous improvement processes and systems that support knowledge sharing and leverage expertise and best practice
- Lead, manage and coach internal specialist staff, to enhance their knowledge and skills and contribute more effectively to projects
- Present at sector-wide conferences on evidence informed frameworks and coaching models to enhance the learning and capability of frontline staff and leaders
- Engage in effective project management ensuring that scope, timelines, budgets, resources, opportunities, and risks are proactively managed
Senior Consultant
Konekt
08.2016 - 04.2017
- Support workers with psychological injuries to engage in a gradual return to work process
- Conduct thorough psychological assessments and develop tailored return-to-work plans
- Perform vocational assessments to assist workers to explore alternative career paths and retraining opportunities
- Provide comprehensive case management, liaising with the injured worker, their employer, insurance company, and treating medical professionals to ensure return to work goals are achieved
- Abide by regulatory codes of practice as set out under the Work Health and Safety laws as well as the guidelines set out under the Workers Compensation Act 1987, Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 and Workers Compensation Regulation 2016
Psychologist
Juniperina Correctional Centre (Juvenile Justice)
11.2015 - 07.2016
- Asses, plan, and monitor the psychological well-being of female adolescent detainees in the intake unit
- Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessment to inform the development of targeted treatment plans
- Provide Solution-Focused psychological interventions tailored to an adolescent population
- Manage self-harm behaviours and suicidal ideation to ensure the safety and wellbeing of female detainees
- Deliver treatment for mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, anger management, and trauma
- Implement psychological interventions aimed at reducing recidivism
- Perform risk and critical incident management to ensure safety and appropriate responses
- Provide psychoeducation to youth officers to strengthen their capacity to care for and support the wellbeing of female detainees
- Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team comprised of general practitioners, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, counsellors, and youth officers to achieve stronger outcomes for female detainees
Psychologist
Intensive Supervision Program (Juvenile Justice)
07.2011 - 09.2014
- Provide Family Therapy to juvenile offenders and their families using a Multisystemic Therapy model to reduce offending behaviour, substance abuse, and aggression, while promoting engagement in education and pro-social activities
- Collaborate with the Aboriginal Team Advisor to deliver culturally specific interventions to Aboriginal families
- Conduct comprehensive assessments and case formulations to understand presenting issues
- Develop targeted treatment interventions to improve family relationships
- Support caregivers to implement behavioural interventions, whilst building their sense of autonomy
- Perform mental health assessments and create safety plans for at-risk behaviours, including self-harm, suicidal ideation, and harm to others
- Prepare and present progress reports to the Court, detailing advancements in treatment and areas needing further support
- Provide 24-hour on-call support to families for crisis management and implementation of treatment interventions
Education
Post Graduate Diploma - Psychological Practice
College of Professional Psychology
01.2011
Bachelor - Psychology
Western Sydney University
01.2008
Year 12 High School Certificate -
Brigidine College Randwick
01.1999
Skills
- Exceptional interpersonal and relationship building
- Outstanding oral and written communication
- Excellent stakeholder management
- Advanced training, coaching and mentoring
- Advanced leadership and management
- Outstanding problem solving and troubleshooting
- Excellent strategic thinking
- Outstanding project management
- Excellent change management
References
- Dr Fiona May, 0407 839 298, Principal Research Specialist, The Parenting Research Centre
- Ms Elly Robinson, 0447 646 707, Principal Specialist, The Parenting Research Centre
- Ms Annette Michaux, annette.michaux@gmail.com, Executive Lead Australia, Frameworks Institute
Accomplishments
- Coaching Culture Development: Successfully supported a medium-sized organisation in the child and family sector to establish a thriving coaching culture, incorporating an integrated continuous improvement system at all levels of the organisation
- Governance Framework: Co-developed and co-authored a governance framework for the child and family sector, enabling organisational boards to effectively monitor and evaluate the strategies and approaches used to support children and families, leveraging data-driven insights for informed decision-making
- Douglas Marshall Award Winner (2023): Recognised for creating a positive work culture and exemplifying the values of the Parenting Research Centre
Certification
- Women in Leadership Program, Monash Centre for Health, Research and Implementation, October 2024
- Professional Certificate in Coaching Psychology, The Institute of Coaching and Consulting Psychology, October 2023
- SafeCare Certified Trainer and Coach, National SafeCare Training Research Centre, February, 2020
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Practice Design Specialist
The Parenting Research Centre
04.2017 - Current
Senior Consultant
Konekt
08.2016 - 04.2017
Psychologist
Juniperina Correctional Centre (Juvenile Justice)
11.2015 - 07.2016
Psychologist
Intensive Supervision Program (Juvenile Justice)
07.2011 - 09.2014
Year 12 High School Certificate -
Brigidine College Randwick
Post Graduate Diploma - Psychological Practice
College of Professional Psychology
Bachelor - Psychology
Western Sydney University
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