Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Certification
Courses
Timeline
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Irena Bainbridge

Albany,WA

Summary

I am a diligent Social Worker with over 15 years experiencing working and volunteering in the community services industry. I am currently employed as a Therapeutic Specialist at Lifestyle Solutions. I have a strong background in supporting clients to build coping mechanisms to address complex life challenges. I am comfortable in handling stress and performing under pressure. I am compassionate and driven, and have a passion for helping others.

Overview

4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Therapeutic Specialist

Lifestyle Solutions
12.2023 - Current
  • Conduct assessments of cognitive and learning abilities, living skills, emotional and behavioural planning and management for children and young people living in Out of Home Care (OOHC).
  • Design, deliver and evaluate the implementation of multi-element behavioural interventions for the people we support in accordance with current best practice and in line with child or young person’s own goals.
  • Develop, implement, and review intervention plans and strategies for behaviours that challenge exhibited by children and young people with mental health issues and complex needs to enable carers, staff and families to care for a child or young person aligned with trauma informed care.
  • Develop, implement, and review skill development support strategies for carers, staff and families relevant to assessment outcomes for the child or young person.
  • Develop, implement and review safety planning for carers, staff and families relevant to critical incident management response and behaviours of concern to ensure best practice.
  • Co-ordinate and maintain an active clinical case load in agreement with the Clinical Specialist
  • Participate in support planning processes for children or young people to deliver coordinated, effective service provision that meets the goals of the child or young person.
  • Provide input and support around significant life transitions for children and young people including futures planning.
  • Maintain children & young persons data management records.
  • Provide clinical consultation to Lifestyle Solutions staff and other agencies in accordance with priorities.
  • Contribute to the continuing education and professional development of Lifestyle Solutions staff.
  • Initiate or contribute to the design and evaluation of services.
  • Design, implement and participate in research or other projects as required.
  • Contribute to the ongoing development of Lifestyle Solutions various Program areas as directed by the Clinical Specialist.
  • Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of programs in place for the people we support.
  • Liaison with appropriate internal and external stakeholders relative to the needs of the individual child and young person.
  • Use knowledge of service pathway, networks and initiatives to facilitate referrals to external specialist services where required and appropriate.
  • Encourage innovative multidisciplinary responses to the individual needs of the children and young people.

Therapeutic Support Manager

Lifestyle Solutions
12.2022 - 12.2023


  • Perform debriefs with staff who were involved in any incident involving our young people in care.
  • Review daily progress notes for each young person.
  • Review service rosters to check on any vacancies and ensure they are up to date, and processed timesheets and sent to payroll.
  • Complete various reports and care plans including but not limited to After Hours Support Reports, 9 Dimensions Reports, and Individual Care plans.
  • Facilitate care team meetings with the therapeutic team and representatives from the Department of Communities, Child Protection and Family Support.
  • Facilitate 1:1's with Therapeutic Carers and Therapeutic Support Workers.
  • Schedule and facilitate team meetings.
  • Complete work health safety reporting including workplace inspection, first Aid and vehicle.
  • Complete file audits for each young person.
  • Ensure that Safety and Risk Management Plans had been reviewed inline with the Child and Family Services Safety and Risk Procedure.
  • Review Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs) to ensure they align with the service provision and are in date, and provide feedback to the Therapeutic Specialist if required.
  • Review and implement Cultural Support plans.
  • Complete site inductions for new staff.
  • Complete funding requests.

Counsellor/Educator - Prison Pathways

Palmerston Association
02.2021 - 12.2022
  • Lead facilitator in a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) rehabilitation program in Albany Regional Prison
  • Provided comprehensive case management services, including creating treatment plans and connecting clients and families to appropriate resources.
  • Assessed clinical risk and danger to children and families and determined appropriate level of response and intervention.
  • Provided guidance and advice to help cultivate self-esteem and community involvement.
  • Worked collaboratively with other mental health professionals to provide consistent care and minimize diversion.
  • Guided clients in effective therapeutic exercises integrated from Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
  • Kept abreast of new and developing information in mental health field by regularly attending professional conferences and workshops.
  • Provided counseling and support to clients with drug and alcohol abuse issues.
  • Applied evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, problem-solving treatment and motivational interviewing to support behavioral interventions.
  • Educated patients about common mental health and substance abuse disorders to facilitate understanding of treatment options.
  • Directed client-centered, strengths-based, culturally competent and individualized intakes and assessments.
  • Developed goal-oriented psychoeducational therapy to improve clients' level of functioning.
  • Facilitated smooth discharge by encouraging and reassuring clients throughout transitions.

Child and Family Practitioner

Relationships Australia
03.2021 - Current
  • Build solid and trusting rapport with children and families, fostering trust and communication to meet case needs.
  • Report child abuse in accordance with legal standards of mandatory reporters.
  • Demonstrate strong knowledge of child development principles and suggested alternative parenting methods to suit individual family needs.
  • Educate clients on parents roles with focus on skill development and guiding children through nurturing parenting.
  • Collaborate with families to assist in growth, development and education to increase potential.
  • Utilize knowledge of evidence-based programs to inform parents and assist in goal-setting.
  • Engage families in beneficial activities targeted at improving bonds and interactions.
  • Conduct home visits to assess family environment and provide resources to combat behavioral or environmental setbacks.
  • Assist clients in locating resources to support progress such as housing services and financial assistance.
  • Conduct intake and assessments to formulate treatment plan and manage client records.

Family Support Officer

The Department of Child Protection and Family Support
08.2019 - 02.2021
  • Organized and provided or coordinated supervision services for families, children and young people.
  • Organized or provided transport services for families, children and young people.
  • Engaged with children and young people, their families and carers to ensure their safety and well-being.
  • Provided timely advice and reports.

Youth Accommodation Support Coordinator

Parkerville Children And Youth Care
2018 - 06.2020
  • Developed and delivered life skills programs for clientele engaged in our service on various topics including but not limited to; Domestic Violence (DV), personal boundaries, personal hygiene, Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD), anger management, and child development.
  • Facilitated meetings with clientele in order to update and inform clients and receive and record feedback from participants. This information was in turn utilized to make improvement recommendations to management.
  • Identified service gaps and located needed resources for individuals, including housing, work placement and other support.
  • Detailed program operations and participant activities with comprehensive recordkeeping.
  • Improved clients' coping with routine life activities such as food budgeting and rental payments.
  • Coordinated referrals and direct support for complex clients.
  • Determined needed and relevant interventions based on each client's cognitive abilities and current needs.
  • Transported clients to appointments, shopping venues and entertainment events.
  • Visited home environments to help clients develop life, technical and job skills.
  • Helped with home management tasks such as preparing meals, grocery shopping, and cleaning.
  • Evaluated client progress toward established annual and quarterly goals.
  • Kept clients engaged in social networks and communities.

Family Support Worker

Hobart Women's Shelter
2017 - 2018
  • Interviewed and evaluated clients, including conducting safety and risk assessments.
  • Wrote reports and case summaries and compiled work records.
  • Collaborated with the program director to determine and reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide.
  • Referred clients to social services agencies.
  • Solicited advice and guidance from senior personnel and other experts when difficult or atypical situations develop.
  • Maintained regular contact with clients, including visiting clients' household.

Child And Youth Support Worker And Disability Support Worker

OAK Possability
2016 - 2017
  • Offered therapeutic services and crises intervention to emotionally disturbed children and adolescents
  • Identified early warning signs of emotional and developmental problems in children
  • Maintained daily records of clients individual activities, behaviours, meals, and sleep-times
  • Administered medication and minor first aid to sick and injured clients
  • Promoted good behaviour by using positive behaviour support
  • Supported clients to develop skills and abilities so they can live as independently as possible through the principles of active support

Head Teacher

3 & 3 Kindergarten
2015 - 2016
  • Educated students in the basics of English grammar and conversational speaking
  • Created monthly academic status reports based on in-depth student evaluations
  • Collaborated with teachers and department heads to meet quarterly and yearly educational goals
  • Developed and taught a curriculum to improve students\' conversational abilities
  • Assisted department head in establishing daily schedules, curriculum and ESL activities
  • Assigned lessons and corrected homework
  • Attended workshops to learn about student motivation and engaging learning activities
  • Gave one-on-one attention to each student while maintaining overall focus on the entire group
  • Worked with an average of 30 students per class

Child and Youth Support Worker, Disability Support Worker, Special Needs Education Assistant

Life without Barriers
2009 - 2015
  • Tailored lesson plans for students with emotional and cognitive disabilities.
  • Maintained daily records of individual children\'s activities, behaviours and meals
  • Assisted the classroom teacher in supervising snack time and indoor and outdoor play
  • Implemented programming aimed at maximising the living, social and recreational skills of clients with a disability
  • Provided extra assistance in daily life for children in child and youth services and their full-time Foster Carers, for example, transporting children to school

Education

Master Of Social Work -

University Of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
11.2020

Bachelor of Arts - undefined

University Of Tasmania
Hobart, Tasmania
2018

Advanced TESOL Diploma - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Australasian Training Academy (ATA)
Brisbane, Australia
2014

Skills

  • Case management
  • Trauma-informed Practice
  • Focused psychological interventions
  • Managing disclosures
  • Self-harm and Risk Assessment
  • Culturally responsive practice
  • Confidential case documentation
  • Multidisciplinary team collaboration
  • Advocacy
  • Crisis Prevention and Intervention
  • Referrals and networking
  • Life skills development

Certification

  • Calm Core Theory (my CALM)
  • Power to Kids (MacKillop Seasons)
  • 'Quality, Safety and You' - NDIS Worker Orientation Module (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission)
  • Safeguarding Children (Australian Childhood Foundation)
  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (Expressive Therapy Clinic
  • Motivational Interviewing 1 - Spirit and Core Skills (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Motivational Interviewing 2 - Change Talk (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Motivational Interviewing 3 - evoking change talk (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Motivational Interviewing 4 - Processes and Planning (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Mental Health First Aid (Mental Health First Aid Australia)
  • Attachment Based Case Formulation & Intervention (Attachment Based Training)
  • Working with people with forensic histories or at risk of offending (MHPOD)
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis (FASD HUB Australia)
  • ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) (LivingWorks Australia)
  • Introduction to Trauma Informed Care for Alchol & Other Drugs Practice
  • Working with men who have been sexually abused (Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
  • Assist with Medications (National Disability Services)
  • Suicide to Hope (LivingWorks Australia)
  • Child-Centred Play Therapy Certification (Play Therapy Online Training Academy)
  • Treating trauma - essentials for working with inherent relational complications (PESI)
  • AOD: Client Engagement (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Motivational Interviewing (Mental Health Commission of Western Australia)
  • AOD and the Brain (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Micro-counselling Skills (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • AOD Assessment (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Foundational Alcohol and Other Drug Concepts Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Orientation to Telephone Counselling for Alcohol and Other Drug Workers Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Orientation to the AOD Treatment System Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
    Relapse Prevention and Management Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Screening and Brief Intervention Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
    Understanding Alcohol Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Understanding Benzodiazapines Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
    Understanding Cannabis Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Understanding Methamphetamine (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Understanding Opiods (Insight: Centre for AOD Training and Workforce Development)
  • Infection Control Training - COVID - 19 (Australian Government Department of Health)
  • Assist - enquiry (Department of Communities WA)
  • Accountability and Ethical Decision Making (Department of Communities WA)
  • Child Assessment Interviewing (Department of Communities WA)
  • Child Development and Attachment (Department of Communities WA)
  • Elementary 1 Chinese (The University of Western Australia)
  • Family and Domestic Violence in Child Protection (Department of Communities WA)
  • Identify and Respond to Young People at Risk of Harm (Department of Communities WA)
    Work Health and Safety (Department of Communities WA)
  • Emergency Management (Open2Study)
  • Foundations to Psychology (IntroPsych) (Open2Study)
  • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (Open2Study)
  • Supporting Infants and Toddlers of Parents with
  • Mental Illness (Emerging Minds Australia)
  • Understanding the Origins of Crime (Open2Study)
  • Child Aware Practice (Emerging Minds Australia)
  • An Introduction to Youth Alcohol and Other Drugs (Dovetail - Youth Alcohol and Drug Sector Development in Queensland)
  • Anti-Slavery Australia e-learning (Anti-Slavery Australia)
  • Child Mental Health (Emerging Minds Australia)
  • CHCDFV001: Recognise and Respond Appropriately to Domestic and Family Violence (Lifeline Tasmania)
  • Glucometer Training (Watson & Blanch)
  • Driver Safety (National Disability Services)
  • Human Rights and You: An Introduction to Human Rights for Disability Support Workers (National Disability Services)
  • Understanding Abuse (Zero Tolerance) (National Disability Services)
  • Working with Diverse People (National Disability Services)
  • Level 2 Trauma and Development (Australian Childhood Foundation)
  • Strategies for Managing Abuse Related Trauma (SMART Training) (Australian Childhood Foundation)
  • First Aid Certificate (Allens Training)
  • Trauma Informed Positive Behavior Support (TI-PBS) training
  • Assist Clients with Medication (Disability Services) (Medecs Australia)
  • Crisis Intervention and Prevention (CPI)
  • Recognise Healthy Body Systems (Medecs Australia)
  • Safeguarding Children (Australian Childhood Foundation)
  • Sociology (Open2Study)
  • Trauma and the Child: Trauma and Adversity (Emerging Minds Australia)

Courses

Adolescent Brain
Cultural Awareness
Domestic Violence
Managing Disclosures
Mind-up Emotional Regulation for Children
Model of Therapeutic Care
Positive Behaviour Support
Protective Behaviours
Self-Harm and Risk Assessment
Sexualised Behaviours
Shared Stories Shared Lives
Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma
Volatile Substance Use (VSU)

Timeline

Therapeutic Specialist

Lifestyle Solutions
12.2023 - Current

Therapeutic Support Manager

Lifestyle Solutions
12.2022 - 12.2023

Child and Family Practitioner

Relationships Australia
03.2021 - Current

Counsellor/Educator - Prison Pathways

Palmerston Association
02.2021 - 12.2022

Family Support Officer

The Department of Child Protection and Family Support
08.2019 - 02.2021

Youth Accommodation Support Coordinator

Parkerville Children And Youth Care
2018 - 06.2020

Family Support Worker

Hobart Women's Shelter
2017 - 2018

Child And Youth Support Worker And Disability Support Worker

OAK Possability
2016 - 2017

Head Teacher

3 & 3 Kindergarten
2015 - 2016

Child and Youth Support Worker, Disability Support Worker, Special Needs Education Assistant

Life without Barriers
2009 - 2015

Master Of Social Work -

University Of Western Australia

Bachelor of Arts - undefined

University Of Tasmania

Advanced TESOL Diploma - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Australasian Training Academy (ATA)

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Irena Bainbridge