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Professional Profile

• Bio
  I have lived with type 1 diabetes since 1979. I am married with 3 boys aged 3, 12 and 18 yrs. I am the founder of Diabetes Counselling Online www.diabetescounselling.com.au and co-founder of Diabetes Wellbeing Services www.diabeteswellbeingservices.com.au.  Diabetes Counselling Online is a charity organisation, founded in 2001 for all people with diabetes across Australia, focussing on connections between diabetes and wellbeing - we are the only charity with this as our core focus. I am an Accredited Social Worker and Diabetes Educator and have over a decade of experience working in diabetes. I have won a number of national and international awards for my work in diabetes and am regularly asked to speak and write about diabetes, mental health and wellbeing. I am passionate about making sure people living with diabetes can live happy and healthy lives. We have a strong presence on social media with regular chat sessions for particular groups such as parents of kids with diabetes and rural diabetes. I believe people with diabetes are people first and should be at the centre of their own care.
• Registration Numbers and Professional Memberships
  Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
  Member Australian Association of Social Workers
  Member Australian Diabetes Educator's Association
  Member Australian Diabetes Society
  Registered with Medicare as Mental Health Social Worker
• Qualifications
  Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) 1988 Uni SA
  Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management 2004 Flinders Uni
  Certificate Narrative Therapy 2005 Dulwich Centre
• Awards and Publications
  ·     Australian Diabetes Educators Association/Australian Diabetes Society (ADEA/ADS) National conferences 2002 – 2011 -  Invited speaker for 2011 conference in September
  ·         Presentation of posters 2002; 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 ADEA/ADS conference
  ·         Delivery of weekend workshop for ADEA – Tasmania branch – May 2011
  ·         Speaker at Diabetes SA symposium Adelaide July 2011 – “Diabetes Burn out”
  ·         Winner of the Servier “In Memory of Barry Young” grant 2010-2011 to develop a project “Widening the net – the impact of web based counselling on men with depression and diabetes in rural and remote Australia” – current project
  ·         Winner of grant from the “Farmer’s Foundation” – June 2011, to develop a project of online counselling for farming families affected by diabetes – current project
  ·         Presentation to diabetes education students – Flinders University – 2010 and 2011
  ·         Social Work Rep for GPNS Medicare Local application expert working party - 2011
  ·         Presentation of paper, Australasian Society for Psychological Research in Diabetes (ASPRID) conference in 2006,2007,2009
  ·         Co workshop presenter “Diabetes and Mental Illness” – September 2010 ADEA
  ·         Attendance and poster presentation at the 3rd International  Diabetes Attitudes Wishes and Needs (DAWN) summit in Florence Italy, April 2006
  ·         Winner of inaugural Australasian DAWN Award 2005; Top 3 International DAWN Award 2006
  ·         Winner Regional Diabetes Support Scheme (RDSS) grant “Evaluation and development of Diabetes Counselling Online” - 2003
  ·         Attendance as an International grantee and Abstract/Poster presentation at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) summit, Cape Town, South Africa, December 2006
  ·         Narrative Therapy intensives – Dulwich Centre –December 2004; 1 week intensive with Michael White February 2006; International Festive Conference in Narrative Therapy February 2006
  ·         Obesity Prevention Short Course – (Deakin University) Adelaide October 2005
  ·         “Train the Trainer” – “Managing diabetes workshop” - Merck Sharpe Dohme; 31/1/07
  ·         Secretary of ASPRID September 2005 – September 2008
  ·         ASPRID working party  - develop “Psychological Guidelines for management in diabetes”
  ·         Winner of a RDSS “Carry out a Needs Analysis into development of Online Aboriginal Diabetes Counselling Services” – January 2007
  ·         Winner Eli Lily Partnerships in Diabetes Research Award September 2007 – to research the impact of online weight management support for people with type 2 diabetes via development of a programme “Weight Matters”
  ·         “Expert” consulted - development of a “diabetes knowledge questionnaire” for Diabetes Australia 2007
  ·         “Expert” consulted- transition for young people with type 1 diabetes 2007 and 2010-2011 – Diabetes Australia; Family Voices
  ·         “Expert” consulted - “gaps” and issues for people with diabetes for Diabetes Australia May 2008
  ·         Consultant SANE Australia/Diabetes Australia Mental Health and Diabetes booklet
  ·         Member “Type 1 Diabetes Network” working party May 2008 re development of a position statement of issues affecting people with type 1 diabetes in Australia
  ·         Member Reference Group ADEA/DA May 2008 - development of consumer resources
  ·         Various published articles regarding diabetes and mental health
• Areas Of Interest Breastfeeding Gestational Diabetes Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Nutrition and Healthy Eating Obesity Weight Management Pancreatitis Pregnancy