Annual Professional Development Day
Monday October 9, 2023
Newman Siena Centre

Dr Anita Moyes is a social scientist in Western Australia. Anita's expertise is in school nursing, child & adolescent development, primary health care, child and adolescent mental health and community nursing. She is particularly interested in lifespan development from the prenatal period to young adulthood, how the social and physical environment influence mental health across the lifespan, social entrepreneurship and planetary health. Prior to undertaking a PhD Anita had an extensive nursing career, ranging from early intervention services in the community to assertive intervention services at the tertiary hospital level. Anita is a lecturer at Edith Cowen University School of Nursing and Midwifery and current Research and Education officer for WA School Nurses Association

Kellie is the WA State Director of Mackillop Family Services. With qualifications in psychology and a history of working in disability, and mental health, and with the Department of Communities. Kellie has over 20 years of experience working with children and families in WA.

Understanding the impact of trauma on children, identifying the related pain-based behaviours, and how to respond is vital. Creating a trauma-informed environment is critical for learning. Your environment and your responses to signs of trauma can either increase or reduce challenging behaviours.

Changing your perspective from "what is wrong" to 'what has happened" can change the way we respond and help to build and maintain positive relationships, the key to healing.

Recognising that all members of the school community have a role to play and will all benefit from understanding the impact of trauma and how best to respond is essential.

Rebecca is the Co-ordinator of Positive Partnerships WA. Positive Partnerships work in partnership with families, educators, and communities to strengthen positive outcomes for school-aged students on the autism spectrum.

Rebecca is an Occupational Therapist who specialises in working alongside young people on the autism spectrum, their families, and their support networks. She has developed intensive face-to-face and teletherapy programs for regional, remote, and metropolitan-based clients.

Marie-Claire is a clinical nurse consultant and the founding CEO of The Australian POTS Foundation. She is undertaking her PhD candidature at the University of Adelaide where she is exploring autonomic dysfunction in post-acute sequelae of Covid-19 [PASC]. Marie-Claire co-leads a multi-disciplinary clinic for those with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome [POTS] and other complex autonomic disorders. Here she utilizes her clinical, educational and research skills to provide a multidisciplinary approach to management of those with POTS and PASC. She has a keen interest in reducing time to diagnosis in POTS and in collaborating in research that focuses on improving outcomes for those living with autonomic dysfunction and hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

Marie-Claire's presentation will cover the crucial aspects of POTS symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It will also address the important role school nurses play in advocating for and supporting adolescents with POTS in the educational environment.

Pat Cronin Foundation provide education, strategies and resources to empower young people so that together we can stop violence and end the coward punch.

With a natural aptitude for coaching and mentoring, Alan is the Director of Rugby at Xavier College in Kew, Melbourne, and was recently appointed to the Board of Rugby Victoria.

He also has a wealth of experience on the rugby field, including 400 games, five Dewar Shield Premierships and a stint in Spain. More recently he has been honing his skills behind the microphone as the ground announcer for the Melbourne Rebels.

He says the work of the foundation in educating young people about the dangers of social violence - as well as the Coward Punch - aligns with his own strongly held beliefs.

Carly is an endorsed Paediatric Nurse Practitioner working in a Paediatric NP-led clinic in Perth and is a Lecturer at ECU. Carly has over 18 years of experience in children’s healthcare, working in specialist children’s hospitals in Perth and community health in Perth and country areas. Carly is passionate about helping families to access high quality health care and early intervention services, with a special interest in adolescent health. One her passions is empowering and enabling her colleagues to recognise the value in their skills, to promote utilising our advanced practice workforce to work to their full scope of practice. Carly is at the beginning of her PhD journey, with the focus being the NPs role in the accurate assessment and diagnosis of neurodiversity.