Donna

Donna brings with her 15 years of healthcare experience in a varied number of roles. She commenced her professional journey with a drive to care for others whilst embracing the opportunity to positively impact the lives of her clients and the community. This has remained a driving force in her practice.

She began as a carer in the aged care sector and developed her knowledge and skills immensely. She progressed in this role to become a supervisor. This led to providing education and training to staff, managing assessment and submission of ACFI (Aged Care Funding Instrument), and being a vital member of the team that implemented the statewide initiative of sachet packed medication here in WA.

Donna gained her Bachelor of Nursing degree through the University of Notre Dame in 2013. Donna took a keen interest in mental health during her degree and subsequently completed the Statewide Mental Health Post-Graduate Program. She is passionate about breaking the stigma around mental illness and advocating for her clients and their needs.

In addition to co-ordinating in the acute wards, Donna undertook the task of establishing and maintaining a discharge support service to all clients after being discharged from hospital. This involved becoming an authorised mental health practitioner, where she used her skills in assessment and coordination of care to minimise risk and advocate for her clients.

Following this role, Donna began working in the community as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She did extensive ongoing work with a cohort of clients with high intensive mental health needs. The intensive support and coordination of care provided ultimately assisted the clients to remain in the community and reduce hospital admissions and crisis presentations.

During this period she developed sound therapeutic relationships with clients and client representatives alike. She has been able to foster care provision in a meaningful and rewarding way to promote better client outcomes. She furthered this by continuing her endeavours as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Early Episode Psychosis Team. A specialised team providing intensive support and care coordination to young adults with a first presentation of a mental illness.

Donna has skills in motivational interviewing, positive behaviour support, crisis planning, assessment and management of risk, medication administration, care and support coordination, identifying client needs, effective and efficient liaison, supporting recovery goals, complex decision making and building sound therapeutic relationships.