Tim Barry (above right) expected to be challenged by his student placement in the BCHS Forensic Mental Health team. Instead, it totally changed him.
“I was looking for a placement that was really going to test my values,” he says of leaving his comfort zone for BCHS.
“I wanted to put myself in a situation that I might find difficult. I wanted to see more difficult stuff before going out into the social work industry.”
After undertaking a three-month placement, Tim is now a proud full-time member of the four-person team, having recently completed his Master of Social Work with La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Into the unknown
Tim attended the annual social work expo at La Trobe thinking his future may be in child protection. Then he stopped at the BCHS Forensic Mental Health table and met clinicians Joy and Jacob.
“After talking to Jacob for 40 minutes, I knew I wanted to come here,” he says.
“I thought I’d take this placement, but there was no way I was going to go on and work with people who’d been through the justice system. Especially as there are victims of crime in my family. I thought I was going to hate it, absolutely hate it. Two weeks in and I knew I wanted to do this.
“The more I got to see people come through, rather them seeing them as the classic ‘drain on society’ as everyone sees them, I started to see they had their own stories and part of the reason their lives were like this was they didn’t have all the things that other people take for granted.”
Tim lists resources, opportunities and family support as common yet crippling examples.
“I got to see where people came from, what they’d been through. I’ve had difficult times in my past that have challenged me, but I have always had supportive people there. If I didn’t have them, If I didn’t have any resources, maybe I would have gone down the same paths as these people?”
Holistic care in action
Tim says the team can help facilitate real change in their clients’ lives, using a range of therapies such as psycho education, sleep hygiene, CBT, and Tim’s go-to focus acceptance/commitment therapy.
“It’s about accepting what’s gone on in the past and committing to going forward,” he says.
“It’s about helping people focus on their values, where they want to go and what they want in life.
“Sitting in a room with people, you see a softer side others would never see. I ask, if you don’t want to be this person anymore, who do you want to be?
“I’ve done a total 180. I’ve found myself standing up for people.”
Joining a top team
And then there’s the Forensic Mental Health team; a tight unit of staff who have each other’s back. Who are always smiling. Always positive.
“I really love the job, but I think I love the team more,” Tim says.
Healthy side of marketing
Ta Na Moo (above left) has recently re-joined the Cultural Diversity team after graduating from La Trobe’s Bendigo Campus with a Bachelor of Business/Marketing.
A proud member of the local Karen community, Ta Na is now using his skills, and his voice, to deliver essential health information in language.
“My primary role is developing and designing flyers, posters and videos to engage the community,” says the Karen Community Engagement Officer. “Also making sure things adhere to our new branding.”
Happy to be back
Ta Na had a similar role at BCHS before taking a break to spend his final semester on exchange, studying in Korea.
“It’s pretty nice to come back and see the new branding in place,” he says of the fresh BCHS logo, colours and templates he is now working with.
“It’s also good to be back working in the team full of fantastic people. I can’t believe how supportive BCHS staff are.”
Currently, Ta Na is producing a two-part animated video in the Karen language, outlining Type 2 diabetes; what is it, and what are the possible complications and management, another video on first aid using ice and heat packs, and a brochure to promote culturally sensitive counselling to those who may need it.
“It’s pretty nice to know that I can apply the things I learnt in this way,” he says. “There’s a lot of time when you’re studying where you don’t know how you’ll put your skills to use. Utilising my study to enhance the work I do is a really nice feeling.”
Congratulations to Tim and Ta Na on their recent graduations.
