NT Divisional Council

Debbie is a long-standing member of OTA and is currently Acting Occupational Therapy Manager at Royal Darwin Hospital and the Professional Occupational Therapy lead across the Top End Health Service. She has been fortunate to work in a variety of acute care settings across the UK and Australia in a variety of acute and community clinical roles.

Debbie is passionate in working with older people and delivering quality services to clients through patient centred care and has completed research in this area and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. She also holds a Diploma in Leadership and Management which has also assisted with Debbie interest in leadership development and high performing work practices for OT. She enjoys the rich diversity her current position brings. As part of the Divisional Council Debbie aims to support the wider OT profession to engage in sustainable work force development.

Katie completed her undergraduate occupational therapy degree (with first class honours), through Curtin University, Perth, in 2014. She has worked across many varied settings and contexts over her career so far, including urban and remote, disability and health, and the community services and higher education sectors. She has clinical experience in paediatrics, disability, and remote generalist services across the lifespan. Katie has also had experience internationally, through her volunteer work as a community occupational therapist in India.

Katie is passionate about facilitating positive outcomes for everyone she works with, but has a particular interest in rural and remote health care. Having grown up in country WA, and worked across the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of WA, and now remote Northern Territory, Katie has an understanding of living life remote, and the rewards and challenges that it brings.

She is passionate about sustainable service delivery for people who would otherwise not have access to the support they need. She is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Rural Generalist Practice, to continue refining her skills as a remote practitioner. Katie is currently working for the East Arnhem Regional Council, based in Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory. As the first role of its kind in NT local government, Katie is working on program development for sustainable occupational therapy services across East Arnhem Land..

Shannon graduated from Curtin University in Perth in 2004. She worked in community paediatric roles across WA, before moving to the NT in 2009. In 2010, Shannon established a private therapy clinic, providing services to children and families within the Helping Children with Autism program and Better Start Initiative, before transitioning to the NDIS.

Shannon specialises in supporting children with autism, sensory processing, motor planning, DIR Floortime, parent-child attachment and parenting support. Shannon now holds the role of Practice Principal in a multidisciplinary service, and is passionate about supporting early career therapists, providing robust clinical education, and advancing the role and scope of the early intervention professional.

Lori graduated in 2012 and has worked in various clinical contexts across the lifespan. Approximately eight years of Lori’s clinical experience has been in the Northern Territory (NT).

She has completed a Masters of Public Health and focused her research thesis on the role of therapy assistants in private practice. Lori has a particular interest in research and population requirements.

Lori continues to work clinically in the disability sector and is a lecturer at Charles Darwin University in the Master of Occupational Therapy course. As part of the Divisional Council, Lori aims to advocate for the unique workforce and population needs in the Northern Territory.

Rachel graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the Australian Catholic University in North Sydney in 2017. She started her early career in the mid north coast of NSW in Paediatrics predominantly working within NDIS in a large multidisciplinary team.

Rachel relocated to the Northern Territory in early 2020 working in private practice to increase clinical knowledge and training. She now works across not-for-profit and private supporting children and young persons across Darwin with a variety of conditions.

Rachel has a strong passion in the area of capacity building and education for parents, carers, and educators for supporting young persons with disabilities. She also enjoys sharing knowledge and supporting early career OTs by being a clinical supervisor and mentor. Rachel was nominated in 2022 for a Flinders NT Supervisor Recognition Award.

I became a member of Occupational Therapy Australia before I emigrated to Australia in 2017. It was an interesting experience being an expat trying to navigate the OT Board and getting AHPRA registration. I am vested in all things neuro-rehab and often wonder how we can make things more accessible, and occupation focused.