Queensland Divisional Council

Kim has worked for over 30 years as an occupational therapist, across many practice settings, including community health, mental health, paediatrics, stroke, and acute hospitals. She has also had a role as a Director of Occupational Therapy, and managed various projects and her own private practice and consultancy business.

Currently, Kim is working as an academic at Griffith University and is completing a PhD investigating professional identity and professional adaptation within occupational therapy. Kim has had a long involvement with OTA over the years, including being convenor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Group and serving two terms as a Director (Vice President - Finance) on the Occupational Therapy Australia Board. She also is currently a member of the OTA Finance, Risk and Audit committee.

Claire’s professional background includes working in public health settings with both mental and physical health caseloads, as well as owning and operating a private driving assessment mobile clinic and now, as Principle Health Liaison Officer for the Office of the Public Guardian.

Claire is passionate about occupational therapy in the context of holistic wellness and how the professional community can extend the scope of occupational therapy to meet the needs of the everchanging health landscape. This passion has extended to Claire working on professional research secondments for Gold Coast Health in areas of integrated health and health innovation.

Claire’s holistic experience in acute hospital, mental health and private practice provides a unique understanding of a client’s journey through the public health care system and into private professional practice.

Pamela graduated from the University of Queensland as an occupational therapist in 1986, and as a psychologist in 1998. She went on to achieve her PhD in 2006 focusing on chronic pain outcomes for adults with childhood experiences predisposing them to insecure attachment patterns.

Pamela has an extensive clinical background as an occupational therapist and a psychologist, working in disability, child and adolescent mental health, and education. Pamela joined academia in 1997, and has been Professor and Head of Occupational Therapy at Central Queensland University since February 2018. Pamela is a passionate supporter of postgraduate studies has a demonstrated track record in the publication and dissemination of her research activity, with more than 100 publications.

Pam’s primary research focus is on the implications of sensory and attachment patterns for physical and mental health. She has presented extensively at conferences, and regularly presents one- and two-day workshops on the topic of her research.

Dee graduated from the University of Queensland in 1999 with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. She went on to complete further post graduate studies in Clinical Rehabilitation and obtain her qualification to become an OT driving assessor.

Dee is the Director and Principal Occupational Therapist of Enhanced Health Therapy Services, a private practice located in Townsville, regional Queensland.

Dee’s passion and extensive experience lies in the areas of rehabilitation, neurology and aged care. She has a depth and breadth of experience delivering services in public, private and not for profit services and across a variety of settings (inpatient, outpatient and community) and geographies including Australia (metropolitan, regional, rural and remote), Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Qatar and Switzerland. Dee has considerable experience in governance and commercialisation having established and grown a commercially successful private practice.

Dee is a sessional lecturer of fourth year elective subjects at James Cook University (Townsville). She is also passionate about advocating for occupational therapy. She has been invited to speak with the Productivity Commission on issues impacting both small business and profession of occupational therapy at large on multiple occasions. Dee has attended hearings both in Townsville and Brisbane providing evidence at the Joint Standing Committee (NDIS) and the Royal Commission for Aged Care Safety and Quality.

Vivienne is passionate about living her potential so that others can live theirs. As the owner and director of Kids Matters Occupational Therapy, she values quality occupational therapy that works, providing and fostering a safe and supportive community for her team to grow and become the best therapists they can be and excellent customer service. She loves to support Occupational therapists to become competent and confident therapists, who make a difference to kids and their families’ lives through helping them to overcome their occupational challenges.

Vivienne has always desired to help others, which initially led her on the journey to become an Occupational Therapist (graduated 1997 from University of Qld), develop her skills working with children as an OT, to start a solo private practice in 2003 and then later develop her group paediatric private practice Kids Matters OT from 2005. She currently manages three clinics across Brisbane.

Cherie has worked for over 20 years as an occupational therapist in public, non-government, not-for-profit, compensable and private practice sectors in the areas of disability, paediatrics, aged care, mental health, and leadership and management. More recently, Cherie has been working in the residential aged care sector.

Cherie has a passion for enabling vulnerable people to have a voice and to become self-advocates, and social justice principles greatly influence Cherie’s practice. representation of members working in the disability and aged care sectors, and in particular addressing workforce recruitment, retention and development in these areas.

Sally is an Occupational Therapist, who is passionate about enhancing the lives of children and families, through the practice of Occupational Therapy. Sally graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Deakin University and has been working in the field of Paediatrics since 2009. Throughout her career, she has experienced diverse paediatric caseloads, across multiple service settings.

These have included, health, disability, education, private practice and not for profit environments. Sally’s passion led her to co-founding the charity “The Treehouse Initiative”, and her work as National Manager of Occupational Therapy for Goodstart Early Learning. A position that was well placed to create great outcomes for Australia’s children, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Today, Sally works as the Head of Clinical Services for Leor, leading a national team of Allied Health Professionals through a model that offers timely, high-quality access to early intervention supports through the vehicle of Early Education and Care.