Dr Carla van Laar MCAT DTAP AThR – Mental Health Practitioner

Art Therapy Supervision

Here are some examples of my positions working within organisations as a Mental Health Practitioner:

Principal Therapist, VincentCare Young Adults Counselling Service 2016 – 2018

  • Generate referrals liaising with key stakeholders who are housing service providers
  • Provide individual therapy for young adults experiencing homelessness
  • Facilitate group work including mindfulness, somatic experiencing and art therapy
  • Offer secondary consultation for case managers
  • Link young adults with mental health services including headspace

Senior Project Manager, Headspace Western and Northern Melbourne 2009 – 2010

Managed arts based and community projects, staff and key stakeholder relationships at executive, community and internal levels including;

  • Drink? Think. Drama project for young women 18 – 25 exploring binge drinking
  • Visionary Images health promotion posters project
  • headspace@schoolspace whole school project at Werribee and Galvin Park Secondary Colleges
  • “What’s in your headspace?” Mental health awareness raising in schools
  • YAC Youth Action Committee
  • Framework for coordinated community capacity building by a group of core mental health agencies

Community Capacity Building Manager, Headspace Western Melbourne 2008 – 2009

  • Developed a staff team to support the aims of hWM in providing quality accessible early intervention mental health care for young people
  • Development of youth friendly projects utilising the arts, drama, multimedia and the web
  • Delivery of awareness raising programs and projects to over 4000 students within the Western region of Melbourne’s schools, sports clubs and other organisations
  • Initiated and delivered accredited education, training and development, for young people, over 300 professionals and families. Topics included; SEE Young People – Screening and engaging early, Can Do young people, Working with families and significant others, Anxiety – the links with student learning
  • Obtained over $80,000 of funding in a twelve month period for projects including the granting of a NAB schools first award, three rounds of School Focused Youth Services funding for work in schools and the development of a training manual for School Welfare Coordinators, and Victorian Women’s Trust funding for a drama based binge drinking prevention project 

Clinician, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Adolescent Forensic Health Service (AFHS), Male Adolescent Program for Positive Sexuality (MAPPS), 2005 – 2008

  • Member of a multi-disciplinary team in which I was responsible for general clinical duties
  • Offered a specialist contribution through the development of sexual offence specific therapeutic intervention programs utilising narrative, cognitive behavioural, art, drama and outdoor adventure methods
  • Assessment and treatment of adolescents who have been found guilty of sexual offences, state wide
  • Preparation of assessment and risk management advice for the Courts and Department of Human Services (DHS)
  • Management of relationships with clients, families, case managers, other service providers, community based organizations and key stake holders
  • Facilitation of group, family and individual sessions
  • Provision of training and professional development for DHS, AFHS and other services

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