After what has been a long and challenging year, the MHCC ACT would like to invite its members to an end of year celebration and forum event.

As many may know, two significant services have been rolled out this year, those being the Safe Haven Café and the Head to Health mental health service. Both of these services are soon to be up and running and MHCC would like to celebrate the opening of these important initiatives by holding a forum with representatives from both service providers.

Stride will be operating the Safe Haven Café, and Think Psychology will be operating the Head to Health service. We will have representatives from both organisations sharing the challenges and successes of bringing these projects to fruition. Following the forum, we will be having a end of year celebration with appetisers, snacks and refreshing beverages.

Given the past lockdown this will be a fantastic opportunity to get together and enjoy some in-person contact and networking. The forum will be held at the Kingston Hotel function room from 2pm – 5pm on Wednesday 15 December, we look forward to seeing you there.

Presenter Biographies

Safe Haven Café: Kate Snars- Regional Manager Community Services

Kate has expertise in the establishment and leadership of high performing community mental health teams, including Stride’s Safe Space in Blacktown. Kate has over a decade of experience building meaningful and enduring partnerships with community and hospital mental health, AOD and social services. Kate currently oversees Stride’s adult community services in Western Sydney and NSW West.

Head to Health: Vanessa Hamilton & Jason McCrae

Vanessa Hamilton is an experience clinical psychologist who has been working in the Canberra region for the past 25 years. She has worked across the public, community, tertiary and private sectors and been part of the duo who created Think Psychology Solutions (TPS) 10 years ago. TPS is a private mental health clinic staffed by psychiatrists, psychologists and a GP which provides comprehensive mental health care to local consumers. Vanessa has also been heavily involved in regulation of her profession and is currently the ACT practitioner member on the National Psychology Board, the chair of the National Psychology Exam and Portfolio Lead for Supervision, demonstrating commitment to quality and safety in all aspects of health care. Vanessa is one of two Directors of Think Mental Health, the lead agency providing the Head to Health services.

Jason is a clinical psychologist who studied at the University of Canberra, being the first ever graduate from UC’s clinical psychology masters program. His initial roles were in sport and addictions – working at the ACT Academy of Sport, the Australian Institute of Sport and Lifeline Canberra’s Gambling Care/Club Care program providing face-to-face treatment for those experiencing gambling related harm. Since that time Jason has worked primarily in private clinical services including being the co-founder of Think Psychology Solutions (TPS) and has had clinical areas of interest including working with men, trauma, anxiety and retained his interest in addictions, particularly gambling. Jason is one of two Directors of Think Mental Health, the lead agency providing the Head to Health services.