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Elizabeth Richter
18-22 Lindeman Road
Leura NSW 2780
T: (02) 4782 6446
M: 0420 768 207
E: liz.richter@bigpond.com
Professional Profile
I am a compassionate and accredited mental health social worker with the ability to work in collaboration with
clients and their families to foster opportunities to encourage independence and self-determination.I have four
and a half years of experience providing recovery-focused interventions for clients with social and psychological
issues.Prior to that I obtained experience in acute medical settings working with patients individuallyand with
their friends and families. As a generalistpractitioner I have the knowledge and skills to work with individuals,
couples,families,groups and the wider community. I have extensive knowledge,skills and values required to
conductcomprehensive psychosocial assessments and interventions including briefpsychodynamic counselling
and mindfulness.
Education
Bachelor of Social Work
University of Queensland
Graduated: 2008
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
Graduated:2006
Work Experience
July 2011 – April2016
St Vincent’s Hospital:Psychiatric Emergency Care Centre (PECC) please see below:
Three days a week, part time permanent.
PECC Unit: is a six-bed unitwithin the EmergencyDepartmentatSt Vincent’s Hospital.It has a high turnover of
patients who are admitted over a period of 48 hours in acute crisis or with suicidal ideation/behaviours.
 Provision of a therapeutic relationship with the patient to establish trustand rapportin the initial
interaction on admission
 Provision of therapeutic counselling strategies to provide emotional and psychological support.
 Utilisation ofmindfulness strategies to help patients stabilise their inner emotional distress
 Comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments to identify external (social problems) and internal issues
(personal vulnerabilities) leading to their admission to hospital,including identifying their strengths and
supports.

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 Data collection and collaboration ofinformation pertaining to the patients practical and emotional
strengths and problems.
 Working with the patientto problem solve practical social issues including Centrelink,accommodation,
work issues,financial problems,child protection and aged care issues.
 Working with patients to develop information and skills to increase their abilityto manage distressful
emotions using techniques from BDT, CBT, Mindfulness and ACT.
 Working with patients to provide psychoeducation and strategies to understand difficulties they
experience in their relationships with friends,familymembers and partners utilising concepts from
Attachment theory and Psychodynamic theory
 Providing mediation and facilitation supportand psychoeducation to patients and their families and other
significant others in case conferences or meetings.
 Providing mediation and supportto help patients terminate partner relationships which led to their
admission.
 Psychoeducation,supportand referral of resources to carers ofpatients.
July 2011 – Dec 2012
St Vincent’s Hospital:Caritas InpatientUnitand Psychiatric Emergency care Centre (PECC)
Three days in PECC and two days in Caritas.
CARITAS Unit: Is a 27 bed inpatientlonger stay unit providing care and treatmentto those individuals who are
experiencing a more severe mental illness.
 Provision of general social work practice to provide patients with support,psychoeducation,advocacy
and assistance in managing their lives on the ward and discharge back into the community.
 Conducting Social Work Practice in line with the Code of Ethics and Practice Standards for Mental
health Social Workers as defined by the Australian Association ofSocial Workers Code of Ethics 2010.
 Conducting comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments using the strengths assessmentto identify
strengths and supports.
 Conducting comprehensive data collection on the historyof the individual including medical,psychiatric,
alcohol and drug,services,supports,legal,financial and housing.
 The provision of education and information relating to the managementofmental illness diagnosis,
symptoms and care to patients and their carers.
 Providing counselling to patients,their partners and families bymeans ofsupportive,educational and at
times challenging behaviours thatare harmful to selfor others.
 Facilitation of couples,groups and families in relation to patients care and wellbeing.
 Provide ongoing support,information and mediation for patients in regards to their treatmentand care
by members ofthe multidisciplinaryteam.
 Provide information and education to patients regarding their mental illness and/or disorders and the
managementofsymptoms,and treatmentcompliancy.
 Provide information and education to patients regarding Mental Health Review Tribunal hearings and
orders,including their detention under the Mental Health Act.
 Complete applications for referrals of patients to communityagencies and organisations in regards to
services and supports.

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May 2011 – July 2011
St Vincent’s Hospital:DarlinghurstCommunity Mental Health Services
 Performing Social Work Mental Health Case Managementaccording to the framework as setout by the
Code of Ethics in line with the AASW Practice Standards and Practice Standards for Mental Health.
 Delivered a high quality level of care and coordination ofservices to Clients of the Inner City Health
Program.
 Conducted holistic bio-psychosocial assessments to identify strengths and supports ofclients and their
carers.
 Completed applications for CommunityTreatmentOrders,NSW Housing,PHAMS, and other
Governmentnon-Governmentservices.
 Provided regular support,psycho-education and strategies to manage mental illness symptoms to
clients.
 Provided counselling through strategies including motivational interviewing,mindfulness,relaxation
techniques and some CBT.
 Initiated and facilitated meetings with clients supportnetwork providers to enhance care and supportfor
clients.
 Advocated on behalfof clients to obtain accommodation,information,supportand services with mental
health agencies in the community.
 Completed necessaryrecord keeping on a regular basis as per the NSW Health requirements.
 Attended CommunityReview Meetings to discuss client’s progress or complexbehaviours.
Aug 2009 – Apr 2011
St Vincent’s Hospital:Medical Wards
 Social Work Role covering Medical Oncology, Nephrologyinpatient,Dialysis outpatient,Gynaecology,
Endocrinology,Infectious Diseases and Urologyand until recently, Clinical Pharmacologyand Drug and
Alcohol.
 Accountable to the Social Work Manager and as part of a multidisciplinaryteam on the ward, I am
responsible for the care and supportof patients in hospital and for their planned safe discharge into the
community.
 My role as a social worker includes liaising,collaborating,informing and negotiating with
multidisciplinaryteam members;psychosocial assessments,counselling,educating and informing,
referring to services,linking in with medical and allied agencies,liaising with familyand other support
systems,organising and arranging case conferences,arranging transportand accommodation and
making applications for Guardianship.
 Completion of a Quality Assurance projectfor NephrologyUnitto improve patient’s access to safe and
affordable transportwhen attending the hospital for dialysis treatment.
February 2005 – Dec 2007
Houghton Hospice and Edenvale FamilyWelfare and Norman House Place ofSafety
It is worth noting that I worked with adults in outpatientPalliative care over a period of a year in a placement
during my Social Work course.I also worked with youth and adolescents between the ages of9 and 21 at a place
of safety over a two year period during my placement.During this placementIconducted numerous counselling
sessions with individuals,held several group programs and conducted two large communitydevelopment
projects.

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Sep1996 – Jan2006
The BroadcastWorkshop
Own Business in partnership with partner:Sony BroadcastSupportService Centre: Responsible for day to day
administrative and financial managementofa broadcastcompany including debtors,creditors,petty cash,salary
payments,tax management,petty cash,invoicing and purchases,propertymaintenance and management,client
liaison,staffmanagementincluding salaries,problem solving and training.
Achievements
 Completed a research projectto determine the feasibilityof transportoptions for Patients who attended
St Vincent’s Hospital for Dialysis
 Implemented and operationalised the role of the weekend social worker on the medical wards atSt
Vincent’s Hospital
 Invited to and presented a talk on my clinical work in mental health as partof a forum at the 2015 AASW
Symposium
 Application and Accreditation of Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Professional Associations
 Accredited Social Worker Member of Australian Association ofSocial Workers 2016-2017 Membership
Number 300125
 Member of the Golden Key International Honour Society
Computer Skills
1992 - present
 Computer skills including Pastel Accounting,, Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007,Microsoft Excel, Internet
Explorer, Microsoft Outlook, CHIME and Web Delacy as per NSW Health.
Significant Continuing Education
2016 Advanced training in Suicide Prevention
2015 IGL Group leadership training
2015 St Vincent’s Hospital:Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
2015 Professional DevelopmentPeople:BriefPsychodynamic Therapy
2015 St Vincent’s Hospital:Clinical Supervision Individual Model
2015 APS Institute: Suicide Prevention Professional DevelopmentTraining
2014 Treatmentof PersonalityDisorders Conference
2014 APS Institute: CBT Fundamentals:Processes and Techniques in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
2013 St Vincent’s Hospital:Minimisation & ManagementofAggression in the workplace

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2013 St Vincent’s Hospital:Clinical Documentation for MH Professionals
2013 St Vincent’s Hospital:Suicide Prevention:Risk and Assessment
2013 Family and Carer NSW: Workshop for MH Clinicians in helping carers who supportsomeone with
personalitydisorders
2012 Byron Clinic:Motivational Interviewing
2012 St Vincent’s Hospital:Strengths Training Model
2012 Byron Clinic:Frontiers of Trauma Treatment
2011 Hearing Voices Network:Living with Voices
2011 AASW: Cognitive Therapy
2010 ST Vincent’s Hospital:Understanding Griefand Bereavement
2010 AASW: Assessmenton the run
2010 AASW: An introduction to understanding and working with Dissociative Identity Disorder
2010 AASW: Working with women affected by domestic violence
2010 Mental Health First Aid: Mental Health FirstAid Course
2010 AASW Attachment Theory
2010 AASW: Accredited Social Worker as per AASW standards for 2010-2011
2010 St Vincent’s Hospital:Palliative Care perspectives and Solution Focused BriefTherapy
2009 St Vincent’s Hospital:Alcohol and other Drugs – Issues in Healthcare
Referees
Dr Tad Tietze, EmergencyDepartmentConsultantPsychiatrist,St Vincent’s Hospital,8382 1111
Ms Louise Costanzo,Senior Mental Health Clinician,St Vincent’s Hospital,8382 1300
Ms Margaret Bramwell,Social Work DepartmentManager,St Vincent’s Hospital,8382 1111
Ms Hellen Francis,Mental Health Social Worker Team Leader,8382 1300