From the heart of Rubibi (Broome, WA), on Yawuru and Djugun Country, Melissa brings together deep cultural knowledge and professional expertise to strengthen mental health care for First Nations young people and communities. 

A proud Ballardong, Whadjuk and Gija woman, Melissa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Level 2 Counsellor whose career spans youth mental health counselling, mediation, tertiary education, and family and community services. In her role as Program Manager, Cultural Supervision at headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, she leads work that ensures clinical and cultural supervision are meaningfully intertwined—helping services become safer, more culturally responsive, and grounded in relational ways of working. Alongside this, she operates a private practice offering clinical and cultural supervision, consultancy, and EAP counselling. 

Melissa’s practice is shaped by her passion for culturally safe and trauma-informed care. She integrates a social and emotional wellbeing framework into every aspect of her work, ensuring that services honour the strengths, knowledge systems, and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Her advocacy is both personal and professional driven by a belief that meaningful change happens when communities lead the design of services that support them. 

“Being able to connect with others face to face in the profession is absolutely essential,” Melissa reflects. “It helps me remain motivated, create meaningful connections, and affirm our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of working within our social work profession.” 

Melissa’s leadership extends beyond her own roles as she continues to advocate for culturally informed supervision models and practices that privilege Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within the broader social work profession. Her work exemplifies the values at the heart of social work: equity, inclusion, and empowerment. By grounding her practice in culture and compassion, Melissa is helping to shape a more culturally responsive future for mental health care across Australia. 

She also extends her gratitude to the AASW, having received a scholarship to attend the International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health (ICSWHMH), an experience that strengthened her connections and affirmed her dedication to advancing culturally safe, relational approaches in social work.