Rachel is a mental health nurse employed as the Program Implementation Manager at Barwon Health Mental Health Drugs and Alcohol Services. She has significantly contributed to mental health service development and reform of national and international significance. Since 2019, Rachel has led the design, implementation and management of major reform projects including Barwon Health’s 9-bed Mental Health Hospital in the Home (MH HiTH) service, one of only two established in the state of Victoria; a 16-bed older-adult acute mental health unit, the McKellar mental health and wellbeing unit, whose co-design approach was Highly Commended in the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards; and the PROMPT pilot project, an initiative between Barwon Health and Ambulance Victoria to provide joint assessments in response to triple zero (emergency) calls for mental health concerns, which won a Victorian Public Health Award in 2019.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Nursing, a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice (Mental Health) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), with her thesis titled “Factors influencing levels of engagement with early intervention services: a longitudinal, qualitative study”. In 2021, she completed an Executive Master of Public Administration through the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).

Rachel has published a number of academic journal articles on service engagement of young people with psychosis, physical assistance in psychosis recovery and innovative mental health delivery (Hospital-In-The-Home). Rachel has also published on co-design in mental health care delivery, and she is both a strong advocate and contributor to advancing co-design as a field of knowledge. Rachel has done panel presentation / guest lecture in Delivering Public Value course for ANZSOG.

Rachel is a 2023 – 2024 Alumni Ambassador. To find out more about the Alumni Ambassador program, click here.