Staff team
Clinical Professor David Bennett AO - NSW CAAH Head
MBBS FRACP FSAM
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David is an adolescent health physician with a major interest in the development of accessible and responsive health services for young people and their families. As Head of the NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health, he is involved in wide ranging efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of young people through collaborative research, education, networking and advocacy. He is immediate past President of the Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare.
David was honoured with an AO in 1995 for 'service to medicine, particularly in the field of adolescent health and medical care', is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International and has received other awards for his service to community. He is co-editor with A/Prof Sue Towns and Prof Elizabeth Elliott of Challenges in Adolescent Health: An Australian Perspective, co-author, with Professors Leanne Rowe and Bruce Tonge, of I just want you to be happy: Preventing and tackling teenage depression and many other books, monographs, chapters and professional articles in the field of adolescent medicine.
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Fiona Robards - Manager, NSW CAAH
Senior Clinical Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney
BSc, MA, MAATh, MHA, MPH
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Fiona joined NSW CAAH in May 2007. Fiona initially trained as a Psychologist and worked as a family therapist in the culturally diverse areas of South West Sydney. She has since managed two Youth Health Services: the Corner in Bankstown and High Street in Harris Park. She also coordinated and evaluated a project trialling sustained home visiting with young parents In Bankstown.
Fiona has four Masters Degrees: In Psychology, Art Therapy, Health Administration and Public Health.
She is passionate about resilience and strength-based strategies particularly using innovative and creative approaches. She has also travelled extensively in developing countries and has a keen interest in multicultural perspectives.
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Carmen Jarrett - Project Coordinator, Research and Education
BA(hons) MPsychol MPH PhD
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Carmen started as the Project Coordinator for Research and Education with NSW CAAH in October 2009. Carmen has extensive experience working as a clinical psychologist with children and families in a community health service. She has also applied her knowledge of child and family health and health service systems in a mental health promotion role. Recently, Carmen completed her doctoral research studies at the University of Sydney in the area of wellbeing for families with children with severe disabilities. Carmen brings a unique blend of clinical, practical and research knowledge across a wide range of areas to her role at NSW CAAH.
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Wui Ken Yap - Project Coordinator, Communications and Promotion
BBA (Hons) MCom
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Ken, one of NSW CAAH's long standing employees. During her 10 years with NSW CAAH, she has coordinated numerous project launches and forums as well as playing a key role in researching, developing, and producing publications and resources to support youth health practice, such as the GP Resource Kit on adolescent health.
Ken also brings her valuable training and experience in business and marketing to oversee the Centre's promotional strategy to increase awareness of NSW CAAH's work.
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Diana Bernard - NSW CAAH Consultant
BSS Post Grad Dip ECS MPH
Project Coordinator HPV School Vaccination Project, Sydney University, c/-Westmead Children's Hospital
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Diana has a background in social work, and has worked extensively in the health sector in a range of content areas and capacities. The content areas include child, family and adolescent health, post natal depression, sexual health and HIV. The capacities range from direct clinical work including group work, supervision and training to community development, project facilitation and management and research. Diana coordinated Phases 1 & 2 of the Access Study (access to primary health care among young people).
Diana has been working at the National Centre for HIV Social Research until recently and has been involved in some private youth health projects including an evaluation of a GP/sexual health clinic pilot in a local youth centre. She is currently involved in a new study looking at factors influencing consent in the completion of the school based HPV vaccination program for the University of Sydney(Westmead).
Diana has worked extensively with young people, health service providers and Divisions of General Practice around the development and measurement of specific projects. She enjoys working with marginalised young people and in sexual health/HIV and would like to pursue some International work in public health/sexual health/youth.
Diana is a keen skier and a mother of two young people.
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Peter Chown - NSW CAAH Consultant
BSc Psych (Hons) MAPS
Psychologist and Consultation Bangalow Professional Centre Bangalow
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Peter Chown has 25 years experience as a Psychologist. He was formerly head of Cellblock Youth Health Centre - a pioneering multidisciplinary health service for adolescents at risk - at Camperdown Children's Hospital, Sydney. Peter has extensive experience in the areas of adolescent health, the development of youth-friendly health services and programs and training of health professionals. He has worked as a consultant for the World Health Organisation, UNFPA and UNESCO on adolescent health programs in more than a dozen developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. He has written numerous publications on adolescent health for schools, GPs and counsellors, and is co-author of the CAAH publication, GP Resource Kit on Adolescent Health. Peter works in private practice as a Psychologist in northern NSW, where he specialises in working with adolescents at risk and their families.
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Dr Melissa Kang - NSW CAAH Consultant
MBBS MCH
Senior Lecturer, Department of General Practice, The University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital
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Melissa trained in general practice and has worked exclusively in youth health since 1993. She has worked clinically in community and hospital settings, and currently works in a youth health centre with high risk and homeless young people.
Recent research studies include Chlamydia prevalence among high risk young people, their concerns about sexuality and access to primary health care among young people.
Melissa has worked extensively in training of professionals from a wide range of disciplines. She has also co-developed a resource kit for general practitioners in working with young people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Melissa has written the "Dolly Doctor" column for Dolly magazine for the past 14 years and has appeared on national radio and television talking about young people and sexual health. She is a co-author of "your body, your life, every question answered", and "the boy book". She is also a mother of 4 adolescent children.
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Verity Newnham - NSW CAAH Consultant
B(Nurs) RN MRCNA
Research Assistant and Policy Adviser, PHCRED Practice Nurse Research Fellow
The Primary Care PARTY Project (Prevention, Access & Risk Taking in Young People)
Primary Care Research Unit, Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne
Verity has a background in nursing, politics and adolescent health policy. She has previously worked as a PHCRED Practice Nurse Research Fellow, the Principal Advisor for Adolescent Health and Coordinator of the National Divisions Youth Alliance for the Australian Divisions of General Practice, as the Political Adviser for Youth Affairs for the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party and as a youth and community development worker. Verity has also worked as a freelance consultant and website developer. Verity is currently working for headspace and is completing her Masters of Primary Health Care researching the impact of psycho-social health risk screening in general practice on the consultation, self-awareness and help seeking intentions of young people. Her other research interests include systems innovation in general practice and the role of primary care nurses in adolescent health care.
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Siobhan Pope - NSW CAAH Consultant
BA (Communication)
Senior Consultant, Pope Management
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Siobhan specialises in strategic communication; public sector policy and planning; writing and editing; and corporate communications. Siobhan holds more than 14 years experience in public sector policy, programs and management positions across criminal justice and human services agencies. In management and policy positions with the NSW Department of Health, Siobhan managed a team responsible for a range of portfolios including primary and community health, women's health, men's health and youth health policy. Siobhan also has significant experience in developing policy and strategy across agencies, and in working with a range of stakeholders to achieve positive policy outcomes in the health and human services arenas.
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Dr Lena Sanci - NSW CAAH Consultant
MBBS PhD FRACGP
Deputy Head, Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne
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Lena trained as a GP then worked in youth health at the Centre for Adolescent Health in Melbourne. Here she completed a PhD in designing and evaluating and educational intervention for GPs in adolescent health care principles. This research won a prestigious award at the Society for Adolescent Medicine in North America. Lena now heads a Young People in Primary Care research stream in the Primary care Research Unit, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne. Lena has been instrumental in developing curriculum and training resources in adolescent health for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and has helped deliver the national Dr-Link Program. She continues to be involved in researching the health of young people in primary care, teaching medical students and providing professional development for GPs in adolescent health.
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