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Sarah Hiley knows how life-saving harm reduction can be. She’s worked with people who use drugs and alcohol for over 20 years, most recently overseeing Melbourne’s Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms and other AOD programs run by the North Richmond Community Health Centre. For her, harm reduction measures like ensuring…

Trish Serratore grew up surrounded by the healing power of food. Born into a big Italian family, her dad owned a bakery and worked as a delivery man for one of the first Italian cheese factories in Melbourne.

“Like many Italian families, we were always obsessed with food,” Trish…

If you’ve ever called YSAS Reception, chances are you’ve spoken to Bianca Walsh. Her warm, calm tone and quick thinking helps callers find the right support fast. “I have to be professional but empathetic,” she says. “I need to know when it’s okay to interrupt and work out whether…

Finding your first job can be tough, something Dan* is currently experiencing firsthand. The 20-year-old has handed out hundreds of resumes online and in person, hoping someone will give him a shot. “It’s quite frustrating and dispiriting to be honest, because 95 per cent of resumes I hand out, I…

Senior Primary Health Outreach Nurse Nat Joyce isn’t your typical nurse. He is dedicated to supporting young people with their health, whether that’s physical, mental or sexual. To do that he doesn’t just use health care skills – he’s using case management and counselling skills as well. He says…

The first time Nathan Akoka was in a drug and alcohol withdrawal unit, he wasn’t a worker. He was a client. When he was 13 years old, he moved to Melbourne following some big life changes. He was feeling lost, so he started using substances to help cope. Eventually, he…

When I was 15, I drank so much that I fell unconscious on my bed. My dad rang me and I wasn’t able to speak to him, and he freaked out. We had to go to the hospital and the nurses were asking me questions like ‘do you drink a…

Lake Majstorovic is passionate about improving the lives of LGBTIQA+ young people. Growing up as a non-binary person in the Frankston area, they experienced first-hand what it’s like when mental health services aren’t designed for you. “There is a real dearth of understanding, and a kind of fear and hesitation…