Kerryn Valeontis
Resume
KERRYN VALEONTIS
PROFILE
I am an experienced community development worker, adult educator/trainer and lately art therapist, with significantly developed skills and experience in communication, presentation, cross cultural competency, and therapeutic group facilitation project management.
I am looking to expand my therapeutic work in Creative Arts /Expressive Therapy and Ecotherapy.
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KEY SKILL AREAS
Therapeutic Group Facilitation
• Facilitation of large groups for staff/volunteer wellbeing days
• Design and facilitation of small therapeutic groups in a range of settings
• Facilitation of small, healing groups
ADULT EDUCATION
• Dynamic presenter/ trainer, committed to engaging learners despite barriers to learning
• Excellent communication skills cultivated over many years
• Mapping leaning elements and creating LASS ( Learning and Assessment Strategy) documents
• Use of Educational software e.g. Ed Modo
• Assessment and evaluation of student learning needs including RPL
• Implementation and project management of project based learning
• Coordinating workplace learning placements and assessing in the workplace
• Led “Communities of Practise” professional Development conversations with colleagues
COMMUNITY CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
• Cross Cultural Skills across a range of cultures
• Community engagement skills across marginalised and disadvantaged communities.
• Community consultation skills
CONSULTATION/CONTRACTING
• Assessment of training needs of organisation
• Entrepreneurship in seeking work opportunities and securing them
• Preparation of marketing materials, reports (oral and written) press releases, and funding applications
• Submitting proposals, quotations and invoicing
• Writing and delivering training programs
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• Leadership and mentoring of project teams and volunteers
• Guiding direction of new projects
• Identifying and Developing Policies
• Resources management including budgets, buildings etc
• Accessing funding and sponsorship from a range of government, community and corporate funding bodies
• Managing stakeholder relationships
• Community liaison, PR and communication development including social software
• Events management
• Evaluation and reporting
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Education – Avondale College Cooranbong NSW
2002 Masters of Applied Science, Social Ecology UWS Richmond NSW
2004 Certificate in Horticultural Therapy Ryde TAFE
2011 Certificate IV Workplace Training and Assessment AIM Bankstown NSW
2013 Diploma of Transpersonal Art Therapy CCM Hornsby
2013 Certificate of Attainment in Professional Supervision Relationships Australia
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2009 – current Consulting/Contracting to Private Sector
Highlights Part time
•The Hills Clinic Kellyville NSW. As an art I used all sorts of creative, expressive therapies, including poetry therapy, cartoon therapy ( working Dr Seuss and Leunig) I was engaged to write an psycho educational creative arts program for young adults with a range of mental health issues, including sexual assault, eating disorder, addiction which I facilitated. This was observed regularly by medical and psychology students.
Currently work casually as a Horticultural Therapist.
•Transition Parramatta- a local environment group engaged me to run 7 Ecotherapy sessions. The final one was a day of nature writing and poetry writing workshop, set across 5 waterfalls in Lawson.
•Liaising with Hills Community Aid to run a Poetry Therapy circle, teaching fun a basic poetry writing skills and appreciation.
•Blacktown Women’s & Girls Centre
Currently liaising to develop a program of Ecotherapy for sexual assault survivors
•Ethnic Communities Council NSW.
mentoring staff planning for settlement projects for migrants/refugees
•ADRA Australia.
development of training manual and delivered training for Community Gardens development in 8 locations across Australia.
Feasibility study for aboriginal community in Central Australia for a community garden/training needs.
•NSW Horticultural Therapy Society (Cultivate). Currently writing a Training Manual and delivering training for Certificate of Attainment Horticultural Therapy, 2-3 x per year.
2005 – Current Teacher Nirimba TAFE Quakers Hill Part Time
I have taught Diploma and Certificate IV and Certificate III students in:
•Community Services
•Youth Work
•AOD and Mental Health
•Case Management
Highlights:
•2007 2 TAFE NSW Quality Awards for Workplace Project Teaching:
•Category Winner and Quality Project of the Year Business Relationships Award Completed numerous professional development including use of technology in classroom, the use of social software, innovation in learning etc.
•Supervised Work Placement 1, 2 and 3 (20, 120 and 260 hours respectively) including sourcing the placement and follow up visits and evaluation.
•Speaker at the 2007 Students for Sustainability Conference at Newcastle University
May 2011 – August 2013 Manager/Senior Project Worker Relationships Australia Full Time
Highlights
•Managed this project in its start up phase, with a team of 10 project workers setting up and launching 3 Community Hubs in Northern Sydney; Epping/ Ryde/ Pittwater
•Staged a showcase of project for RA NSW
•Manage a team of up to 15 volunteers, including volunteers from Macquarie University PACE program as tutors in homework program
•set up and maintenance of Facebook pages for 3 hubs
•projects for asylum seekers in community detention
•oversee Hub programing and reporting to ensure Funding Specifications met.
•supervised student placements
•secured further funding for new projects
January 2009- October 2009 Mamre Plains Ltd St Mary’s
Coordinator African Employment Pilot Project Full time
Mamre is an employment project and social enterprise established for over 25 years, providing employment for disadvantaged groups. with historic homestead /cafe and other community programs.
Highlights:
•mentored 6 African Refugee families in their farming
•developed a training farm on an organic farming model
• developed “Mamre Farm Fresh ” brand for direct selling
• awarded a community education compost award from Compost NSW.
• coordinated the film crew of Costa’s Garden Odyssey to film a segment on my project that aired in October 2009 on SBS.
2002 – 2005 Holy Family Centre My Druitt
Coordinator, Gardens for Celebration Project 4 days week
This project aimed to create a large community gardens space that fostered a sense of belonging, and enabled the community to creatively build capacity to address those needs.
The garden itself was a canvass on which many temporary and permanent artwork was installed.
Highlights
• developed and ran a holiday programs for koori teens and youth at risk
• ran educational groups on nutrition and cooking
• construction of a bush tucker education garden with the koori community
• 2003 and 2004 the project won 2 Keep Australia Beautiful Awards
• Secured a further 3 year funding grant for $250,000.
• ABC “Life Matters” Radio program broadcast on project
• Presented project at UTS Education for Social Action Conference
2001 – 2002 Auburn Community Development Network 4 days week
Auburn Community Development Network (ACDN) is a NGO operating in Auburn for over 25 years, employing 5-6 full time staff.
Coordinating supported multicultural playgroups, principally from CALD
refugee/migrant backgrounds
Highlights
• Secured $7000 funding from the Department of Housing Community Renewal Grants
• Facilitated the Playgroups participation in some local environment and arts projects
1999-2002 Teacher Birrong Girls High School and various schools 2 days per week + casual
Volunteering
Current Management Committee Member of Cultivate- Horticultural Therapy Society of NSW since March 2013
Referees
Ling Halbert President Transition Parramatta 0410 688 499
Bernadette McKay Head Teacher Nirimba TAFE 0415 894 141
Kathy Wood Senior Manager Relationships Australia 0403 451 154