Keith Owen

Tell us about your career so far in the mental health sector, Keith.

I am now at the end of my career, with retirement just around the corner; however, I have worked across a number of organisations, including in institutions, during my early career. I have been working for IUIH for almost a decade, starting out as a Drug and Alcohol/Mental Health case manager at one of the Medical Clinics.

My current job as Senior Care Coordinator involves supporting clients along their journey with AODS and Mental Health conditions, coordinating care and access to appointments with various service providers, including Mental Health Clinicians, Psychiatry, Psychology and General Practice as required. The focus of this service is to minimise the risk of Emergency Department presentations for Indigenous Clients. The other part of my role involves mentoring other workers in the way we work with clients, as the team employs peer support workers, care coordinators and mental health clinicians.

What made you choose a career in mental health?

Initially, I saw a great need for help around mental health issues for Indigenous Clients accessing medical clinics. The current Government Services were not able to match the needs of this client group. I also hold a deep interest in Human Rights and the needs of Indigenous Clients, and I could see that my 40+ years of experience would be of benefit in this scenario.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role?

Seeing how this new model of Mental Health Care in the Community works. While it is early days for this particular service, it is showing great signs that it is working for the people we see.

For me, knowing the history of Indigenous Clients’ engagement with the various services around Mental Health and AODS, and how these services only addressed these health needs to a limited extent, and just seeing how this new service addresses so many unmet needs of this client group would have to be one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

Keith Owen

What do you find most challenging about your current role?

Educating practitioners, including doctors from other sectors/services, about what we do. Because the model is so new and does not fit with the more traditional models of mental health services, it is difficult for others to conceptualise what we do and how it fits with the needs of their patients.

Tell us about typical day for you, Keith. 

Every day is different. On Fridays I attend the Murri Court to support some of my clients going through the Justice System. I may, for example, be running groups (I run a Men’s Yarning Group), interviewing potential new clients, Counselling (this forms part of my professional background), responding to inquiries, supporting clients with appointments with GPs, Psychiatry, and Psychology, contributing to case team discussions. I also mentor other staff and perform tasks such as interviewing potential new staff alongside my manager. I am also a Cultural Elder in the community, as my Grandmother was a Torres Strait Islander, and I bring my cultural knowledge to my work every day.

What are three misconceptions you think some people have about working in the mental health sector?

1. Getting stereotyped into a role that limits your ability to do other roles in the Community.
2. That it is a dangerous area to work in due to the potential for client violence. Clients who have mental health issues are far more likely to be the victims of violence.
3. There are lots of misconceptions around suicidal ideation – one is that if someone is going to suicide, there is nothing you can do about it. This could not be further from the actual experience clinicians have working in the field.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in joining the mental health workforce?

Try for some work experience as a student, or if working at IUIH, take advantage of some of the programs available to visit the facility and see what it is like firsthand.