Rosebank’s team
Amanda Pardy, Coordinator
As Rosebank’s Coordinator, Amanda is proud to work with this great team to offer Rosebank’s specialised services. Respecting the wisdom learnt from the Organisation’s past teams and history and evolving the service with new research to meet the community needs into the future. Amanda started in the counselling team in 2011. She specialises in sandplay therapy and is dedicated to help children and families to meet their full potential.
Amanda is experienced in working in child protection, out of home care and counselling children, young people and families who have experienced trauma. She strongly believes in advocating for children’s voices to be heard and safety to be a priority for all children. Amanda has a Degree in Social Work and a Diploma in Community Welfare Work.
Ruth Ellem, Group Facilitator
Ruth currently co-facilitates Creative Space and uses her own art and sewing practice to gently encourage women to use recycled and found materials to turn discarded fragments into beautiful things. The group provides joy and relaxation, connection and confidence through peer support. Encouraging a new story to be told of resourcefulness and strength and helping to heal the impacts of trauma. She has been facilitating therapeutic creative groups for women, young people and children since 2010. Ruth has a Bachelor of Education in Special Needs and Art and a Graduate Diploma of Counselling.
Nicole Soto, Counsellor/Advocate
Nicole has experience in supporting families leaving domestic and family violence, and individuals with a range of concerns as part of the crisis support team for a 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention service helpline. Nicole has a Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling and a Bachelor of Arts – Psychology.
Melissa MacLean, Counsellor/Advocate
Melissa is passionate about the power of play and creative therapies to transform, heal and empower children, young people and families to move forward with their lives. She understands that each person she works with has unique needs and she takes a trauma informed approach to her work to ensure those needs are met.
Melissa is an Associate Lecturer in Counselling Practice at Western Sydney University, teaching in the postgraduate Psychotherapy and Counselling program, supporting future counsellors and therapists. Melissa has a Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling. She has also undertaken further training in creative and expressive therapies as well as play and sandplay therapy. She is a registered clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
Heike Obermayr, Finance Officer
Heike believes in the tremendous impact of the safe and trusting relationships formed at Rosebank. Heike has worked for community organisations for the past thirty years. She has an excellent understanding of the sector and brings a wealth of financial, administrative and project skills to the role of Finance Officer.
Heike has a Master of Commerce (Professional Accounting), an Advanced Diploma of Accounting and an Advanced Diploma of Community Services Management.
Management Committee
Alison Huggan, Chairperson
Alison’s field is social work. She worked in Community Health for 18 years as a counsellor with the Sexual Assault Service. She joined the Rosebank Management Committee in 2012 and has been Chairperson from October 2018. Since retirement in 2022, Alison remains very supportive of the needs of children and families who have experienced sexual assault and committed to this vital service in the community.
Debra Venables, Treasurer
(Manager, Homelessness Support Services)
Debra has extensive experience in all aspects of operational management, service delivery and governance in women’s specialist homelessness services. For over a decade, Debra has managed the provision of supported housing and outreach services for vulnerable women and children in the community, particularly those with a history of homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental illness.
Debra holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Master of Policy Studies from the University of Sydney and a Diploma of Management.
Jemma Milloy, Secretary
(Deputy Director Aboriginal Health SWSLHD Aboriginal Health)
Jemma Milloy is a proud Mandandanji Women who has spent a majority of her life living and working across the lands of the Dharawal, Darug, Gundungurra and Gadigal peoples. Jemma holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Sydney and has extensive experience in establishing culturally responsive models/programs dedicated to Aboriginal families and communities across the public, private and Non-Government sectors. Jemma is currently the Deputy Director of Aboriginal Health for South West Sydney Local Health District.
Claire Affleck-Warn
(Service Manager – Headspace Liverpool )
Claire has tertiary training in Social Work and Child and Adolescent Counselling. She has been working in the welfare field for 18 years, mostly in the area of youth mental health. She has worked at Liverpool Headspace for 10 years across various roles and has been the manager there for a little over 2 years. She has also worked in roles supporting young carers, homeless young people, people with disabilities and adult carers