Charlie Wood

About me

This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT.
Howdy!
I am a young person that has been working as a youth lived experience worker since 2021. Prior to that, I was working with adults in the AOD sector as a lived experience worker.
I am a cool, calm and collected person by nature and would describe myself as thoughtful and curious. I am always eager to learn and explore new ideas and ways of thinking. My core values include curiosity, empathy, compassion, authenticity and patience. One of my key strengths is my ability to remain grounded despite chaotic work situations.

I have a passion for working in both youth mental health and the AOD sector and also helping to develop the emergent lived experience workforce and ensuring fairness and equity for those involved within lived experience roles. I'm a big fan of self exploration and therefore love challenging and being challenged on my thinking and behaviour.
I have lived experience of anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicidality and substance use.

Prior to working in lived experience roles, I worked as a labourer, car detailer and working in a vape shop.
My other interests include gaming, exercise, cooking, being social and being the best damn person I can be.

This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT. If you are a supervisee who has received an approval email/letter from the CMHL you may contact this supervisor for supervision for this project, then follow the stated processes for supervision payment.

My experience

My experience was entangled in my lived experience recovery such that following long term rehab for AOD, I took on a position as a Peer Support Leader at Windana in 2016-2018. It was my responsibility to run and maintain the integrity of the group and ensure psychological safety for the group.
I went on a bit of self exploration to determine what I enjoyed in life, thinking I would pursue my degree in Science, however I realised my passion lay in lived experience work and systemic change.
I went back to Windana as a peer support worker in 2020 at the therapeutic community in Maryknoll and remained in this position for a year. During this time I also held a dual role providing peer support to those both in the therapeutic community but also those on the waitlist to get in.
I wanted to expand on my knowledge and wanted to work with youth and started a job with Alfred Health in Headspace early psychosis program as a youth peer support worker in 2021.
I decided to move into a senior role at the Alfred Health Child and Youth Mental Health Services in 2022. I am currently in this role and have worked in various clinical teams providing 1:1 youth peer support but also holding the discipline senior role and am involved in developing the youth peer workforce as well as providing supervision to current youth peer support workers.
It was an extremely challenging experience as I was the first youth peer support worker in this service and also sat with the Child and Youth Hope team (which was also a completely new program) so have faced challenges of navigating newly built teams as well as introducing peer support in a clinically dominant service.

I have been in a designated consumer peer role for 3-4 years but have also been a part of peer support groups and models for the last 9 years.

My current role/work

I currently work within the Early Intervention Outreach team at Alfred Health Child and Youth Mental Health Services and previously sat within the Child and Youth Hope team. I also hold the discipline Senior Youth Peer Support worker.
My discipline senior role includes LEW workforce development, royal commission transformation working groups, providing 1:1 supervision to the youth peer workforce, providing/facilitating co-reflection and group supervision spaces. I have also been involved in service wide improvement, including shaping model of care, creating inclusive and safe environments for young people, pioneering cultural change within a clinically dominant model, co-creating and delivering youth peer support training and much more.
Within my direct contact consumer role, I sit within the EIMOS team. EIMOS is an intensive outreach program that provides mental health support to young people with complex needs. It follows an individualised and tailored approach to meet young people where they are at and what things they may need. This role involves me having my own caseload of young people that I provide 1:1 lived experience work. This includes providing emotional support but also putting connection, trust and curiosity at the forefront of the relationship and therefore walking alongside them and acknowledging that talking isn't always the best way to connect.

My training

Bachelor of Science - Monash University (2019)
Graduate Certificate in Mental Health - LaTrobe University (2022)
Intentional Peer Support - SHARC (2022)
Group Reflective Practice - Bouverie Centre (2022)
Consumer Perspective Supervision Training (2022)
Suicide Risk, Understanding, Engaging and Responding (2022)
Various Alfred Health specific training (Open Dialogue, Single Session, DAMA and too many more to list)
I have also presented at various conferences over the last few years including TheMHS, Faculty of Child and Psychiatry, VMIAC and National Health Justice.

My approach to supervision

I always approach supervision with an open mind. I look at is an opportunity to talk about both challenges and wins that inevitably arise whilst working within these LLE roles and to work together to come to some form of either resolution, way forward or even just a place to vent and spit ball ideas. I am a very casual person with an innately calming and laidback presence. I allow for supervisees to be the drivers in their own supervision and I am able to be there to provide whatever is needed.
My core values that I bring to supervision are empathy, curiosity, authenticity and honesty. I am happy to challenge supervisees if they are open to it. I personally value reflection spaces, guided by thoughtful questions that empower me to reach my own conclusions and therefore endeavour to offer that to others.