Viktoria Schroedel-Rother

About me

I'm a scientist by education, inclination, and training. Anything about human and non-human animals interests me. Also had an insatiably curiousity about anything natural, especially plants, how the Earth was formed, and how all of these are interconnected.
Adore words too, and am a voraciour reader. Of anything.
My third love is music: classical in the main. Spent twenty years learning to how to master the piano. And my musical tastes are most catholic.
I've worked as a teacher, as a Commonwealth public servant, and for the National Trust of Victoria.
Bilingual since birth, I learned a third language while living in Africa as a child.

My experience

Have worked as a Consumer Consultant for about ten (10) years: at Mercy Health, St Vincent's Health, and, most recently, at IWAMHS-the RMH.
During my tenure at IWAMHS - the RMH, I was the first Consumer Consultant invited to join the IWAMHS Clinical Risk Management Committee, through which I joined many serious incident reviews and root cause analyses. Part of this role was to support the service to co-design a training package for clinicians to join such reviews.
Was also an integral part of the co-design process to build a Womens' PARC [Prevention and Recovery Care] Facility in collaboration with an architect and landscape designer so as to make this PARC woman-friendly, safe, and secure. I co-wrote the Model of Care, and composed the Philosophy of Care solo, with the approval and endorsement of the Area Manager of IWAMHS.
Was also the first Consumer Consultant to mentor, train, and support a successor into my role.
Unusually for a Consumer Consultant, I chose to complete the Intentional Peer Support Core Training, as I felt that this would make me a more effective Consumer Consultant.
I joined as many external networks as possible, so as to support the service and both its Lived Experience Workforces, and to prepare it for its work after the Royal Commission (Mental Health) Recommendations.
Was a founding member of the State-Wide Consumer Consultants' Council.
And my interest in health literacy, and the social determinants of health remain as strong as they ever were.

My current role/work

Having just resigned from my gig with IWAMHS - the RMH, I'm looking for new opportunities post-Royal Commission (MH).
I spent much of last year (2021) in treatment for cancer, and I'd like to look at working in more comtemplative roles, such as supervising current and/or Consumer Consultants, so as to share my experience, and support those needing such support.

My training

Intentional Peer Support (IPS)
Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary)

My approach to supervision

My approach to supervision: I'm here to listen, to co-reflect with you, to support you with your consumer practice.
Not working in your space with you, I'm external, neutral. I am not your judge, nor do I judge your workplace or your colleagues.
I get how hard it is to find some who's worked in the same role as you, someone trying to effect systemic change, often with minimal support from those in authority who should support you but don't. That's the reality of this work. We Consumer Consultants are often invisible: I'll support you with how you can handle this...