Our name, Open Place, reflects our service’s intention to be place-based, accessible and welcoming.

We are open to new ideas and to learning from our service users about what works and what doesn’t.

Michelle McDonald, Senior Manager   

Michelle joined Open Place in 2017 and previously worked within the human services field in senior management and service delivery roles, predominantly working in the area of Child, Youth and Family. Michelle also managed Berry Street’s Heritage Service, for people who spent time in any of its former homes or institutions as children.

Fiona Paraman, Assistant Manager

Fiona joined Open Place 2023 and has many years’ experience as a counsellor, trainer and in leadership positions, specialising in trauma-informed crisis support services.

Richard Dove, Community Education Coordinator         

Richard joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked with Victoria Police, building the relationships between law enforcement and diverse communities, as well as coordinating refugee settlement within community and education organisations.

Kristine Grant, Client Services Coordinator
Admin and Health Brokerage Team

Kristine joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked in human resources and event Management & owned multiple businesses.

Marissa Schoof, Administration Officer Health Brokerage
Admin and Health Brokerage Team

Marissa joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a florist and volunteers with people who have lived experience of prison.

Sandy Aston, Reception
Admin and Health Brokerage Team

Sandy joined Open Place in 2023 and has previously worked in health care, doing both administration and clinical duties.

Lesley Jones, Coordinator
Coordinated Support Team

Lesley joined Open Place in 2017 and previously worked as a counsellor, mediator, critical incident stress management facilitator and community educator. Lesley also supported Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants at Elm Place in Adelaide.

Ebba Lochert, Coordinated Support Worker
Coordinated Support Team

Ebba joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a Case Manager in an offender’s rehabilitation program, Program Coordinator in a long-term homelessness program and Team Leader in a community disaster recovery program.

Brigitte Mathot, Coordinated Support Worker
Coordinated Support Team

Brigitte joined Open Place in 2021 and previously worked within reception, customer service and administrative positions.

Tracey Anderson, Coordinated Support Worker – Health
Coordinated Support Team

Tracey joined Open Place in 2010 and previously held administrative and personal assistant positions in a number of large community and private sector organisations.

Shaye Silver, Drop-in and Intake Worker
Coordinated Support Team

Shaye joined Open Place in 2019 and has previously worked as a support worker, predominantly working in the youth sector.

Sharon Guy, Coordinator
Regional Outreach Team

Sharon joined Open Place in August 2016 and previously worked with Forgotten Australians as the Heritage Coordinator at Child and Family Services in Ballarat.

Annie Fell, Regional Outreach and Support Worker
Regional Outreach Team

Annie joined Open Place in 2018 and previously worked in the welfare sector, predominantly working in homelessness, supporting families and Forgotten Australians.

Anthony Gartner, Coordinator                                                                                                    Records Team

Anthony joined Open Place in November 2024. Anthony has a passion for inclusion and belonging. As a social worker, Anthony has experience in youth offending, disability, equity and education leadership. As records co-ordinator he works with the records teams in helping Forgotten Australians with all aspects of accessing their records.

Siobhan McGuinness, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Siobhan joined Open Place in 2012 and previously worked in Community Development and Genealogy in Australia and Ireland.

Lydia Wasilenko, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Lydia started at Open Place in 2015 and previously worked within the educational equity sector.

Emma Kitson, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Emma joined Open Place in 2018 and previously worked as a case manager within the Department of Corrections both in Perth and in New Zealand.

Cameron Boyd, Coordinator
Counselling & Redress Team

Cameron joined Open Place in July 2021 and has worked across a range of settings supporting people from all walks of life, particularly adults who have had childhood sexual abuse perpetrated against them.

Kate Derrig, Counsellor
Counselling Team

Kate joined Open Place in 2021 and previously worked with Aboriginal Australians and young people in residential care.

Liz Saunderson, Counsellor
Counselling Team

Liz joined Open Place in 2014 and previously worked in the public service and public and private health sectors.

Keegan Tarrant, Counselling Administration Officer
Counselling Team

Keegan joined Open Place in 2023 and previously worked in retail and customer service.

Mary-Cath Murray, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Mary-Cath joined Open Place in 2021 and previously worked in the Community Welfare sector in Melbourne and overseas, predominantly working with children and families experiencing Trauma, Mental health, Alcohol and other drugs and homelessness.

Janelle Hess, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Janelle joined Open Place 2023 and previously worked as a Psychosocial Support Worker in acute mental health in a suicide prevention program and a forensic case manager where she worked closely with individuals exiting prison to back into the community.

Munni Alves, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Munni joined Open Place in January 2018 and previously worked in the adult mental health field and the youth homelessness sector.

Sonya Tsakalakis, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Sonya joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a genetic counsellor and was employed as a bicultural worker for PRONIA (formerly Australian Greek Welfare Society) and provided on the phone support line for the Council of Single Mothers and their Children.