AFINet trustees: Julie Perrin

Name: Julie Perrin  
Email: julie@karunacentre.com.au

Location/Institution: Charles Sturt University and private practice.
Occupation: Clinical Social Worker with Mental Health Accreditation and Sessional Academic

Web site: www.karunacentre.com.au
City: NSW
Country: Austrailia
Phone: +61 402262168

Interests: Families, especially siblings, alcohol and drug use problems and impacts on the family, bereavement and drug-related death.

I am keen to see families given more attention in alcohol and drug field especially in Australia, and to promote relevant research and family specific practices/interventions internationally through networking, training and supervision.

Biography: I have over 40 years experience in the public and non-government health sector, most of which have been specifically in the alcohol and drug/mental health fields of practice. I have worked primarily clinical or educational/developmental positions in both rural and city, hospital and community based settings. My clinical work has been interspersed with senior management positions responsible for multidisciplinary teams within ACT and NSW Health services in Australia, participating in national and state working groups tasked with formulating policy and clinical practice guidelines.

I have completed a lot of academic study and various training programs these culminated in my end of career PhD focused on sibling bereavement when your brother or sister dies for a drug-related reason.
These days I maintain a private practice, supervise clinicians in direct practice and train others. I also work as a sessional academic in social work, collaborate on writing projects and qualitative research projects, and work voluntarily in family and AOD organisations.