November 3, 2022Next Monday, we officially welcome the staff of the Kath Atkinson Wing (KAW), Aged Persons Mental Health Unit and the Aged Psychiatry Assessment and Treatment Team (APATT).
Today we speak to Stav Ropkas, Acting NUM, Aged Persons Mental Health Unit (APMHU) and Lynette Stephens, APATT Service Manager on their role in the transition.
Stav sees her role as manager as “providing leadership and ensuring high quality of care for consumers in our 15 bed aged person’s acute mental health unit”. Lynette says that to be the APATT service manager is a privilege. She says, “My role is to support my team to ensure we continue to deliver the best care outcomes for our consumers and their carers.”
It is not an easy role and Stav admits that, on occasions, it can be overwhelming. Lynette sees the challenge as “supporting and leading clinicians as we move though change.” She adds, “Despite the present staffing crisis across Victoria, we are a team committed to achieving the best outcomes for our consumers.”
A typical day for Stav, starts with, “Meeting in the morning with a multidisciplinary team to discuss best plan of care for the consumer,”. Lynette says it is “juggling a few hats” and “supporting colleagues clinically when required, so we can continue to deliver a great service.”
What excites Stav the most about her role, is, “Working with a great team who work well together. I am learning something new every day.”
For Lynette it is the fact that, “We are about to shift under a progressive network and step out as the Northern Health’s aged mental health service.”
“It is an exciting time to step out as Northern Health’s own older persons specialised mental health service based at Bundoora Centre,” says Lynette.
A warm welcome to Stav, Lynette and the teams from Kath Atkinson Wing (KAW), Aged Mental Health Unit and the Aged Psychiatry Assessment and Treatment Team (APATT).
