Testimonials

Graduate Nurse Education Program - “The Nexus team have been instrumental in supporting our early career nursing staff in deepening their understanding and perspectives on mental health and substance use. The sessions have provided a valuable space for clinicians to reflect on their practice and how to work collaboratively with the consumers we care for". 
Feedback received from Claudia D'Amico, Graduate Support Nurse, Acute Inpatient Unit, St Vincent’s Mental Health, November 2023

CCU St Vincent's Mental Health Reflective Practice sessions - “We are very grateful for the sessions to date, which have been helpful in promoting greater staff insight, judgement and attitude towards dual diagnosis". 
Feedback received from Paul McKenzie CCU Manager, September 2023

NEDDY (North East Dual Diagnosis Youth) - Nexus Led Network - " I have found this network extremely helpful to better my practice and it is fantastic to be connected to services which you can build relationships with to support referrals. I honestly cannot speak more highly of this network and would love to see others involved". 
Feedback received from Manager Cohealth (Youth Residential Recovery Service), February 2023

Working with Trauma, Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction training - Staff feedback about the training has been extremely positive, with some saying it is some of the most useful and engaging training they have attended. 
Feedback received from Emma Jackson, Senior Clinical Psychologist - Footbridge CCU, St Vincent’s Mental Health, June 2022

Working with Trauma, Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction training - Just wanted to say that the training about Trauma was excellent. It was an action packed day but very worthwhile. 
Feedback received from Corinne Owens, Senior Occupational Therapist, Footbridge CCU, June 2022

Working with Trauma, Mental Health and Substance Use/Addiction training - I have completed the modules and just wanted to feedback to you what a wonderful, well designed, engaging set of training modules they were. The inclusion of videos, including of people with lived experience really enriched the modules. Thanks so much! 

Feedback received from Rachel O'Connor, May 2022

Relapse Prevention Webinar - I just wanted to thank you and the presenters for the fabulous training that was delivered last week. It was such a motivating webinar after months and months of delivering phone outreach and basically feeling a tad unmotivated at times. As a result, I am going to support someone in the next few weeks to go through building her own relapse prevention plan.
Feedback received from Simon Laxton, October 2020

I am a program worker at an inner city mental health service. Today I used the BDA for gambling addiction and found the tool extremely practical and useful. The client reflected that the tool enabled them to feel a sense of control over their addiction.
October 2020

DD Essentials Training - I have truly enjoyed and seen real world benefit in using the tools. The clients have engaged well during the experience, it’s good to see the cogs churning as they reply - the tools have expanded and improved my practice.
Chris Larmour, Bendigo Health, July 2020

Hello Kevan,  Just sending through a note about today’s session, and just cc’ing in Dr Odille Chang from Fiji National University, who is the lead for this pilot project.   First time callers from Tuvalu! ... with 7 different countries represented, it was an amazingly diverse group with Tuvalu, Marshalls, Solomons, Kiribati and Fiji.  It was also the most well rated session yet in terms of feedback, and I also noticed a lot of nodding and visual interest from the people in the virtual room. So thanks again!  Much appreciated.  And I’m hoping we can get some more of your time for the next series that we hope to partner with FNU to set up.  Cheers Brigid Ryan, Project Manager, Postgraduate Overseas Specialist Training Program, International Unit, St Vincent's Mental Health, June 2020

I absolutely loved the lecture on Dual Diagnosis with Mr Myers and Mr Kroes, it changed my whole perspective on dual diagnosis.  I was amazed by their works and their approach to this Field of Practice as it reflects my personal values and beliefs. I have sadly witnessed the opposite treatment of people with addictions in the Australian community and it was very refreshing to hear that they are a part of the initiative that resonates with what I always thought was right and just in the treatment of people with addictions. I will be very interested to learn more about it. The video Rat Park is so true! My husband had issues with addictions early in his life due to childhood abuse, now 25 years on, he is a totally different person. The importance of support from community and loved ones is enormous! I would love to learn more about it!
 Student, Monash University, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences; a  lecture was provided to 194 final year Masters of Social Work students including participants from India, China, Northern Territory and Western Australia; April 2020

Dear Chris, I just wanted to let you know how wonderful it has been to work with Merissa over the last few years. She is such a consistently reliable, enthusiastic and engaging individual and has made collaborative work an absolute joy. Her ability to push through the many administrative, managerial and logistical barriers to successfully run numerous projects has been nothing short of remarkable. She will be well missed. I imagine her hard work in forging this partnership between Nexus and Austin will pave the way for plenty more successful collaborations. (I also hope she comes back quick smart!) Cheers and thanks, Nicola

Hi Ange, your presentation last week was FABULOUS. I've printed out the presentation and already found it helpful to show two patients this week some of the pages. It's been great for developing understanding and the patients have had more self-compassion as a result.  Thank you so much+++++
Dr Andrew Horwood, GP, Horsham

"The straight up animations are a powerful advocacy resource, they have the capacity to be effective in a wide variety of applications. I was able to utilise two of the lived experience clips in a presentation I co delivered to Mental Health graduate nurses and the feedback received demonstrated the animations were key to the success of the presentation." Consumer consultant

Product Launch of Reasons For Use Package Online and Straight Up Animations - I have been meaning to express my gratitude for being able to attend the Nexus event at The Dock. I was emotionally touched by the 6 documentaries, so close to home for myself, as my youngest daughter has Dual Diagnosis and still uses intravenous drugs. I spoke with Nexus staff at the event and expressed how these documentaries were simply presented, yet so raw and powerful. Dual Diagnosis Carer Worker

Presentation at Grand Round - On behalf of Austin Health, I wish to extend our sincere gratitude to you and your colleague for your insightful and informative session on "Care and management of patients using methamphetamine and other substances" on 15 February 2018. Nurses, doctors and allied health were present with members of Austin Health Executive Team, Senior Directors and Managers in a forum that was extremely valuable.  Complete letter.

I just want to thank you for the 2 day MI training which I truly enjoyed. Your knowledge & passion about MI came through during those 2 days. The format was great & although I don't necessarily enjoy too much role plays, I valued the amount we did during the training in order to practice the "spirit". So thanks, Kev!

This resource ‘Carers Can ask’ is so valuable so thank you!

I have really enjoyed the training with you guys, Simon and Kevan are great! They really know their stuff and deliver the training in a comfortable, easy to learn format. It has reignited my passion for AOD.