In this episode we meet Heather Pickard. Heather is the Chief Executive Officer of SHARC - Self Help Addiction Resource Centre, based in Melbourne, which supports people with addiction to alcohol, other drugs and gambling.
SHARC has been around for 25 years, founded on the belief that people are experts in their own recovery, and the lived experience of those affected by addiction is central to SHARC’s programs and services.
Heather is a registered nurse and after working in various roles - and after a time away from the profession, which she’ll tell us about - she moved into in to the alcohol and other drugs sector.
Heather has lived experience with addiction and long-tern recovery and founded the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program of Victoria which meets a need to address sensitive health issues around drug and alcohol use experienced by nurses and midwives.
Heather brings to her work a mixture of clinical skills, governance expertise, and her own personal lived experience of long-term recovery.
She’s currently the NMHPV’s Chair of the Board, and a Board Director at Ballarat Health Services.
Episode hosted by ermha365 CEO Karenza Louis-Smith and Emily Webb, Advocacy and External Communications Advisor.
For more information on SHARC visit https://www.sharc.org.au/ or phone (03) 9573 1700
For more information on the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program of Victoria visit https://www.nmhp.org.au/ or phone 03 9415 7551.
If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode, you can call:
Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go to https://www.lifeline.org.au/
ermha365 provides a range of mental health services designed to help people experiencing mental health challenges to thrive in the community.