WorkUP Queensland (WorkUP) was created in May 2019 to offer support and training to help meet growing demand for the state’s 188 specialist sexual violence, women’s health, domestic and family violence services.

We were founded by The Healing Foundation, in partnership with Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS). The Queensland Government has committed to fund WorkUP for five years.

The Healing Foundation brings Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, cultural awareness and healing to improve the way services interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. We also aim to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in the sector with cultural awareness forming a key part of the training we offer.

ANROWS brings leadership in the development of Knowledge, Translation and Exchange (KTE) in Australia as applied in preventing and responding to violence against women. This KTE practice involves synthesising the results of research and developing resources and communication strategies to support the transfer of the evidence to policy and practice.

Our logo was created by Elaine Chambers-Hegarty of Cultural Edge Designs, working with Monique Proud of Cultural Grounding. The design emerged from consultation with ANROWS, The Healing Foundation and domestic and family violence, sexual violence and women’s health sector professionals from Queensland.

The name WorkUP Queensland reflects our focus on developing the sector to meet the challenges of the future. The ripple effect in the logo highlights the domestic and family violence, sexual violence and women’s health workforce’s impact in ending violence in Queensland. The circle elements of the design also represent the broader community coming together in a holistic approach to end domestic and family violence and sexual violence in Queensland.

Our Governance

WorkUP Queensland is led by a Steering Committee with advice and sector lead support provided by the Reference Group.

The Steering Committee provides strategic direction and project governance and its members are:

Shannan Dodson

Chief Executive Officer of The Healing Foundation

Shannan Dodson is a Yawuru woman, her family are from Broome, Western Australia. She is the CEO of The Healing Foundation; that provides a platform to amplify the voices and lived experience of Stolen Generations survivors and their families. She was previously the Deputy CEO of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA).

She has over 19 years experience working in Indigenous affairs and is a strategic communications and engagement specialist. She has extensive skills in management, campaigning, public speaking, media, writing, and community engagement.

She was recently the Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and worked on the Australian Marriage Equality campaign. Shannan is passionate about First Nations’ rights and understanding mental health issues, particularly intergenerational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine

Chief Executive Officer of ANROWS

Tessa was born and grew up on unceded Gadigal land (Sydney) where she continues to live, learn and play. Prior to her leadership at ANROWS in 2024, Tessa was the founding CEO of Health Justice Australia, the national centre for health justice partnership. Tessa previously served as the Deputy CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and was the inaugural Fulbright Professional Scholar in Nonprofit Leadership. She combines her passions for enabling young people to thrive and for arts and culture in her role as Deputy Chair of the Board of Gondwana Choirs, the leader in Australian choral performance.

WorkUP Queensland Reference Group

The Reference Group supports the Steering Committee and ensures the sectors’ voices are taken into account when developing our programs. The Reference Group also advises on key initiatives including Practice Studios, action learning, knowledge circles, and the statewide workforce strategy.

The Reference Group is made up of stakeholders from domestic and family violence, sexual assault and women’s health and wellbeing services across Queensland. Membership is for a 2 year period. The Steering Committee are permanent members of the Reference Group.

Reference Group Members:

Dr Brodie Evans

Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

Dr Brodie Evans has worked within the Domestic and Family Violence sector for over two and a half years, primarily as a co-facilitator and coordinator of a Men’s Perpetrator Intervention Program. In addition, Dr Evans is an academic and researcher at the School of Justice at QUT and is also a member of the SPEAQ (Services and Practitioners for the Elimination of Abuse Queensland) network. Dr Evans values collaboration and developing a collective voice.

Claudina Rodriguez

Immigrant Women’s Support Service

Claudina Rodriguez has worked at the Immigrant Women’s Support Service (IWSS), which provides specialist sexual violence and domestic and family violence services immigrant and refugee women from non-English speaking background and their children, for 3 years. Claudina believes in being consistent, reliable, honest and respectful in her practice, and in setting up practices that are fair and just, and providing safe space.

Georgina Binjuda

Lena Passi Women’s Shelter

Georgina Binjuda is the service manager for Lena Passi Women’s Shelter.

Julia Yorkston

Lena Passi Women’s Shelter

Julia Yorkston is a Torres Strait Islander living and working with her community on Thursday Island. Julia is currently engaged as a part time project officer with Lena Passi Women’s Shelter. She has been an active member of many organisations and networks within her community including as secretary for both Lena Passi Women’s Shelter Board and Mura Kosker Sorority Board and member of the Social Justice Interagency Services.

Lynette Anderson

Helem Yumba

Ms Lynette Anderson has worked in a management position with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Domestic and Family Violence sector for approximately 14 years and is the CEO for Helem Yumba in Rockhampton. Ms Anderson has taken a lead role in networks including Rockhampton coordinated HRT; CEO’s monthly gathering of DFV services, QPS DV Steering Committee and the Primary Health Network Community Advisory Committee.

Michelle Royes

DVConnect

Ms Michelle Royes is the Research, Compliance and Inclusion Manager for DVConnect. Based in Brisbane offering state-wide telephone support to men and women who experience domestic, family and sexual violence, Ms Royes works alongside practice to see how research can inform the work, that inclusion is prioritised and that compliance advances practice, not hinders it. Ms Royes values include communication, collaboration and learning and believes that if you build something that supports the most vulnerable, everyone will benefit.

Natasha Knezovich

Centre Against Domestic Abuse (CADA)

Natasha has worked in the community sector for over 20 years. She currently manages a Women’s Wellbeing Hub and a Children, Young People and Families program; for the Centre Against Domestic Abuse (CADA) in Moreton Bay.

Prior to CADA, Natasha was Community Relationship Education Coordinator at the Redcliffe Community Association.

For two years she worked in Kazakhstan for a humanitarian agency setting up micro business opportunities for locals and supporting improved living conditions within orphanages.

Paul Monsour

SPEAQ (Services and Practitioners for the Elimination of Abuse Queensland)

Mr Paul Monsour has been the SPEAQ secretary for the last 12 years. He has supported the professional development of SPEAQ members through a range of activities including organising SPEAQ’s regular stakeholder meetings, training and other events. Mr Monsour values genuine consultation, dialogue, inclusion, recognition of diversity, cooperation, collaboration, diligence and gender equality.

Talia van Gils

Community Action Gympie

Ms Talia van Gils works at Community Action Gympie and for the past 7 years has managed programs working with people experiencing Domestic and Family Violence. She is a certified trainer in the ‘Safe and Together’ model and previously managed the Integrated Workforce Development Strategy for the Health and Community Services Workforce Council. Ms Gils believes in the power of groups to effect change.

Rosemary O’Malley

Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Inc

Ms Rosie O’Malley has extensive experience working within the field of Domestic and Family Violence and is currently the CEO for the Domestic Violence Prevention Centre on the Gold Coast. Ms O’Malley is often consulted and provides domestic and family violence training to other organisations. Her values include client centred practice, a strong work ethic and “stubbornness to keep going until we collectively create something that increases sustainability in the DFV sector”.

Steph Chen

Children by Choice

Steph Chen is a social worker. Over the past 20 years Steph has practiced in crisis services and hospitals in Victoria and at Children by Choice as a non-directive pregnancy options counsellor and training facilitator since relocating to Queensland in 2018. Steph describes her ethical framework as including respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity.

Katrina Weeks

Centre Against Sexual Violence

Katrina Weeks is the Operations Manager at the Centre Against Sexual Violence in Logan and the Redlands. She has worked in the sexual assault and domestic violence sector for twenty years. She is committed to working towards the elimination of violence against women, working collaboratively and advocating on behalf of women survivors.