Our name, Open Place, reflects our service’s intention to be place-based, accessible and welcoming.

We are open to new ideas and to learning from our service users about what works and what doesn’t.

 

Michelle McDonald, Senior Manager   

Michelle joined Open Place in 2017 and previously worked within the human services field in senior management and service delivery roles, predominantly working in the area of Child, Youth and Family. Michelle also managed Berry Street’s Heritage Service, for people who spent time in any of its former homes or institutions as children.

 

Liz Hayes, Assistant Manager

Liz joined Open Place in 2025 and has many years’ experience as a mediator, lawyer and in leadership positions in the community services and legal sectors.

 

Richard Dove, Community Education Coordinator         

Richard joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked with Victoria Police, building the relationships between law enforcement and diverse communities, as well as coordinating refugee settlement within community and education organisations.

 

Sandy Aston, Reception
Admin and Health Brokerage Team

Sandy joined Open Place in 2023 and has previously worked in health care, doing both administration and clinical duties.

 

Kristine Grant, Coordinator
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Kristine joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked in human resources and event Management & owned multiple businesses.

 

Ebba Lochert, Support & Advocacy Worker
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Ebba joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a Case Manager in an offender’s rehabilitation program, Program Coordinator in a long-term homelessness program and Team Leader in a community disaster recovery program.

 

Brigitte Mathot, Support & Advocacy Worker
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Brigitte joined Open Place in 2021 and previously worked within reception, customer service and administrative positions.

 

Tracey Anderson, Support & Advocacy Worker - Health
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Tracey joined Open Place in 2010 and previously held administrative and personal assistant positions in a number of large community and private sector organisations.

 

Shaye Silver, Support & Advocacy Worker
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Shaye joined Open Place in 2019 and previously worked as a support worker, predominantly working in the youth sector.

 

Keegan Tarrant, Support & Advocacy Worker
Service Navigation & Advocacy Team

Keegan joined Open Place in 2023 and previously worked in retail and customer service.

 

Annie Fell, Regional Outreach and Support Worker
Regional & Service Navigation and Advocacy Team

Annie joined Open Place in 2018 and previously worked in the welfare sector, predominantly working in homelessness, supporting families and Forgotten Australians.

 

Anthony Gartner, Coordinator                                                                                                    Records Team

Anthony joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a social worker in youth offending, disability, equity and education leadership.

 

Siobhan McGuinness, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Siobhan joined Open Place in 2012 and previously worked in Community Development and Genealogy in Australia and Ireland.

 

Lydia Wasilenko, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Lydia started at Open Place in 2015 and previously worked within the educational equity sector.

 

Emma Kitson, Records, Find & Connect Worker
Records Team

Emma joined Open Place in 2018 and previously worked as a case manager within the Department of Corrections both in Perth and in New Zealand.


Cameron Boyd, Coordinator
Counselling & Redress Team

Cameron joined Open Place in July 2021 and has worked across a range of settings supporting people from all walks of life, particularly adults who have had childhood sexual abuse perpetrated against them.

 

Liz Saunderson, Counsellor
Counselling Team

Liz joined Open Place in 2014 and previously worked in the public service and public and private health sectors.

 

Biraj Dhital, Counsellor
Counselling Team

Biraj joined Open Place in 2025 and has previously worked as a Family counsellor and Youth counsellor in different community organisations in Canberra.

 

Beibei Fan, Counsellor
Counselling Team

Beibei joined Open Place in 2026 and has previously worked in the community mental health field, primarily working as a lived experience worker in a mental health crisis centre and a mental health clinician in adult mental health sector.

 

Mary-Cath Murray, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Mary-Cath joined Open Place in 2021 and previously worked in the Community Welfare sector in Melbourne and overseas, predominantly working with children and families experiencing Trauma, Mental health, Alcohol and other drugs and homelessness.

 

Susan Muller, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Susan joined Open Place in 2026 and previously worked in the community sector supporting people who have had sexual assault or family violence perpetrated against them.

 

Munni Alves, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Munni joined Open Place in January 2018 and previously worked in the adult mental health field and the youth homelessness sector.

 

Sonya Tsakalakis, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Sonya joined Open Place in 2024 and previously worked as a genetic counsellor and was employed as a bicultural worker for PRONIA (formerly Australian Greek Welfare Society) and provided on the phone support line for the Council of Single Mothers and their Children.

 

Sharray Ash, Redress Support Worker
Redress Team

Sharray joined Open Place in 2026, her background is in counselling, policy and service coordination primarily for people impacted by sexual & family violence.