Danila Dilba Health Service recognised for excellence in Social Work

The Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS) congratulates two highly valued members of the team, John Rayner and Caitlin Carne, who were recognised for their contribution to Social Work in the NT at an Australian Association of Social Workers Awards night last week.

John has been a Social Worker for almost five years, with three years under his belt at DDHS. His contribution was recognised with the Mary Moylan NT Social Worker of the Year Award.

“I’m humbled to be nominated by my colleagues and peers for this award” said John.

This award has provided John with an opportunity to reflect and celebrate. “Social Work is a rewarding career, providing an opportunity to truly support and empower clients to realise their full potential” said John.

Deciding to study Social Work at the University of South Australia ten years ago was one of the best decisions John ever made, though it was an incredibly daunting experience as a mature aged student with no prior university experience. Overcoming this obstacle, John embraced the opportunity to challenge and question things in an academic environment. Once he completed his degree, John’s goal was to get back to Darwin to work in one-on-one counselling. That goal was realised not long after finishing with a job offer from EASA Darwin, where he worked for two years.

John’s journey into Social Work and his professional approach has been strongly influenced by his personal experiences and he believes building rapport with clients is essential.

“Building rapport is a vital element of my work - a client has to feels safe, protected and trust you as a counsellor” said John.

John is enjoying his career at DDHS and is currently working towards Medicare Accreditation.

He is also embracing the opportunity to mentor newly qualified Social Workers.

Caitlin Carne won the Social Work Student of the Year NT Award. She has been with DDHS for almost three months and this is her first one-on-one counselling role. “It’s pretty much my dream job” said Caitlin, who was born and raised in Darwin

“I’ve always wanted to work with my people and make a difference within my own community.”

“She’s a quiet achiever and is building a nice portfolio of clients” said John.

Their informal mentoring relationship empowers them to reflect on and improve their professional practice.

It’s also about checking on each other‘s welfare as practitioners working with clients who have often endured significant trauma.

John feels honoured to work for an Aboriginal Health Service and would love to see more Aboriginal Social Workers like Caitlin entering the field.

DDHS is proud to foster such a strong Social Work workforce who are committed to excellence and growth in service of their clients and communities.