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Early Years Team

As a leading health service provider for families with young children, our Early Years Services employ highly valued caregivers in many communities across Australia. Our leadership team for Early Years Services includes:

Anna RobertsAnna Roberts - Group Manager, Early Years
Having studied psychology (counselling) and education, Anna’s professional career began as a school psychologist in Western Australia. Following study in Gestalt psychotherapy and organisational psychology, she spent nine years working in divisions of general practice across a variety of programs including youth health, GP education and mental health. This included the position of primary mental health care development and liaison officer at the General Practice Divisions of Western Australia, supporting divisions across the State in the advancement of primary mental health care.

A role as acting national primary mental health coordinator at the Australian Divisions of General Practice preceded a return to WA as state coordinator and later state manager of the WA Divisions’ State office. Anna briefly worked as a senior consultant for reform and special projects with the Mental Health Division of the Department of Health in Western Australia before moving to St John of God Health Care in 2007 as national Mental Health Coordinator. She has been in her current role since July 2010.

Cissy CoxCissy Cox – Group Coordinator, Strong Family Strong Culture
Cissy is a Bunaba woman, born in Broome, Western Australia. Having supported her husband, Kevin in establishing the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (BRAMS) in 1978, Cissy trained as an Aboriginal Health Worker in 1996, working for both the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service Council (KAMSC) and BRAMS.

St John of God Health Care appointed Cissy to establish the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program (later renamed Strong Family, Strong Culture) in the Kimberley in 2003. Employed as Group Coordinator for Strong Family, Strong Culture since 2008, Cissy’s contribution to Aboriginal health has also included coordinating Rural Health West’s Doctors Buddy program, providing Aboriginal cultural orientation with overseas trained doctors before starting work in remote WA, and serving on various state-wide Aboriginal health bodies.

Early Years Partners

To ensure that our services are effective in delivering positive health outcomes it is essential that we partner with various other health providers such as GPs, Aboriginal medical services, hospitals and community organisations.

We are keen to forge partnerships with businesses, organisations and individuals who have an interest in improving health outcomes for families with young children. If you would like more information on partnering with our Early Years team please contact Group Director of Social Outreach and Advocacy, Anne Russell-Brown: anne.russell-brown@sjog.org.au +61 8 6103 5654.

Early Years Services overview

Funding Early Years Services

The majority of funding for Early Years services are derived from St John of God Health Care’s social justice budget, which is provided through a set percentage of the organisation’s annual revenue.

Some of our services also receive funds from the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program and Medicare to provide perinatal and infant mental health services at Raphael Centres.

St John of God Health Care also partners with government organisations to provide services, including recurrent funding from the Australian Government’s Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) to operate Strong Family, Strong Culture in WA. We have also utilised the Commonwealth Government’s Rural Health Continuing Education sub-program to fund training for a variety of health professionals working with Aboriginal families.