Karen’s professional life has been over 40 years of diversity in both scope of clinical practice and across numerous states of Australia.
She has worked with infants & children, the aged & palliative care management and within a variety of service delivery models in NGO, ‘not for profit’, education, healthcare and private practice settings.
Karen’s experience working with people living with Parkinson’s Disease began in 1989 in Brisbane in a Day Therapy setting but has extended from that time to acute hospital admissions, inpatient rehabilitation and community home visits.
She completed her SPEAK OUT! ® Training in June 2018.
The SPEAK OUT! ® program has demonstrated to me that we can truly change the communication skills of people living with Parkinson’s Disease in a timely and effective manner. These changes can be maintained over time and are based on robust therapy development and sound clinical evidence.
Karen’s previous employment was for Queensland Health (QH) and for 18 years as the District Director of Speech Pathology Services for the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service. She was on the National Board of SPA from November 2005 to May 2009, and was also an Executive Member of the ‘Leaders in Speech Pathology Network’ for QH Speech Pathologists working throughout the state.