Ko Tararua tōku Maunga
Ko Hokio me Aohanga tōku Awa
Ko Kurahaupō me Tākitimu tōku Waka
Ko Muaūpoko me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa tōku Iwi
Ko Kawiu me Pāpāuma tōku Marae
LifeCo Psychology team member Jacqui has over 18 years of experience as a Social Worker within a broad scope of sectors working alongside a diversity of groups. Jacqui’s early career began in education with rangatahi Māori at risk of disengaging, then went on working with police supporting youth/families at risk, as an advocate for wāhine and children who witness/experienced family harm, patient member support for young person/families diagnosed with cancer and provided contract work for CYFS (Oranga Tamariki). These roles were held in Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Wellington City.
Jacqui worked for several years in Australia as a mental health clinician (NTCATT Crisis) and as an intake SW triage Child and Adolescence Mental Health before moving to Sydney to work in the homelessness sector initially alongside women seeking refuge from family harm and then as a Case Manager in a men’s homelessness Service in the central city.
Jacqui returned to Aotearoa to take up a position as a Team Leader for a men’s homelessness service and then as an assessor of the ageing population before taking up a secondment role as Kaitakitaki, Equity for Māori at WDHB before returning to the community supporting wāhine and tamariki who experience/at risk of family harm.
Jacqui has an awareness of the inequities that exist for Māori and understands the importance of addressing disparities to ensure potential is fully realized within whānau, hapu and iwi. Jacqui values strengths-based practice aligned to the principles of Whanau Ora and engages from a Mana Enhancing approach.