STATEWIDE GAMBLING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Social Worker
- Senior Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
Ben Riley is a social worker who has worked full-time continuously in the mental health service for 20 years in both psychiatric inpatient and community settings. He has worked with SGTS since completing his Master of CBT/Mental Health Sciences 13 years ago. In addition to providing CBT for gambling addiction and anxiety and related disorders, Ben has provided CBT training to staff in SA, Vic, NSW and New Zealand. For the past 5 years he has also worked with the SALHN Aboriginal Gambling Therapy Service, helping to develop and deliver culturally appropriate CBT to Indigenous Australians. Since 2015 he has been an enrolled PhD candidate with the College of Medicine and Public Health and is currently preparing his thesis for submission. Ben has presented research papers at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally and has authored over a dozen peer-reviewed research publications.
Malcolm Battersby is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit and course leader of the Mental Health Science programs at Flinders University. He is also the director of the Flinders Centre for Gambling Research which is a centre within the Southgate Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences. Professor Battersby trained with Professor Isaac Marks at the Institute of Psychiatry, London in behavioural treatment of anxiety disorders and severe neurotic conditions. He was awarded a Harkness Research Fellowship in the study of chronic conditions self-management in the United States during 2003-2004 and had led the development of the Flinders Program of chronic condition management, now provided across Australia and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Senior Psychiatrist
- Specialist
Professor Michael Baigent, a senior psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist and one of the Board of Directors at beyondblue. Professor Michael Baigent is also the Head of SALHN's Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) at the Flinders Medical Centre. He is a senior specialist at the Drug and Alcohol Service of South Australia (DASSA).
Job Titles:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
- Social Worker With a Masters
Sean is a social worker with a Masters degree in Cognitive Behavioural therapies. He has a background in varying mental health units both interstate and overseas. He is currently working temporarily as the Chief social worker for SALHN and we look forward to his return.
Job Titles:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapist / Team Leader
- Health Nurse
Sharon is a registered mental health nurse and has a Master's degree in mental health sciences. She has worked in mental health continuously for over 40 years and with Statewide Gambling Therapy Service (SGTS) for more than 13 years. She has worked in wide range of mental health clinical areas, She has developed training, managed the website, co-authored the gambling therapy workbooks, annual reports and manuals. She has also helped with the supervision and clinical governance of both SGTS and AGTS.
Job Titles:
- Administration Officer
- Administration Officer Statewide Gambling Therapy Service
Stephanie has been an administration officer within the SGTS team for two years. With nearly eight years' experience in both allied and mental health settings, Stephanie's daily focus is to bring a warm, friendly and client-centred approach to her role. Stephanie recently completed a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences degree at the University of Adelaide, and would like to complete a Master of CBT so that she can eventually help people in a clinical capacity. As part of their Mental Health Awareness series, Stephanie's theatre company (The Abstract Arts Collaborative) is excited to be joining forces with SGTS. The aim is to create a short piece highlighting the impact of pathological gambling, which will hopefully encourage those who need it to seek help.