Angela Lancaster
Angela Lancaster recently celebrated 20 years of service with Queensland Health, a significant milestone for someone whose health challenges once threatened her career.
Over an inspirational recovery journey, the Senior Occupational Therapist (OT) and Art Therapist not only came back to work, but also completed her Masters of Mental Health – Art Therapy.
Angela said her interest in healthcare stemmed from a passion for supporting and advocating for people in vulnerable times.
“I didn’t entirely understand what an OT was when I started the degree, and it’s still difficult to explain the breadth of the training,” she said.
“It’s been fascinating to see how the role of OT within mental health services has continued to evolve, and I’m excited to see how this continues.”
Angela’s first role at Metro South was in the Bayside Children and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) where she stayed for 15 years before joining the new Logan in-reach headspace team earlier this year.
The dedicated mental health professional noted that more young people facing mental health issues, along with better health literacy and reduced stigma, had created a need for more specialised services like in-reach headspace across the region.
“The biggest change in my profession since I started has been the huge increase in acuity within paediatric mental health services,” she notes.
Angela said her new role would allow her to advocate for the role of art therapies alongside traditional approaches, while still experiencing the joy of connection with vulnerable youth.
“My favourite part of the job is being able to connect with our youth and their carers to provide a consumer-led experience makes a potentially difficult job worthwhile.”
A big shout out to Angela for her commitment to improving paediatric mental health services and congratulations on 20 years of service!