Natasha Hau

Making the choice to relocate to Kalgoorlie wasn’t difficult for Natasha Hau.

Natasha had already spent some time at headspace Kalgoorlie – which is operated by HOPE – as part of a placement under the headspace Early Career Graduate Program.

When role of Clinical Educator came up, she jumped at the chance to head back to the Goldfields.

“I felt so at home in Kalgoorlie, as soon as I landed it felt like what I needed,” Natasha recalls.

Choosing social work

Originally from Bankstown, Sydney, Natasha studied social work at the University of Sydney.

“I chose social work because I wanted to support people who often struggle in the face of overwhelmingly complicated issues and institutions,” she says.

“I align strongly with social work values of social justice and respect for people’s autonomy and self-determination.”

Natasha enrolled in the headspace Early Career Graduate Program straight after finishing her Masters of Social Work.

The two-year program supports allied health graduates in social work to build their skills and confidence in youth mental health.

As part of the program, participants must spend a year in rural and regional headspace centres which is how Natasha found herself working in Kalgoorlie, and then Broome.

Supporting students

Soon after finishing the program, she found herself back in the red dirt, stepping into the role of Clinical Educator.

Her role is all about supporting the students and graduates that come through headspace Kalgoorlie.

She facilitates teaching, training and supervision, working with the local headspace team to make sure the students and graduates get the best possible experience on their placement.

“I love working with students. I feel like I get the best part of the university vibe outside of university,” she says.

“Students bring so much into the headspace centre, they bring enthusiasm, new knowledge, new research – they bring it all with them.”

Moreover, Natasha has worked hard to form strong relationships with WA universities to establish a strong pathway for future student placements.

Her passion for the role recently earned her recognition well beyond the Goldfields – she was a winner of the headspace National Early Career Award for Outstanding Contribution of a Graduate Alumni.

“It was so surprising, I just felt really happy and really proud,” she recalls.

“It felt nice to see my work recognised at this level because sometimes when you work in a regional area, you can feel isolated and disconnected from the larger network.”

Having her adopted home highlighted on a national stage was also great feeling, she says.

Looking to the future, Natasha is keen to develop her leadership skills.

“Thankfully my current role allows me to do that, so I want to push that further by supporting more student and graduate placements in headspace Kalgoorlie, and Kalgoorlie in general,” she says.

Above: Natasha Hau (centre) with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Honourable Emma McBride (left) and headspace CEO Jason Trethowan (right).
Picture Credit: Jordy Scott