Professional Experience:
Kylie has worked in a number of non-profit and educational organisations.
In her current role at the University of Sydney she engages in research and health promotion activity on a range of community-led research projects. Some of this research considers approaches to mobilise communities to design local solutions to priority health issues, particularly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (and young people in particular). Her work has a unique blend of epidemiology and community mobilization. Working with culturally diverse Indigenous populations this work includes quantitative and qualitative analysis related to social determinants of poor health. Her experience conducting knowledge translation with Indigenous communities incorporates local Indigenous concepts and language, and is developed from the ‘ground-up’. She has produced resources based on research findings suitable for culturally and linguistically diverse study communities. This has included making several large-scale film projects based on local ideas from the research findings, some of which have been award winning. One of Kylie’s later productions on problem drinking was awarded Best Indigenous Resource at the Australian Teachers of Media Awards, view online: theperfectworld.com.au/anija. Her team has also been nominated for a number of awards, including a finalist in the ‘prevention’ and ‘research’ categories at the 2010 Australian National Drug and Alcohol Awards (in the top 3!); and finalist in the ‘outstanding achievement in health’ category at the 2011 Australian Deadly Awards. She has recently co-written a book about Aboriginal alcohol and drug work, and has face-to-face teaching experience at a graduate diploma and masters level.
Kylie has also worked for an Aboriginal organisation in Arnhem Land in remote northern Australia, where she coordinated the Groote Eylandt and Milykaburra Youth Development Unit (YDU). Set up with Commonwealth Government support, the YDU was set up in direct response to requests from elders, community members and local organisations that wanted support to help local young people. The YDU worked to prevent young people getting in trouble with the law, as well as with young people who were already engaged in the justice system. As part of this role, Kylie managed a team of up to 10 staff, and was responsible for programming, budgets, procuring donor funds, and reported directly to the board of directors. As result of Kylie’s work over $AUD350,000 was raised in 1-year and she won an Australia Day Award for her work on the East Arnhem Short Film Festival (2004).
Prior to that Kylie worked in mental health promotion with Beyondblue (a organisation established to raise awareness of depression) and with the Inspire Foundation (an internet-based non-profit organisation established to help young people through their Reach Out! Website). In both organisations, Kylie held management positions, and she gained considerable skills in e