#WeAreNorthern

Meet Sarah Hales, Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with the Adult Community Mental Health Teams.

Q: Let’s start with your coffee order.

Coffee is not for me – I am a tea drinker through and through!

Q: Tell us about your role, what does it entail?

As a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner within the Adult Community Mental Health Teams, I have the privilege of working to improve the experiences of and health outcomes for our consumers living with mental illness.

My role aligns with Equally Well and the vision to improve the quality of life by providing equitable access to quality healthcare by making the physical health of people living with mental illness a priority. On a day-to-day basis, I see consumers of the mental health service in order to engage, provide health screenings and interventions, foster relevant supports and build pathways and linkages. The consumer facing work is hugely rewarding and enables me to work with consumers through the continuum of care, whilst the non-clinical aspects enable me to contribute and shape the direction of our physical health care integration.

Q: How do you like to relax after work?

Planning travel and travel, stroking the cats, watching the kids sport and having a clean house – not in any particular order!

Q: How would you describe Northern Health in a sentence?

Northern Health Mental Health Division has supported me throughout my Nurse Practitioner journey, from student to novice NP – and provided the opportunity for me to continue to contribute to meaningful outcomes for our consumers

Q: Favourite travel destination and why?

Originally from the UK, I have been fortunate enough to see lots of the world, however, the Kimberley region of WA is unbeatable for me. I was there during the Covid pandemic for nearly 8 months – the remoteness, culture, country and sunsets 😀

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, real or imaginary, who would it be and why?

The creator of In The Night Garden. I used to watch it with my kids when they were very young and wonder – who was this person!!!!!