Luke Butcher - Personal Helpers and Mentors Program and Orange Youth Accommodation Support Service

In 2006 I completed a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Newcastle and was accepted into the Mission Australia Graduate Program. My time in the graduate program was fruitful, allowing me to practice the theoretical models of mental health that I had learnt through University.

I was lucky enough to be seconded to Orange where I was given the opportunity to become a caseworker with a new mental health program, Personal Helpers and Mentors. Through the fantastic support, diverse, strong experience and supervision of a mentor and my services manager I was able to first hand experience the flavour of regional and rural mental health services. Mission Australia offers unique, rewarding experiences through day to day work surrounded by a supportive team of workers, mentors, service managers and a chaplaincy service to make sure no one was "thrown in the deep end". Through training and on going support I am now a Team Leader for Personal Helpers and Mentors and Orange Youth Accommodation Support Service and am very passionate about the work Mission Australia performs.