2026 ARPA VIC Award Ceremony Program

Annabelle Johnstone-Dougall

APM Workcare

Annabelle is an outstanding professional whose compassion, creativity, and unwavering commitment transformed a highly complex, high‑risk case into a story of safety, recovery, and renewed purpose. Her trauma‑informed, client‑centred approach demonstrates excellence beyond expectation. 

Dale Talbert

Acumen/Generation Health

Through 5-years of extraordinary dedication, Dale has consistently delivered exceptional, life‑changing outcomes for workers with highly complex physical injuries, combining clinical expertise, deep biopsychosocial knowledge and unwavering advocacy. His holistic, compassionate approach consistently restores dignity, independence, and meaningful participation.

Dinka Cerovina

Prudence Rehabilitation

Dinka demonstrated that going beyond the day-to-day case management processes is necessary in achieving a positive outcome. Fixing burnt bridges is not part of a consultant's typical job description but was required in this case and handled with care. 

Samantha Nicklen

Rehab Management

Samantha exemplifies excellence in complex return‑to‑work rehabilitation, combining clinical rigour, and person‑centred case management to navigate prolonged medical delays, stakeholder fragmentation, and employer risk barriers. Her work transformed a stalled, high‑complexity case into a confident, sustainable RTW, demonstrating a best‑practice approach through persistence and coordinated recovery.

Alexandra Galloway

AMS Consulting

Alexandra achieved what many would consider impossible, guiding a severely traumatised worker back to the very role in which she had been violently sexually assaulted. Through years of complex, layered adversity, trauma-informed expertise and compassionate commitment transformed profound trauma into a confident, sustainable return to meaningful employment.

Christina Tieppo

Kinnect

This nomination recognises exceptional professional excellence in transforming a complex psychological injury with severe barriers into sustainable, full-time employment within a highly niche labour market. Through trauma-informed practice, WISE implementation, targeted employer sourcing and strong clinical coordination, Christina delivered an outstanding return-to-work outcome.

Emily Chan

IPAR Rehabilitation

Emily has proven high performance in the management of psychological claims, with her services frequently sought after by referrers and employers due to her ability to build relationships, show empathy and achieve positive outcomes. This is reflected in her current RTW Rate of 74% and obtaining 43 direct referrals in 2025.

Erik Ryan

Recovery Partners

Erik is a standout consultant whose compassion, skill, and dedication transformed a highly complex case into a successful vocational outcome. His motivational support, collaboration with treaters, engagement with family, and strategic employer partnerships demonstrate exceptional capability, making him a truly deserving finalist.

Blake Tholen-Gray

APM Workcare

Blake has delivered measurable improvements in service access, consultant capability and provider performance across regional Victoria, a region historically limited in health‑service availability. His practical, people‑centred leadership and commitment to quality have strengthened outcomes for clients, employers and agents, making him a truly deserving candidate for this award.

Jonathan Anderson

Workfocus Australia

Jonathan is an outstanding leader whose courage, clarity, and commitment have transformed the business’s culture, capability, and performance across Victoria. His leadership delivered remarkable improvements in recovery and return to work outcomes for the local communities. He embodies excellence, making Jonathan a truly deserving finalist of this award.

Kimberley Schembri

Prestige Health Services Aus

Since stepping into the Victorian leadership role, Kimberley has driven phenomenal growth delivering exceptional metric outcomes while strengthening referral pathways and service performance. Beyond the numbers she has earnt the deep respect and trust of the team, demonstrating authentic influence, strategic vision and the hallmarks of a true leader. 

Courtney Slatter

Kinnect

A sought-after consultant delivering 92% original employer RTW and exceptional stakeholder confidence across complex, psychosocially layered cases. Aligns employers, treaters and workers with clarity and care. Transforms “stuck” files into sustained outcomes, including CALD and high distress cases. A leader who elevates team capability and exemplifies the HBGW in action.

Molly McCombe

Recovre

Molly's performance, both individually and when leading peers, has made her a key pillar of our organisation and a key support to our stakeholders.  Molly’s tailored and collaborative approach, based on unwavering support internally and externally, has her well on her way to becoming an industry leader.  

Paul Sansonetti

IPAR Rehabilitation

Paul stands out for exceptional impact: in 2025, returning 34 clients to work at a 100% success rate, earning 69 direct referrals, and consistently exceeding industry expectations. His empathy, leadership, and stakeholder rapport deliver superior, lasting results. Paul delivers unmatched client success while mentoring teammates, strengthening ORPs capability and impact.

Alexandra Galloway

AMS Consulting

Alex's performance indicates 88% sustained return-to-work rate, 144% above the scheme median which speaks for itself. Beyond the numbers, they bring rare clinical expertise, genuine compassion, and a commitment to continuous growth that elevates those around them. She doesn't just meet the bar, she redefines it.

Kristian Sekulovski

Workfocus Australia

Kristian is an exceptional rehabilitation professional whose technical excellence, empathy, and leadership consistently deliver exceptional RTW outcomes, well above scheme median. His unwavering belief in every worker’s potential transforms their lives. Not just returning clients to work; but restoring confidence, purpose, and long‑term wellbeing

Samantha Nicklen

Rehab Management

With exceptional, tailored engagement across all clients and customers within her portfolio, Samantha has not only consistently achieved benchmark return‑to‑work rates, but she has also exceeded them. Her professionalism, holistic practice and client‑centred approach have enabled her to deliver life‑changing outcomes across a diverse and often complex range of claims.  

IPAR Rehabilitation

Support at Work Training

This innovation equips frontline managers, not return-to-work coordinators, with evidence-based tools to become the first and most influential intervention in workplace injury recovery. By embedding early, psychosocially informed leadership at the point of contact, Support at Work Training improves return-to-work outcomes and aligns employer practice with Australia’s “It Pays to Care” principles.

Nabenet

Task to Training

Nabenet has delivered an industry leading, evidence based injury prevention initiative that integrates detailed task analysis with a scalable digital training solution. Their proactive and collaborative approach has measurably strengthened workforce safety, reduced injury risks, and created sustainable change, making them an outstanding candidate for this award.

Workable Consulting
NES Deep Dive

This nomination stands out because Deep Dive changes lives. It turns uncertainty into momentum, barriers into tailored support, and hope into real jobs. By combining compassionate guidance with rigorous oversight, it gives every worker the dignity of purposeful recovery and equips consultants to deliver outcomes. It’s impact you can feel.

Delana Obeyesekere

Workfocus Australia

From day one, Delana has delivered outstanding client outcomes, strengthened employer partnerships, and elevated provider performance. Through targeted coaching, proactive employer engagement, and refined brokerage, she has achieved high RTW volumes in six months, with her commitment profoundly transforming many clients’ lives. 

Jaynika Vaghani

IPAR Rehabilitation

Since commencing, Jaynika has truly embodied the notion of a ‘quick learner’, not only learning the fundamentals of OR in a short space of time but mastering them. JV’s approach is one of authenticity, determination and compassion, enabling her to develop genuine rapport with clients and drive high-level positive outcomes.

Sheryl Gullia

APM Workcare

A remarkable new starter, Sheryl has rapidly become a leader in the psychological injury space. Managing a team within months, delivering trauma‑informed training, and achieving outstanding client outcomes, she has made an extraordinary contribution in record time, setting a benchmark for excellence worthy of this award.

Angus McQuie

Kinnect

A consistently requested consultant delivering exceptional results, including 100% same employer RTW across all closed OES files. Demonstrates maturity beyond experience, applying HBGW principles with clarity and compassion. Trusted by workers, employers and case managers, and consistently converts complex physical and psychosocial barriers into safe, durable work outcomes.

Michael Stuckings

Prudence Rehabilitation

Michael has engaged in all internal professional development opportunities offered by the provider to increase his knowledge and skillset within best practice case management, Victorian legislation and practice in OR. Furthermore, the consultant has created and delivered an internal professional development seminar nationally to our organisation on the topic of the latest research on safe lifting and movement principles.

Tara Baird

Prestige Health Services Aus

Managing highly complex cases including physically demanding roles and culturally diverse workforces often requiring interpreters, Tara has achieved great outcomes including initial average RTW timeframe of 1.7 weeks. Tara's performance early in her career reflects advanced capability, making her highly deserving of this award and recognition of her future potential.

Adriana Inguanti

Rehab Management

Adriana stands out for her professionalism, initiative, and strong person‑centred approach. Her ability to integrate evidence‑based practice, communicate thoughtfully, and contribute meaningfully to both client outcomes and team culture demonstrates maturity beyond her experience, making Adriana an exceptional and deserving candidate for this award. 

Melissa Papazoglou

Prestige Health Services Aus

Melissa's strong drive for workers to gain employment highlights her strong belief in the power of work to restore purpose, routine, confidence and recovery. This belief was evident from day one, where she quickly became embraced as part of the team, ultimately leading to an offer of employment. 

Patrick Windred

APM Workcare

Patrick embodies calm professionalism, authentic client connection and care. His maturity, lived experience and evidence‑based practice, particularly with veterans, consistently delivers elevated outcomes. His demonstrated readiness to work in the occupational rehabilitation surpassing expectations hence securing a role post‑placement and now excelling as a consultant, making them an outstanding candidate. 

Chandra Siddaiah

Lisa Howlett

Alexandra Galloway

Chantelle Gatta

Megan Quinn

Alison Thompson

Chris Tosin

Rachel Harakidas

Alycia Carthew

Christianne Rutherford

Roxana Burchea

Ashlee Clowes

David Puddy

Suzanne Abrahams

Ashmita Saujan Malli

Georgina Lamb

Varsha Prasad

Carly Harrison

Hayley Notting