Jess is the mum of an amazing and brave 7yo boy who was born preterm and spent his first 102 days in hospital. During the scariest times, Jess and her husband gained strength and friendship from other parents in NICU.
The impact of this support, and her family’s journey, later inspired Jess to pursue her career as a Carer Peer Worker at Austin ICYMHS in Melbourne. Here she supports parents and carers who have infants and children up to 12yrs with mental health challenges.
Jess is also a strong advocate for infant mental health and trauma-informed preventative care in paediatric hospitals.
She is a Lived Experience Network member of EPIC (Extremely Preterm Infant Centre of Research Excellence) and is passionate about her involvement in research projects, education and advisory work in this space.