Marika Kontellis

Marika is an experienced social worker and social care leader who has built a career on enhancing informal support systems for and with people and their families.

She has worked for government and non-government agencies in frontline, policy and leadership roles. As a young social worker, she was there when the Carers Pension and the Home and Community Care program was introduced in 1985. As a young carer for her late Grandmother (also named Marika), she argued against residential aged care placement and fought with a shifting hospital care system for better home support for her “Yiayia”.

Today, Marika supports her Dad, who is the primary carer for her mother. Despite her knowledge and experience of this health and social care system, the challenges are immense – but what really matters is the informal support that surrounds the family at points of need. Marika says that the “formal services sector” must enable these supports and a good, attentive GP can make all the difference.

Marika is a past member of the Disability Council of NSW, the Guardianship Tribunal of NSW and was, until 2012, an elected Local Government Councillor.