WA Mental Health Award nominee Lorraine Potter finds the winning formula in the Great Southern

WA Country Health Service will be well-represented in this year’s WA Mental Health Awards with Great Southern Mental Health Worker Lorraine Potter.

With a long and storied career and a driving passion for providing Great Southern families with mental health support, Lorraine has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Minister’s Award category, which recognises someone in the mental health field who has displayed best practice at every level and a true dedication to service in the 2022 calendar year.

Lorraine has been passionate about child and adolescent mental health ever since she started her training in Wales in the early 80s, before moving to Australia where she spent 15 years with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Bentley.

Lorraine found love in the Wheatbelt and married a local farmer and took up a position with Community Mental Health in Narrogin and then Katanning.

Lorraine said being part of collaborative team in the Great Southern Mental Health Service helped her to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients and families.

“I work within a great multidisciplinary team where everyone’s strengths and contributions are appreciated.

“It’s the winning formula,” Lorraine said.

Lorraine said working in a regional community setting had been extremely rewarding, with no two cases being the same.

“I strive to make sure patients don’t feel judged and assist them in achieving the best outcome for themselves.”

When asked about her nomination, Lorraine said she was shocked but happy that she was part of a team that believed in her and felt her contribution to the community was significant enough to put her name forward.

“I am fortunate to work in a supportive team with a great team leader who allows me the opportunities to train in areas that I am interested in,” Lorraine said.

Winners will be announced at ceremony on Thursday 23 November in Perth.