Wakai Waian Healing is celebrating an exciting new chapter with the arrival of Kathryn Boon, a Master of Social Work student completing her final placement at the organisation’s Thursday Island office.
Kathryn, who studies at the University of Queensland, was placed through the Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health at James Cook University. She says she chose Wakai Waian Healing because its values align with her own approach to care and empowerment.
“I can already see how much heart goes into the work here,” Kathryn said. “Everyone is so welcoming and passionate about supporting people through challenges and helping them find their own strengths. I could definitely see myself working here in the future.”
Kathryn is being mentored by Wakai Waian Healing’s experienced Torres Strait Islander social workers, including Aunty Ivy Trevallion, Amanda Majid, and Uncle Rob Trevallion. These workers bring almost a century of experience and deep cultural knowledge to their work.
Amanda, who is helping Kathryn in the placement, says having Kathryn in the office is both rewarding and meaningful. “This is the first time we have had a student placement here,” Amanda said. “It is great to be able to show how social work can blend both clinical skills and cultural practice. It is about respect, presence, and connection.”
Amanda also shared advice with Kathryn about the importance of self-care. “You use a lot of yourself in this work,” she said. “Cultural ways of caring for yourself are just as important as caring for others. I like how Kathryn already calls everyone Aunty and Uncle and brings that sense of respect into her work.”
Kathryn has already begun shadowing appointments, sitting in on assessments and learning from clinical staff, community elders, and allied health workers across the organisation. She says working alongside Wakai Waian Healing occupational therapist Jena Stephen and psychologist Elaine Samway, has deepened her understanding of how cultural safety and clinical teamwork shape real care outcomes.
For Kathryn, the opportunity to learn from Aunty Ivy Trevallion, one of Australia’s most senior Torres Strait Islander social workers, is a highlight. “I first heard about Aunty Ivy from my head of school,” she said. “She encouraged me to reach out when I came up here. I feel really honoured to learn from her and see how she works within the community.”
Aunty Ivy, Amanda, and Uncle Rob represent a generation of Torres Strait Islander professionals who have led the way in culturally grounded social work practice. By mentoring students like Kathryn, they are helping to build the next wave of practitioners who understand that real social work in the Torres Strait begins with relationships, culture, and respect.
Wakai Waian Healing CEO Ed Mosby said the placement marks a step forward for the organisation’s commitment to workforce development. “This is how we grow the next generation,” he said. “By bringing students into community, they see what cultural safety really looks like and how healing begins when you listen and walk alongside our people.”
As Kathryn continues her placement over the coming weeks, she says she is grateful to be part of something larger than herself. “It’s such a privilege to learn in this setting,” she said. “Every day I see how culture, care, and community come together at Wakai Waian Healing. It is teaching me what social work really means.”