Meet Our Team
Lisa Joye
Director
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
& Nationally Accredited Mediator
Juris Doctor (in progress)
PhD in Psychology (in progress)
M. Professional Psychology (in progress)
B. Psych. Sc. (Hons. 1A)
B. Psych. Sc.
Grad. Cert. in Family Studies
Grad. Dip. Family Dispute Resolution (Law)
Cert. in Family Group Conferencing
Justice of the Peace
Lisa is passionate about families & keeping them connected in times of change. Lisa is a strong advocate for children & works to assist families maintain relationships following separation.
As a registered Family Dispute Resolution
Practitioner (FDRP) & Nationally Accredited
Mediator (AMDRAS), Lisa also helps parents
reach agreement on the future care, living
& other arrangements for their children
whilst helping separated parents avoid
the stress & expense of Court proceedings.
Lisa's varied work experience spans from Child Care, Child Protection Casework with DCJ, Youth Homelessness, Women's & Children's Shelters & Domestic Violence Support Services.
Maree May
Service Manager
Dip. Child, Youth & Family Intervention
Cert III Education Support
Teachers Aide (Special)
Lifeline Training Certificate
Recognise & Respond to Domestic
& Family Violence Certificate
Identify & Respond to Young People & Children at Risk Certificate
Maree is an experienced Family Contact Worker who is passionate about ensuring every child has a happy, healthy childhood.
Her extensive experience spans working with children from birth through to 18 years of age, in both educational & family support settings.
Maree's vast experience includes her work as a Learning Support Officer within schools assisting children with diverse needs engage in their education, & also her work as an Out of School Hours (OOSH) Coordinator, creating safe & enriching programs for children to learn & grow through play. Additionally, Maree has worked in Out of Home Care (OOHC) settings, providing stability, emotional support & advocacy for children navigating the complexities of the child protection system.
With experience working as a Supervised Contact Worker within a government funded Supervised Contact Service, Maree brings a wealth of knowledge to the team at Hope Family Cottage, ensuring best practice in everything we do as we continue to learn from her past experience.
With a trauma-informed lens, Maree's practice prioritises the emotional, psychological & developmental needs of children. Her dedication shines through in everything she does & her warm, empathetic approach ensures children feel safe, valued & heard, while parent's feel understood & supported.
Michele Gower
Children's Contact Supervisor,
Counselor & Parenting Coach
Dip. Youth & Community Services
Dip. Counseling
Certificate in Coaching
Michele has extensive experience in working with families, young adults, youth and children. Intertwined with her acute understanding of families as whole systems is her DCJ training in 'Healing from Trauma', 'Positive Behaviour Support' & 'Addressing Problematic and Harmful Sexual Behaviour'. She supports adults, youth and children to make good choices every day through the consideration of 'out of the box' solutions to life's problems.
From her own personal experience, she also actively works to raise awareness, reduce stigma, provide support and bring hope to those living with, and caring for, people with Autism and mental health issues.
Alongside Michele's work at Hope Supervised Contact, she is the Founder and CEO of 'Choose Thrive' - a local Charity where her practice stems from values of faith, family and truth. It is here that she strives to help people live lives of purpose, passion and peace.
Michele brings a rich tapestry of
experience to the Team at
Hope Supervised Contact.
Donna Matthews
Child Inclusive Consultant
B. Social Science (Community Welfare)
M. Social Work (in progress)
Donna is an experienced child welfare practitioner, having worked in Child Protection and Out of Home Care for the past 7 years.
Donna also has experience working in refuges with young people at risk of being homeless and with young offenders in the Juvenile Justice system via the 'Shine for Kids' program. Her training includes counseling and suicide first aid training with Lifeline. In her other current role, Donna provides mental health support support for people at risk of suicide, as well as counseling and support at HeadSpace.
Donna has first hand experience of the difficulties and rewards of being a foster parent, having been one herself for the past 17 years.
Her combined experience working with vulnerable children, young people, adults and families, knowledge of child protection laws and mental health, makes her an invaluable member of the team at Hope Supervised Contact.
Melinda Doran
Children's Contact Supervisor
Assoc. Dip in Social Science (Child Studies)
Cert. in Family Management
Cert. in Child Studies (Understanding Children 0-6yrs)
Mel is a caring and enthusiastic Childcare Educator with over 25 years experience working with school aged children, supporting them with their learning and developmental growth.
Mel has a broad range of experiences, including leading and motivating a team of staff, building strong working relationships with parents, as well as planning, implementing and evaluating stimulating, high quality education and extra-curricular programs.
Mel brings highly creative early childhood educational skills, exceptional leadership and a strong family focus to the team at
Hope Supervised Contact.
