Berni Palings

Experience

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  De Twentsche Courant Tubantia/Wegener Media

  Feb 1990 - Jul 1994

  Music journalist

  As a music journalist I - attended and reviewed around 500 concerts and some theatre performances- wrote performance reviews, CD reviews and announcements of upcoming concerts - conducted interviews with local and visiting musicians

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  University of Queensland

  Jan 1995 - Jan 1996

  Research Assistant

  In this position I assisted in the compilation of an Early Music dictionary of musical terms as used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, definitions being found in lexicographic works, musicological treatises and other musical writings of the time.

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  Self Employed

  Jan 1998 - Sept 2011

  NAATI-accredited Professional Translator in the Dutch and English languages

  In this position I translate a wide variety of documents from Dutch into English and vice versa for clients ranging from individuals to commercial, educational, legal and government organizations.

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  Institute of Modern Languages

  Feb 1999 - Dec 1999

  Tutor in the Dutch Language

  As a tutor I taught Dutch to students most of whom planned to visit the Netherlands or who had Dutch relatives/extended families. In our classes we focused on conversation, reading and writing on a social proficiency level.

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  Treasury Casino and Hotel

  Oct 1999 - Aug 2011

  Employee Operations, Scheduling Officer

  As a member of our busy team in a fast paced environment I - generated staff rosters for all departments - maintained staffing levels and rosters on a daily basis- liaised with managers of all departments- processed timesheets, leave requests and managers' requests- assisted and referred staff on a wide variety of issues - provided general customer service- took bookings and process payments for our ticketing events.

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  Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group

  Sept 2011 - Aug 2022

  Family Support Coordinator

  In my role of Family Support Coordinator I - Provide trauma informed crisis intervention to families and individuals who lost a loved one through homicide in Queensland - Provide person-centred, strength-based grief and loss counselling using a stepped care approach - per telephone, face to face and per email/text- Provide advocacy and case management - Manage, prioritize and triage a complex case load- Determine referral pathways as needed- Conduct home visits - Liaise with Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Relationships Australia, Victim Assist Queensland, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and others- Provide court support during committal hearings, trials, Mental Health Court hearings and other court hearings- Support families and individuals conferencing with the Prosecutor- Support colleagues, placement students and volunteers- Assist with the generation of Victim Impact Statements and with the completion of forms- Co-authored research paper on perceptions from family and friends on the risk factors for Domestic and Family Violence Homicide, May 2015 Show less

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  Drug ARM

  Feb 2012 - Jul 2012

  Counsellor

  As a placement counsellor with Drug Arm I - worked with individuals affected by alcohol and/or other drugs, mainly from CBT and Motivational Interviewing perspectives to help build resilience and achieve positive change. - worked with court-mandated clients- worked with voluntary clients in different stages of change- worked with clients presenting with dual diagnosis - worked with Significant Others, i.e., parents, partners, family members or friends of people affected by alcohol and/or other drugs - maintained client files and case notes- participated in daily group supervisions. Show less

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  Signal Flare Inc

  Feb 2013 - now

  Co-Founder & Director

  Signal Flare is a Not for Profit charity that supports people experiencing homelessness and other hardship. We do this by providing life's basics for free at our BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need. In this safe and friendly environment we also invite support services. We promote values of social inclusion, equality and dignity for all.My role with Signal Flare includes:- Community engagement - Promoting and modelling our organisational values to the team, to all our other volunteers and to the community at large- Building and maintaining strong and effective relationships with stakeholders - Developing ways to capture Signal Flare's impact on the community - Overseeing the organisation of our BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need and of the occasional smaller projects- Trauma informed communication with people experiencing homelessness and other hardship- Liaising with support services, sponsors, individual volunteers and givers of goods to give away- Providing assistance, referral and advice to individuals seeking help- Raising community awareness of homelessness mostly through social media- Recipient of a 2017 Lord Mayor's Australia Day Achievement Award for service to the homeless in the larger Brisbane area Show less

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  Reset Counselling Services

  Jul 2022 - now

  Counsellor