Image: Maree Kerr, CEO of the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre. Picture by Anna Warr
Meet the woman leading an Australian-first trauma recovery centre
Maree Kerr wishes the organisation she has recently come to helm had no reason to exist.
“But the sad fact of the matter is we do need the service,” the new interim chief executive officer of the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre said.
“We know that there’s definitely an increase in the DV [domestic violence] space.
“So to be able to have this new model of care where women feel like they are healing, they are recovering, that they have got support … that’s massive.”
The Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre provides long-term, wraparound support for women who have suffered domestic, family and sexual violence.
The first of its kind in Australia, the centre was designed with the input of women with lived experience, service providers and experts.
It has started working with a limited number of women amid rising numbers of domestic and sexual violence incidents in the Illawarra and growing demand on services.
The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre approached Ms Kerr to lead its new initiative.
Illawarra Women’s Health Centre executive director Sally Stevenson said Ms Kerr’s experience and skills made her “uniquely qualified” to lead the centre.
“Maree has impeccable credentials in healthcare as well as robust understanding of both the private and not-for-profit sectors which will be invaluable when advocating for victim survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence,” Ms Stevenson said.
Ms Kerr brings experience in healthcare, consulting and business to the role, with a background in senior executive and director positions at a variety of organisations.
She believes business knowledge and acumen are important assets for the role.
“I’m very conscious this is not my money I’m spending, this is money that we have to be very prudent with so that the women get the best outcomes,” Ms Kerr said.
For Ms Kerr, the increase in domestic, family and sexual violence was a significant factor in her decision to take up the position.
Her experience getting businesses off the ground and working with start-ups also influenced her choice.
“[I am] very humbled and privileged to have been asked to take the role on,” Ms Kerr said.
Her first priority is building the centre’s workforce: ensuring it has “the right people in the right roles”.
With the centre operating from an interim site, Ms Kerr hopes that during her tenure she can also secure a permanent premises.
“It would be knowing that we’ve got continued funding, it would be that we’ve got a great culture,” she said of what she hoped to achieve.
“It’s a very heavy subject matter, so there needs to be a balance on giving staff the opportunity to have a bit of lightness around that.
“And most importantly, that the women feel safe and secure… on their healing and recovery journey, and that everything that we do has benefited the women that come through the door.”
