As part of First Step’s 25th anniversary year, we were honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Professor Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, to our St Kilda clinic.
The Governor spent time learning about First Step’s integrated model of care and the realities facing people experiencing complex challenges.
What stood out during the visit was the Governor’s genuine engagement with the work. Drawing on her academic background and her visits to prisons and community services across Victoria, she made thoughtful connections between policy, research and the practical realities experienced by services and clients every day.
Discussions explored the growing recognition of therapeutic approaches within the justice system, the importance of integrated community care, and the role of lived and living experience in shaping better responses.
At a time when the health and community sectors continue to grapple with increasing demand and uncertainty, the opportunity to share First Step’s work and values with the Governor felt significant and encouraging.
The visit formed an important part of our anniversary year: a chance not only to reflect on how far First Step has come, but also to continue conversations about the kind of systems and communities we want to build into the future.
