Julie began her career 35 years ago as an emergency nurse in the UK and later specialised in Advanced Trauma Life support. She served on the Faculty of Brighton University (UK) to train nurses and doctors in the management of major trauma. In 2003 she was sponsored by the Alfred Hospital Trauma Centre in Melbourne and moved to Australia with her daughter.
In a career spanning over 20 yrs in Australia, Julie has worked as a Drug and alcohol Nurse in several Melbourne Emergency Departments, working with patients frequently presenting with a dual diagnosis of mental health and drug and alcohol issues compounded by transient and chaotic lifestyles. Julie has worked in a case management role with the Homeless Persons Program (Now Bolton Clarke), as the overdose prevention nurse in Frankston, as a drug and alcohol counsellor with the Frankston and Mornington Alcohol and Drug Service and more recently as a counsellor for the Medication Support and Recovery service at Access Health. In this time, she has worked with many clients presenting in crisis to the emergency Departments and out in the community in a case management role.