Sharon Mongta, Jessie Barnes-Hill and Maddie Hudson-Buhagiar will each be supported by a MACH scholarship of $5500 to participate in the Melbourne Poche Indigenous Health Leadership program – a richly interconnected and interactive program supporting the development of Indigenous health leaders.
Set over three week-long modules, the program includes an overseas component at Tkaronto, Turtle Island (Toronto, Canada). The program is designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals with sound experience working in the health sector in community, policy, academia, government or clinical areas with leadership responsibilities.
We wish Sharon, Jessie and Maddie all the very best for the upcoming program and look forward to following their journeys in supporting Community health needs.
Sharon Mongta
Sharon is a proud Monero Ngarigo woman and Aboriginal Case Manager at Wadja Aboriginal Family Place at The Royal Children’s Hospital.
She has extensive experience providing clinical and culturally sensitive care and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in paediatric settings
As a social worker, Sharon has specialised in Aboriginal health at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and provided cultural support at The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and Ravenhall Correctional Centre, Forensicare. She also provided support as Family Violence Case Management Team Leader at Djirra.
Most recently, Sharon has been teaching the Indigenous Peoples subject as part of The University of Melbourne’s Master of Social Work.
Jessie Barnes-Hill
Jessie is a proud Wiradjuri woman and First Nations Health Project Coordinator at The University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health.
She has deep connections to Yorta Yorta Country (Shepparton) and is bringing up her family on Country.
“My lifelong aspirations are to make meaningful contributions toward achieving health, educational and economic parity for mob, both within my local community and more broadly across the nation,” she says.
Jessie has diverse experience within health and community settings, spanning across early childhood development, families, Elder care, youth and education. In 2025, she will be commencing a Master of Public Health at The University of Melbourne.
Maddie Hudson-Buhagiar
Maddie is a proud Wiradjuri woman who grew up on Bundjalung Country, living on Wurundjeri Country for the past 11 years.
She works alongside adult community members as a clinical psychologist at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and is a Senior Lecturer in the Wurru Wurru Health Unit at The University of Melbourne.
She is committed to providing culturally safe, trauma-informed psychological services responsive to the local community’s needs. Her practice is grounded in First Nations knowledges and community-led approaches – prioritising healing, empowerment and holistic well-being.
Her teaching and research focus on equipping health professional students with the skills to provide culturally and clinically safe services to First Nations community members.