I am a peer support worker now doing my social work degree, and I always tell my clients about the vital support I got from my case worker at MYST, because your support system is crucial in increasing and maintaining mental-wellness in young people. It helped me – thank you.
– Previous MYST Client
JODIE | CEO
Email: jodie.rollason@myst.com.au
Jodie Rollason is a qualified lawyer, nurse and mother to 3 teenagers. She has a Masters in Commercial Litigation and has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. Prior to joining MYST, Jodie managed a state-wide community legal service for over 10 years.
Jodie has been part of the MYST team as CEO since January 2022, and is passionate about supporting and helping young people in the Blue Mountains to improve their general and emotional well-being particularly after the recent tragedies of bushfires, floods and COVID.
She loves fine wine and the colour pink. Outside work, she can be found soaking up the sun, spending time with her teenagers, and attending a challenging trivia night.
AMBA | Manager Counselling and Case Management
Email: amba.lewis-rosman@myst.com.au
Amba Lewis-Rosman is an Adolescent and Family Counsellor and Art Psychotherapist, qualified at a Masters level, and maintains her professional registration with ANZACATA. Amba joined MYST in October 2016.
Amba is passionate about promoting a holistic and person-centered approach. Equipped with a variety of creative processes and therapies, based on the belief that the process of engaging creativity in meaning-making, within a therapeutic relationship, supports changes in the client’s inner world and helps them to develop a more integrated sense of self, with increased self-exploration and acceptance.
Amba believes creativity is within all of us, and can be a powerful way to access deep understandings and connections with our inner-self and wisdom.
When not at work, Amba enjoys house renovating and interior design, street art graphics, typography, and producing mix-media sculpture pieces.
GAILENE | Fundraising and Marketing Manager
Email: gailene.keen@myst.com.au
Gailene Keen joined Myst in March 2021 during the height of the pandemic, to help MYST increase funding opportunities, enabling increased capacity within their core programs and services to improve the outcomes for local young people.
Gailene has over 30 years’ experience in fundraising in the not-for-profit sector. Her past roles included helping to establish Starlight Foundation in Australia, and more recently, working with Be Centre – a Play Therapy Centre for children impacted by trauma. She hopes that she can use her experience and knowledge to help MYST continue to grow and cement its reputation as a leading provider of youth services in the Blue Mountains.
When not in the office, Gailene can be found enjoying coffee with friends or reading – she also loves a good craft project, especially those that involve pink glitter!
FLINN | Manager New Programs
Email: flinn.donovan@myst.com.au
Flinn Donovan is a proud Gumbaynggirr man and father of three. He lives in the Blue Mountains and is an active member of the local community.
Flinn started his career in community services in Cranebrook, Penrith, running an Aboriginal mentoring group at the local high school, and supported community members of the Cranebrook area in the Nepean Community Neighbourhood Centre. He then moved into Case Management with Platform Youth Services. Flinn has completed his community service and Counselling Diplomas and is currently working on completing a Bachelor Degree in Counselling, whilst enjoying his new role as Manager New Projects at MYST, which he commenced in April 2022.
Flinn enjoys creating program learning opportunities for Aboriginal, CALD and LGBTQIA+ youth in the mountains.
Outside of work, he loves motor bike riding – both road and trail, spending time with his family and friends, bushwalking, swimming, BBQ-ing or just having a cuppa tea!
PAIGE | Youth Development Officer
Email: paige.thurlow-want@myst.com.au
Paige Thurlow-Want joined the MYST team as a youth worker in 2018. She has a Certificate IV in Youth Work, is an accredited mental health first aider, teen mental health first aid facilitator, and is currently completing her Bachelor of Youth Work.
In 2022, Paige was appointed the position of Youth Team and Program Manager. In addition to leading the Youth Team, she is also hands on in running programs and activities such as Drop-In, RAGE, STEPS and breakfast club throughout the mountains. She is also responsible for planning major events such as youth week activities, along with other local services to ensure that these fun days bring young people and their families together.
Paige feels the true reward of being a Youth Worker is supporting young people to reach their goals and see them achieve their best possible outcome, despite any challenges they may have faced.
Looking forward, Paige would like to bring more engaging events and programs to the youth of the Blue Mountains, and ensure all young people in the community can access support, to help them build skills they need through the programs she facilitates.
Oh, and who said you can’t eat crackers with fancy cheese and red frogs?
GRUBER | Youth Worker
Email: sara.gruber@myst.com.au
Gruber (Sara) started as a Youth Worker for MYST in May 2022. She helps run programs such as drop-in, Outdoor Explore and breakfast club.
Her journey in youth work started as a volunteer supervisor in a youth drop-in centre, supporting LGBTQIA+ young people in Sydney. This sparked an interest to change directions in her career from horticulture to the community services sector. She completed her Certificate III in Community Services and is currently acquiring her Diploma of Community Services.
She is passionate about empowering and mentoring young people, and is currently developing new programs, including some that will support engagement with the local young LGBTQIA+ community – so watch this space!
Gruber enjoys excessive amounts of hummus, naps, and experimental cooking.
JIM | Youth Worker
Email: jim.wood@myst.com.au
Jim Wood has been a valued member of the MYST team since 2007. You often see Jim travelling around the mountains, doing outreach work and running programs in the schools.
Jim has a Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Community Services, and a Certificate IV in Adventure Based Youth Work.
Jim loves supporting young people to overcome the challenges in their lives.
SARA | Early Intervention Case Manager
Email: sara.dynes@myst.com.au
Sara Dynes has worked for MYST since 2009 in a number of roles supporting young vulnerable people, and has attended TAFE and Charles Sturt University with degrees in Social Work and Applied Mindfulness.
Sara has always seen MYST as an innovative NGO that supports young people in progressive and creative ways. She hopes to use her years of experience and ever-growing knowledge to continue down the path of MYST’s ever-evolving support. It has been such a pleasure to see the organisation provide some vital support to niche gaps in service delivery and observe over time the impact it has had on the lives of the young people we work with and support.
Though her job means a lot to her, self-care and travel have always been an essential part of Sara’s world, and she’s often off on another adventure travelling the world!
LEAH | Early Intervention Case Manager
Email: leah.hutton@myst.com.au
Leah Hutton is a qualified adventure-based youth worker and a qualified Teen Mental Health First Aid instructor. She is working towards her social sciences degree studying Child and Community. Leah began her community services career in disability support work in 2011.
Leah has been working for MYST since 2012, working from Winmalee Youth Centre as a Drop-In worker, and organising and facilitating holiday programs, co-facilitating Outdoor Explore programs, and doing Outreach programs and activities within local high schools. Now she works as an Early Intervention Case Manager, providing support and guidance to individuals that choose to connect with her. She facilitates RAGE, which is an emotional management course, and Teen Mental Health First Aid.
Leah wants to work towards establishing and maintaining Teen Mental Health First Aid along with her colleagues within the local schools, and continuing to support the youth of the Blue Mountains on a one-on-one basis. The thing Leah likes most about working for MYST is learning about the individual young people and their needs, and watching them navigate and create the life that they want to live. Everyone is experiencing their own unique version of the world, and she is here for it!
Leah loves to spend time with her family and friends. And enjoys exploring natural and man-made environments, walking- and doing Tai Chi.
KRISTIAN | Case Manager
Email: kristian.judge@myst.com.au
Kris Judge has a Diploma in Community Services, and has completed many short courses that support the 20 years of experience he has working with children, young people, and their families.
Kris joined MYST in July 2021, and is passionate about supporting young people to achieve their goals in life, whatever those may be. Kris finds fulfilment in having supported young people engaged with MYST, to gain apprenticeships and traineeships, their driving licence, and a clearer lens through which to see and interact with the world they find themselves in.
Kris is a big fan of stand-up comedy and believes firmly that “every fart is funny”.
SUE | Adolescent and Family Counsellor
Email: sue.huehn@myst.com.au
Sue Huehn is a registered Clinical Counsellor with PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia). The PACFA National Register is a register of appropriately qualified and experienced Counsellors and Psychotherapists, who meet the high standards of professional training and ethical conduct. PACFA requires continued accredited training of 20 hours and clinical supervision of 10-12 hours per annum.
In 2022, Sue reached 21 years as an Adolescent and Family Counsellor. 11 of those years have been with MYST.
Prior to working as an Adolescent and Family Counsellor, Sue worked for 6 years in Early Intervention, supporting parents of babies with autism and down syndrome, through to primary and secondary school as a teaching assistant for students with intellectual, physical or behavioural issues.
Sue loves helping young people and their families open-up conversations to achieve a deeper understanding for all. The energy of young people makes sharing time with them a delight.
When not in the MYST centre, Sue can be found training on the river with her stellar ski or competing in the PaddleNSW Marathon Series.
BRIGID | Finance Manager
Email: finance@myst.com.au
Brigid O’Sullivan joined MYST in July 2022. An Economics/Law graduate of Sydney University, she has many years of experience consulting with SMEs including subsidiaries of global multi-nationals and boutique not for profit organisations.
She is a keen advocate of simplifying and demystifying the finance process to enable organisations to concentrate on their core mission.
When not whipping the books into shape, she runs a production consulting and event hire business with her husband. She enjoys theatre, movies, music and spending time with her extended family.