Dr Maree Inder

PhD, MHealSc, PG Dip SW, Dip Teaching, MANZASW
Registered Social Worker

Maree completed her postgraduate diploma in social work in 1988, her Masters of Health Science (with credit) in 1997 and her PhD, exploring the developmental impact of Bipolar Disorder, in 2009. She has worked Clinical Advisor on the Toward Well Being Suicide Consultation and Monitoring Programme for Child Youth and Family since its inception in 2001.  This is a targeted intervention programme focusing on a high risk population.  The role of clinical advisor entailed provision of specialist clinical input via consultation and training to social workers in the assessment, management and ongoing monitoring of young people at risk of suicide. Additionally, the role involved developing relationships with supervisors and Practice Managers in CYF site offices and residences.  In this role, she was involved in a postvention exercise following a suicide of a young person in residence.  She has a particular interest in suicide clusters and has presented on this topic at an Australian Suicide Prevention Conference.  Maree also works as a Research Fellow for the Dept of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, in a Psychotherapy for Bipolar Disorder.

Maree has had a range of experiences in the area of suicide.  She worked as a clinician for number of years in a Psychiatric Emergency Service where the predominant focus was on the assessment and management of acute suicide risk.  She has experience in training in suicide assessment and management and has co-authored a book chapter on this subject.  She has also presented at National and Australian conferences in this area.  Maree was part of a reference group in Christchurch for the implementation of the Māori Suicide Prevention Initiative, Kia Piki te Ora O te Taitamariki.

She has extensive clinical and managerial experience in both inpatient and outpatient child and adolescent mental health fields working with young people with a range of clinical presentations which included issues around grief and trauma.  She has also been involved in teaching and training in various aspects of mental health at community through to postgraduate levels. Maree's clinical practice also involved extensive supervision of workers in mental health, general health, community and māori agencies.  She has built strong relationships at both local and national levels in her fields. Maree has undertaken a programme evaluation of a national Clinical Supervision Programme within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services which involved making recommendation to the Ministry of Health on the future of this programme.