Sandra Keppich-Arnold

Sandra is a registered and credentialled psychiatric nurse and has spent several years in leadership positions within Nursing, Aged Psychiatry & Residential Services and Adult Mental Health. As Clinical Service Director / Director of Operations & Nursing for Alfred Psychiatry, she leads operational management of the allied health, nursing and administration teams of the Adult, Aged and ICYAMHWS/headspace programs of Alfred Psychiatry.

Recently, Sandra has led several Alfred Health initiatives in management of complex behavioural presentations across hospital settings to enhance models of consultation liaison nursing in medical and surgical units and the emergency and trauma centre at The Alfred.

Practice issues of interest include elevating the voice of consumers and their families, ensuring their feedback is valued and shaping service improvement and development. She values positive workforce culture change, for example, slow changes initiatives such as Safewards.

Sandra is committed to promoting and embedding training and education into workforce frameworks to develop engaged, capable and competent staff. She established a three-year specialist graduate nursing program to support workforce capability and availability.

Sandra has led and participated in research on family and consumer experiences of carer, clinical handover of risk, triage competencies and outcomes. She has also participated in reviews of nursing and mental health programs across several jurisdictions.

She also holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Deakin University.