Our Team

Mary Jo McVeigh is the founder and director of CaraCare, a safe place for children to grow, located in Sydney, Australia.

Mary Jo completed her Honours degree in Social Science in 1983 and worked in the community of North Belfast in the United Kingdom, before returning to university and completing a master’s degree in Social Work in 1986.

Mary Jo is a trained trauma therapist and an accredited mental health social worker. She has a passion for exploring and studying comprehensive bodies of knowledge, bringing this emphasis for diversity of wisdom to her work, creatively utilising it within her therapeutic and leadership practice.

She is acknowledged in her field as an expert in child protection, trauma therapy and leadership coaching. Mary Jo’s expertise has been sought on advisory panels such as the NSW Domestic Violence reforms and the Royal Commission into institutional abuse. She has also presented at national and international conferences.

Mary Jo’s work has been published in professional journals. She has also written numerous resources and training programs for practitioners and managers in government and charitable organisations within Australia. Mary Jo has published three innovative social work resources for working therapeutically with children and young people. The most beloved one, Wrapped in Angels, has received praise nationally and internationally.

In addition, Mary Jo has written two books. Discovering Audacious Love is about her development as a social worker and was published by Balboa Press in 2012. Her first book on leadership from a social work perspective is being published by Busy Bird Publishing and scheduled for release in early 2015.

Mary Jo has been interviewed by Irish and Australian media about her work and life, featuring in magazines and newspapers, and appearing on Irish Television and SBS TV. She has also been interviewed on radio by the BBC, Radio Ulster, 2UE and ABC Radio on Conversations with Richard Fidler.

Mary Jo was named Social Worker of the Year 2019 and Canada Bay City Council Woman of the Year in 2010. She has also been a finalist nominee for both the NSW Woman of the Year award and NSW Australian of the Year 2019 for her work with traumatised and abused children and young people.

Emmanuel (Manny) Kassiotis has a Bachelor of Social Work (UNSW) and a Master of Arts (Theology). Manny has worked in the areas of disability, guardianship, missing persons and child protection since 2000. Manny has child protection experience both in Australia and in Scotland, having worked in child and family teams and the DoCS Helpline. Manny has extensive experience in delivering counselling interventions and planning and facilitating group work services.

Between 2008 and 2013, Manny was the coordinator and co-facilitator of the bereaved sibling group of The Compassionate Friends NSW. Manny has many years of experience in supporting families facing difficult, challenging and life-altering situations. Manny works within a human rights, social justice and child protection framework, with a particular emphasis on supporting those affected by grief and loss.
Manny is currently on the Board of Directors of CaraCare. He was also previously in the position of Secretary. In this role he is responsible for raising awareness of child protection issues; raising the profile of the charity; applying for funding and grants; and coordinating fundraising events, in particular the annual gala ball.

Amanda Boyd is an accredited social worker with 18 years of experience working as a counsellor, clinical supervisor, manager and trainer/educator in the area of trauma, particularly child sexual assault. Amanda works from a trauma-informed human rights model and is committed to social justice and ethical practice. She is passionate about working with children and young people to increase hope and opportunities in their lives, so they can grow and flourish.

She also loves to bring creativity into her work through music, art, literature and film - she has seen the therapeutic benefits of these mediums. Amanda has had the privilege of seeing several young people she has worked with go on to become musicians, actors, writers, artists and social activists. She also loves to sing and has completed and facilitated the Drumbeat course.

Karen is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with a Masters of Social Work (Couple and Family Therapy). She is accredited to facilitate and supervise Cara's Wrapped in Angels program.

Over the past 25 years, Karen has worked within the government and non-government sectors where she has held roles as a case worker, trainer and manager. Karen is committed to ethical, professional practice, which supports those who have been impacted by trauma. In combining research, experience and a compassionate approach to the stories of service users she promotes the healing, growth and discovery abundant in those who come to Cara House.

Karen has a particular interest in working with parents and their families in the family preservation and restoration space. She has provided supervision to workers in fields of trauma counselling, domestic violence, early intervention, child protection, homelessness, family support, out of home care, disability services, community development, asylum seekers/refugees, youth advocacy and research, youth mentoring, youth rehabilitation/homelessness. Services offered by Karen include counselling, foster carer/parent coaching, individual and group consultation (ie external supervision), management coaching and group work.

Liz has enjoyed a rich career spanning more than 30 years working in both the Government and non government sectors. She has expertise in the field of trauma and resilience practice by providing therapeutic support to children, young people and adults whose lives have been impacted by trauma. Liz employs a range of enriching and fun processes with families - story, painting, beading, music, conversation and play, to support the recovery process. Liz is an accredited facilitator of Cara’s Expressive Therapy Group Work Programs, for children, young people and adults whose lives have been impacted by trauma. This year Liz will focus on facilitating groups, which she describes as providing a process of beauty, joy, safety and connection along the journey of discovery and healing.