Kinza has always marched to the beat of her own drum, taking the road less travelled to pursue a career in human services.

“I was born and raised in Australia, but my parents are both from Pakistan. In my community, people are generally encouraged to study things like medicine and law – ‘real’ jobs. Mental health is barely spoken about, it’s swept under the rug. The attitude is generally to ‘toughen up’ and ‘push through it’. People found it strange I wanted to go into this field.”

Despite the pressure to follow the status quo, Kinza listened to her intuition and forged ahead with what was right for her.

“I have a strong Islamic faith which has always guided my decisions. My faith places a lot of emphasis on charity, giving back to your community and helping others. I thought, ‘How could I ever get sick of helping people?’ That allowed me to feel confident in my career decision.”

Starting with RFQ as a NDIS support worker, Kinza now provides leadership across RFQ’s services as Acting Assistant Area Manager. Having experienced the complexity of the mental health system first-hand, Kinza embraces the opportunity to guide and support others through a smoother journey.

“Many years ago, my mum had an involuntary mental health hospital admission. My sister and I spent so much time calling around, trying to navigate the system to find my mum the support she needed. We had no idea what we were doing, it was a very tough time.”

“It would have meant everything to have a ‘go-to person’ who could provide direction and support as my mum was coming out of hospital. Programs like Hospital to Home are so incredibly vital during that challenging time of transition, for the entire family.”

Kinza says RFQ’s unique approach to empowering clients to take responsibility for their own life can lead to lasting change. She enjoys working with her team to develop their skills and expertise in supporting clients, allowing them to unearth little moments of magic every day.

“I’ll always remember one client who was looking for a new home for her and her daughter. We would go to the library together and she did all the research; she worked hard. After she secured a rental, she was so grateful for my support. I said to her, ‘you did this, this was all you’.”

“It was a glass-shattering moment for her, you could see it on her face. In that moment, she realised, ‘Wow, yes, I’ve got this’. She realised how capable she was, and she was proud of herself. It’s important to always show the client that this is their journey, and they are the driver.”

Kinza smiles as she casts her mind back four years to her first day with RFQ. Anxious, she stood at the doors of the PA Hospital, about to visit a client on the ward where she spent so much time supporting her mum. With a deep breath, Kinza confronted the challenge and bravely stepped into the next chapter of her life.

“There’s no doubt my mum’s experience left a profound impact on me, in terms of shaping who I am and how I see the world. It certainly instilled a curiosity about a career in mental health. I’m very grateful to come to a job every day that is aligned to my faith and values – I know not everyone finds that.”