Associate Professor Melissa Petrakis is Group Director of Social Work Innovation, Transformation and Collaboration in Health (SWITCH) Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. She has worked in mental health services for over 30 years, as a clinician, service manager, then practice-based researcher. She has authored over 100 publications and is sought after to mentor projects internationally. In 2016 she was awarded The Tom Trauer Evaluation and Research Award, at Australian and New Zealand TheMHS Awards, acknowledging excellence in her approach to research, championing co-design, co-production and co-authorship, with clinicians, people with lived experience of mental illness and families. A/Prof Petrakis is editor of textbook: Petrakis, M. (2023). Social Work Practice in Health: An introduction to contexts, theories and skills. She brought together 27 clinicians, sharing expertise to enhance student knowledge/preparedness for practice. The second edition (Routledge) includes new chapters/focus on equity, diversity and courageous practice in neoliberal contexts.