12/06/2026
We were privileged to host Ben William from Luminar Health for a Pre-Placement Preparation Workshop with our Bachelor of Social Work students at IHM.
With over 26 years of experience across community services in Victoria, Ben shared rich, practice-based insights from his work across alcohol and other drug (AOD) services, forensic settings, residential rehabilitation, withdrawal units, intake and assessment, counselling, harm reduction, and medically supervised environments.
He highlighted the strong intersection between AOD and co-existing mental health conditions, and provided valuable perspectives on the growing complexity of supporting clients transitioning from forensic systems into community-based and NDIS-supported independent living arrangements.
Students were able to connect theory with lived practice, gaining a clearer understanding of workforce expectations, service challenges, and the realities of contemporary social work practice.
A big thank you to Ben from Luminar Health for sharing his expertise and helping prepare our students for meaningful placement experiences.