Victorian duo named in high profile industry Awards

KINNECT is proud to announce that two of our highly-skilled Victorian consultants have been named as finalists in the ARPA Victoria Excellence in Workplace Rehabilitation Awards for 2021.

The finalists are:

• Sarah Gandolfo, Outstanding Consultant Award – Original Employer
• Sima Gharibi, Outstanding Consultant Award – New Employer 

The Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association (ARPA) is the industry body which represents all providers of occupational and workplace rehabilitation. The Awards, held annually are designed to celebrate and showcase the Australian workplace health, return to work and rehabilitation industry’s many outstanding achievements and to acknowledge its importance in the broader community.

About KINNECT’s Finalists:

Sarah Gandolfo is an experienced Occupational Therapist based in KINNECT’s Melbourne office.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah has been innovative in her return-to-work approaches and interventions. Her approach results in continued progression for her clientele, and strong return to work outcomes.   Always eager to learn, keen to share their knowledge with the team, this consultant’s positive and caring nature makes her a winner for clients and customer alike, and a genuine delight to work with.   

Sima Gharibi is a Rehabilitation Counsellor based in KINNECT’s Melbourne office.
Workers, Employers and Insurers come to us regularly to tell us how helpful, amazing and brilliant Sima is.  Her ability to utilise clinical reasoning, vocational understanding, and interpersonal skills to develop client-centred vocational rehabilitation programs, mean they are a truly well–rounded consultant. Sima is regularly called to step in and provide support, coaching and training to our less experienced team members. The ability to be selfless with their time, despite carrying a challenging caseload of their own is a skill that Sima deserves to be very proud of.  

James Buckley, Director of KINNECT Victoria, said:

“Congratulations to Sarah and Sima, it is a wonderful achievement to have made it through to finalist stage and we look forward to acknowledging your contribution to Workplace Rehabilitation in Victoria!”

The winners will be announced at the Victoria Awards event on 20 August 2021. For more information about the ARPA Awards, visit their website: