Our Leadership & Mentors
AOD Counsellor & Life Coach
Joel Brown
At Dusk To Dawn, our strength is in our people. Every member of our team brings more than just skills - they bring their own story, their own battles, and their own victories.
Many of us have walked the same hard roads as the people we now help, which means we understand the challenges in a way that can’t be taught. Together, we’re united by one goal: to stand beside you, listen without judgment, and help you find a way forward.
At Dusk To Dawn, our strength is in our people. Every member of our team brings more than just skills - they bring their own story, their own battles, and their own victories.
Many of us have walked the same hard roads as the people we now help, which means we understand the challenges in a way that can’t be taught. Together, we’re united by one goal: to stand beside you, listen without judgment, and help you find a way forward.
For most of my life, I worked in construction. I know what it’s like to put in long, hard days and feel like you’re just surviving not really living. I also know what it’s like to be stuck in addiction.
For years, drugs were a part of my life. They numbed the pain, blurred the stress, and gave me a temporary escape. But they also stole time, relationships, and peace of mind.
I’ve come through the dark side of addiction, and now my mission is to help others do the same. Whether you’re struggling with addiction yourself or know someone who is, I want you to know there’s a way out and you’re not alone.
Addiction isn’t just about bad choices it’s about pain, trauma, survival. And recovery isn’t just about quitting it’s about rebuilding, healing, and finding purpose again. I’ve lived both sides, and now I’m using my experience to guide others toward a better life.
Studies show that 1 in 7 people will face substance addiction in their lifetime, but only 10% ever receive treatment. That gap is huge — and I want to be part of closing it.
I may not come from a clinical background, but I come from the streets, from the job sites, from the same places many people are trying to escape. And that makes a difference because sometimes what you really need is someone who’s been there.
Mental Health Worker
Guy Neaves
A survivor of childhood trauma, lived experience in Addiction, Youth and Adult incarceration Guy draws on his lived experience supporting Adolescents and Adults in Healing and breaking the cycle of incarceration, addiction and intergenerational trauma.
Guy has dedicated the past 15 years committed to the community in supporting Adolescent in Education, Mental Health, AOD and Youth Justice.
Guy is an experienced Aboriginal Mental Health and AOD Practitioner specialising in Trauma Informed Culturally Safe practices, Behaviour Change, Positive Choices, Goal Setting and Healing
Guy is currently employed at a Tertiary Mental Heath Service working in close collaboration with Mental Health Professionals and Mental Health Treating Teams.
Financial Adviser / Accountant
Sam Bhatti
Supreme Tax and Business Solutions is a dedicated financial advisor and qualified accountant with a strong passion for helping individuals and businesses make confident, informed financial decisions.
With years of experience in the financial services industry, Supreme Tax and Business Solutions specialises in strategic financial planning, tax optimisation, investment advice, and small business accounting
Facilitator - Founder of the DEREK. Program
Wade Hobba
At Dusk To Dawn, we know that real change doesn’t happen in a textbook - it happens in real life, in real moments, with real people who’ve walked through their own storms. That’s why I’m here.
I’ve spent most of my life working with men and young people in their hardest moments - from youth justice units, to schools, to community programs, to blokes who feel like they’re standing at a fork in the road with no idea which way to turn. I’ve been in those rooms where pain is loud, identity is lost, and life feels like it’s slipping out of your hands. And I’ve seen what happens when someone finally says, “Not today.”
My own turning point didn’t come from comfort - it came from losing everything and having to rebuild from the ground up. I know what it's like to question who you are, to feel stuck in the cycle, to live on autopilot, and to carry the weight of your past like it’s chained to your ankle. I’ve also learned that the greatest rebuilds happen when you step into responsibility, raise your standards, and choose a different path - even when it hurts.
That’s why I created the DEREK. Program - a coaching framework built around self-awareness, identity, and ownership. It helps people recognise the version of themselves that holds them back, reject it, and step into the life they’re actually capable of living.
I’m not a clinician. I’m a facilitator, a coach, and someone who’s spent years on the ground with people trying to change their lives. I’ve lived addiction, violence, trauma, breakdowns, bad decisions, and self-destruction - but I’ve also lived resilience, rebirth, courage, and the moment a person realises they can rewrite their story.
My mission with the Derek Program at Dusk To Dawn is simple:
Stand beside you. Listen without judgment. Give you tools, clarity, and a path forward. Not theory - real, practical support you can use today.
Because I believe every person has a crossroads moment - a point where the old life ends and the new one begins.
And when that moment comes… you don’t have to face it alone.
Psychosocial Recovery Coach | NDIS Support Coordinator | Mental Health Support Worker
Renee Middleton
For most of my life, I’ve been around mental health, addiction, and the justice system. Not from a distance - but up close, in the middle of it. I know what it looks like when life feels out of control, when you’re not living, just getting through the day.
I’ve seen what addiction does. The chaos, the survival mode, the way it strips things back piece by piece. I’ve also seen the strength it takes to keep going, even when everything feels stacked against you.
I’ve had personal experience within the Victorian prison system, which gave me a real understanding of how hard it is - not just inside, but trying to rebuild once you’re out. The barriers are real. And they don’t just disappear when you walk out the gate.
That’s what drives the work I do.
I support people navigating addiction, mental health, and complex life situations - people who are trying to find a way forward, even when it feels messy or impossible. Whether you’re in it yourself or supporting someone who is, you’re not alone in it.
Because addiction isn’t just about bad choices - it’s about pain, trauma, survival. And recovery isn’t just about stopping - it’s about rebuilding your life, finding some stability, and figuring out who you are without it.
I bring both professional experience and real-world understanding to my work as an NDIS Support Coordinator, Psychosocial Recovery Coach, and Mental Health Support Worker. No clinical talk. No unrealistic expectations. Just practical, honest support.
I’m fiercely supportive of the people I work with, and I take pride in walking alongside you while you figure things out - supporting you to build something real, at your pace, in your way. No pressure, no pretending, just consistent support while you work towards something better.
Because sometimes what you need isn’t someone perfect -
it’s someone real, who shows up and doesn’t walk away.
Support Worker / Mentor
Mia Dunstan
Dusk to Dawn Support was founded through lived experience and a deep passion to help others find hope in their darkest moments.
After overcoming addiction and now living over 3 years clean, I’m committed to guiding people who are walking the same path I once did.
Today I work as an NDIS support worker and AOD mentor, using my experience to support others, shine a light on recovery, and show that change is possible.
