Sometimes career paths circle back in unexpected ways. For Karen Nicolaysen, Operations Manager, Central Australia, at the Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTAHC) in Alice Springs, that circle took about 12 years to complete.
"My first student social work placement was at a Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis service in Sydney," Karen recalls, "and although my career took a different direction, I always envisioned working in this space at one point." That vision became reality when she stepped into her current role, bringing her back to the work she'd always imagined doing.
Leading with Team Spirit
What keeps Karen in the role isn't just the work itself—it's the people she does it with. "The hardworking and passionate team that I get to work with," she says, naming Troy, Gundy, Teresa, Paul and Aidee. This commitment to teamwork isn't just talk; it's the foundation of how she approaches point-of-care testing.
"Having a good team is so important where everyone works together and supports each other—knowing that we all have different strengths that we can lean on makes a difference," Karen emphasises. It's advice born from experience, and it shapes how NTAHC delivers care across Central Australia.
Responding to Emerging Community Needs
Karen is currently leading an ambitious expansion of NTAHC's HepLink peer outreach program, responding to increased NSP demand over the past two years and a concerning rise in HCV cases. Rather than viewing populations as 'hard to reach,' Karen and her team are reframing the problem: 'It is the service that is hard to reach, not the people.'
This philosophy drives their approach—two HepLink peer outreach workers, bringing invaluable lived experience of both injecting drug use and hepatitis C, conduct weekly sessions at Aboriginal hostels, accommodation services, AOD services, and pop-up sites throughout the region. They offer point-of-care testing—a quick finger-prick blood test—and, where needed, provide sterile injecting equipment, brief interventions, linkage to care, and naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose.
"It has meant that we can meet people where they are at," Karen explains, "and it has made it accessible to people who wouldn't be likely to walk into a clinical setting asking for a Hepatitis C test." Clients testing positive are linked to care through Clinic 34 Sexual Health Clinic, where staff bring expertise in viral hepatitis, harm reduction, and community health.
The program is also co-designing culturally appropriate education resources with the community and, where possible, recruiting Aboriginal staff to ensure cultural safety throughout the testing and treatment process.
A Philosophy of Kindness
When asked about her personal heroes, Karen doesn't name famous figures. "Not one person," she says, "but people who are doing it tough and still choose to be kind are my heroes." It's a philosophy that clearly informs her work—meeting people where they are, with the support and accessibility they need.