Dr Matthew Lewis is a senior research fellow at the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation and managed the implementation co-evaluation of five Head to Health Services in partnership with Neami National. He is a Co-Lead of the Primary Mental Health Care Research Program in the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at The University of Melbourne.

Melissa has a background in health and community services in research, education and training, and policy and service development, including over two decades in Central Australia. She was recently employed at Charles Darwin University focusing on projects designed to strengthen families, and in developing culturally safe and trauma-informed approaches to practice.

Tai Luani is a public health leader specialising in mental health and suicide prevention, currently serving as the Suicide Prevention Lead at Northern Sydney PHN. Tai is passionate about blending big-picture thinking with attention to detail, and working collaboratively to solve systems problems. Tai holds a Master of Health Science and is pursuing an MBA.

I have a background in arts and education and began working in the sector in 2008 as a Consumer Consultant. I have been fortunate to learn with and from amazing Consumer Perspective Practitioners since that time, as well as from the many inspiring consumers I have had the privilege of working with. I joined the Centre for Mental Health Learning as a Consumer Workforce Development Coordinator and Consumer Educator in June of 2023. I am committed to working from the Consumer Perspective Discipline and maintaining the integrity of this work during the rapid expansion of the Lived and Living Experience Workforces. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, nature, theatre, music and film. I love living in country Victoria and am happiest hanging out with family and friends, especially my furry family of cats, alpacas, and sheep.

Dr Emily Macleod is a Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist at the Centre for Mental Health Research at ANU. She has research interests in disaster psychology and supporting children's mental health and wellbeing. Her PhD was in Developmental Psychology, focusing on talking to children about their emotional experiences. Dr Macleod is currently working on projects that include evaluating the effectiveness of a mental health literacy program for promoting wellbeing in primary school children, and understanding the impacts of bushfire and other disasters on mental health and resilience. She is also supporting the development of resources relating to disaster support for children and families.

Claire is a psychologist and clinical registrar who works within the Treatment team at Canberra Medicare Mental Health Centre. She has been part of delivering a range of clinical groups within the service and was instrumental in the adaptation and delivery of our outreach Healthy Coping group. Prior to becoming a psychologist, Claire worked as a policy officer with the Australian Public Service. Claire is passionate about combining her clinical and strategic interests to ensure mental health services meet the needs of the community.

Zan (they/them) is a queer parent, doula and independent narrative therapist based on Kaurna land (Adelaide). From peer education and community work roles through to therapeutic practice, Zan has always been interested in preventing and addressing the effects of gender-based violence and intersectional oppression. In their work with individuals, families and groups, they seek to make visible the political context of the problems people are facing and their often invisible skills, knowledges, and daily acts of resistance to those forces. They are committed to reckoning with the historical and ongoing abuses of power enacted within the mental health and service sector and remaining vigilant in their own practice to the power relations of therapy and the ever-present risk of complicity with oppression and harm. As well as providing online counselling (mostly to LGBTIQA+ identified folk), and working as a member of the Dulwich Centre faculty, Zan has had the privilege of collaborating with lived experience co-designers and Emerging Minds on the 'Getting through tough times' resources for families.

Matthew Magain is the founder and Chief Doodler at Sketch Group, a collective of creative souls who use sketching to solve problems, tell stories, explain ideas, and capture conversations. Over the years, he has created a whiteboard animation about the federal budget, graphically recorded a presentation for Malcolm Gladwell, graphically facilitated a board meeting at the ABC, and visualised a journey map of the foster carer system. He believes sketching can be transformational. Matthew’s work has been featured in several books, and he is a regular guest on podcasts about visual thinking. He lives in Melbourne and spends his spare time buying LEGO® online and pretending it’s for his kids.

Dr Mad Magladry has an academic background in the field of cultural studies with a special focus in the intersections of wellness, disability, care and control. They are currently the Deputy CEO and Advocacy Manager for Consumers of Mental Health WA, Western Australia's peak body for representing people with lived experience of mental health challenges.

Keith Mahar is a Canadian-Australian social worker and mental health advocate in Canberra. He has worked in recovery-oriented services for 15 years, initially as a peer worker and subsequently as a clinical manager in a specialist public mental health service for adolescents. Keith is currently working on a project to further the development of the peer workforce, something for which he has long advocated. He is the third generation in his family to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has been involved in local, national and international initiatives to address stigma and discrimination. Keith is also a former broadcasting industry whistleblower who has independently generated debate in Canadian parliament under two different prime ministers. Eight years ago, Patrick W. Corrigan, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, wrote an open letter to Justin Trudeau in which he provided Canada’s prime minister with the following assessment: “Knowledge of Mr. Mahar’s story will serve to challenge the stigma of mental illness, raise awareness of recovery, and inspire hope for people with mental health problems and their families.”

Lynne Malcolm is a science journalist and broadcaster with a deep passion and fascination for people, their behavior, and the workings of the human mind. She produced and presented the ABC radio program & podcast All in the Mind from 2012 -2020. In her recent book All in the Mind – fascination, inspiring and transformative stories from the forefront of brain science, she draws on her research and interviews with neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and people with lived experience of mental health challenges to discover how new knowledge is not only changing the way we understand the brain but is also changing lives. Lynne has been the recipient of several of TheMHS media achievement awards and has been on the judging panel of TheMHS Media Awards since 2013.

NJ (she/they) is a Suicide Prevention Peer Specialist, a queer trans woman, and a descendant of the Wiradjuri people. In her role as peer worker, she is an advocate for her communities, using her experiences of substance use, overdose, and recovery, to collaborate with community experiencing systemic discrimination. She loves to be in the outside, in the water, or connecting with other outsiders through her hardcore punk band.

Leads the delivery of mental health, suicide prevention and drug & alcohol initiatives across Sydney North Health Network

Rob’s focus and passion is bringing together people, building and educating communities to create an empowering, supportive, understanding and safe communities for those facing mental health challenges. They are the Building Community Capacity Coordinator for the Benalla, Wangaratta and Mansfield (BWM) and Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie and Moira LMHWBS. Through their own lived experience at the forefront of all they do, they have seen the importance of education, advocacy and the continued need to dismantle stigma within communities and its effect in helping along an individual’s mental health recover journey.

Emma McBride is the Federal Member for the electorate of Dobell, on the Central Coast of NSW and was elected in 2016. After the 2019 election Emma was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers. Emma was the Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in 2021. Following the 2022 election, Emma McBride was appointed Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health. Emma worked in health for over 20 years, both in Australia and abroad. She was a Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist and the Chief Pharmacist at Wyong Hospital, and prior to her election to Parliament, was the Deputy Director of Pharmacy for Central Coast Local Health District. Emma’s background in a range of health care settings provides a unique platform to promote better health services for both her local area and the broader community. Emma is a passionate advocate for quality healthcare, close to home. Emma recognises the unique challenges facing rural and regional communities in accessing health care and hopes to help shape public policy that promotes the health and wellbeing of all Australians, regardless of where they live.

Amanda is a senior project officer within Safercare Victoria’s mental health improvement program. With a combined lived experience (consumer) of public mental health services and project work within government and non-government sectors, Amanda is committed to the process of improving Victoria’s mental health services, for all.

Andrea is an Associate Professor Mental Health Nursing at the University of Sydney. Her academic role follows an extensive clinical career in public mental health services. Andrea is a trained Open Dialogue practitioner, engaging in OD at a K-12 school. She researches in Open Dialogue implementation and practice in Australia.

Mr Paul McCormack has been the Acting CEO of the National Mental Health Commission since 18 August 2023. He has over 20 years’ experience in the Commonwealth public service across a range of program management, service delivery, stakeholder engagement, and resource management roles in the Immigration and Health portfolios. His most recent substantive role was in the Department of Health and Aged Care as the First Assistant Secretary, Financial Management Division where he oversaw the Department’s financial management and reporting, fraud control and investigation, and granting and procurement advisory and assurance functions.

Sally-Anne McCormack is a Clinical Psychologist and an innovator at the forefront of mental health, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). As the founder of ANTSA, she has pioneered the integration of AI into mental health care with jAImee, an AI therapy chatbot that supports clients continuously between sessions. Her commitment to enhancing mental wellness is further demonstrated through her authored books and her TV program, "The Sally-Anne Show." Operating a successful private practice in Melbourne, Sally-Anne's vision extends beyond traditional therapy by providing mental health professionals with groundbreaking tools for real-time client engagement and support. Her contributions to the field have been recognised internationally, earning her the "Women Changing the World" award in 2024 for "Woman in Science, Tech & Engineering" and making her a runner-up in the "Woman in Health" category. Sally-Anne's leadership and dedication continue to shape the future of mental health services, positioning her as a pivotal figure in the field.