Eileen McDonald is from a multicultural family, has lived in urban and regional and rural Australia and has qualifications in Counselling, Dance Movement Therapy, Supervision, Education and Training and Peer Work. She has over 40 years using her lived experience of supporting family members as a carer, as well as her own life long personal experiences of mental health, disability and health challenges. She uses her expertise and leadership in Australia and internationally in community, educational and clinical sectors, including international humanitarian, human rights and social justice projects, disability, health and mental health in systemic policy reforms, co designing / co-producing guidelines, frameworks, research and contributing to publications. Eileen has served on Boards of Directors, governance groups and executive roles of not-for-profit organisations using her governance training and experience. Eileen chaired the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum Mental Health Carer Experience of Covid 19 Research Project. She is dedicated to embedding opportunities for the diversity of lived experience consumer and family carer leadership and engagement in all aspects of health, mental health and disability policy, services, reforms and research.

April is a qualified coach, counsellor, psychotherapist and group facilitator. She has extensive experience coaching individuals and teams to build capability in communication skills, relational skills, managing conflict and dealing with change. April worked at Carers ACT for three years, initially as a Wellbeing Officer and Facilitator, and then as a Carer Coach. She has her own psychotherapy practice and works as a leadership coach and facilitator across Australia. The focus of April’s work is to increase self-awareness, and foster problem solving, develop resilience to change and to facilitate empowerment. April’s understanding of unconscious dynamics impacting team functioning, her ability to build rapport and trust with groups and authentically connect with people are some of her strengths as a facilitator. Her calm presence creates safety to explore difficult topics with people experiencing discord and disruption.

Rebecca brings almost 10 years professional experience across government policy and service development, research and program management, specialising in mental health, suicide prevention and homelessness. She is passionate about applying her academic background in social science and research, and Masters in Public Policy to improve mental health and wellbeing in our communities. Attend her sessions to hear insights about recent policy and service development experiences within ACT Government, particularly focussed on innovative ways to meaningfully elevate lived experience of mental illness, mental ill heath and/or suicide, and system reform; and share your insights to learn together.

Andrew is a dedicated member of Stepping Stone Clubhouse Inc., where he volunteers in the Hospitality Unit and provides peer support to fellow members. As a member of the Management Committee, he plays a vital role in the governance and oversight of the program. His expertise extends to training other Clubhouses in the Clubhouse International Model, and he has represented Stepping Stone on both national and international stages. In addition to his work with Stepping Stone, Andrew contributes to Blue Phoenix, a community organization focused on stigma reduction, myth-busting, and encouraging grassroots dialogue about mental health. His lived experience informs his approach, driving impactful change and innovation in mental health support services.

Dr Rachael McMahon has been a mental health service user, a mental health carer, a mental health nurse, and a mental health support worker. She is now a service user engagement project officer in the community sector. She graduated from an Anthropology PhD in 2020, an autoethnography of living with schizoaffective disorder. She has immersed herself professionally and academically to try and make sense of mental distress. She has published in the field. Rachael advocates for people living with mental distress, as well as other marginalised groups. In her role she works to give a voice to those marginalised including those living with mental health distress, when they haven’t been heard before.

Anna is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Mental Health at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Her research focuses on reducing stigma towards people with severe mental illness through improved media reporting.

Cat McPherson is a Mental Health Team Lead at Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN). Her role focuses on commissioning mental health services and working with the broader system to address service gaps. Before joining CESPHN she worked in health promotion and advocacy roles in Australia and England.

With a background of work in hospital/community pharmacy in the UK, Lisa has spent the past 16 years working on a range of projects based in Sydney, towards Closing the Gap and improving Aboriginal health outcomes and access to services. Lisa recognises the utmost importance is community engagement, involvement and codesign.

Mike is the Director of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent's Hospital and the University of NSW. He is a psychiatrist who specialises in youth and adult mood and anxiety conditions, including sub-speciality skills in psychotherapy, innovative pharmacological treatments (psychedelics) and the application of health technology. Mike completed his medical training at the University of Sydney, and trained General Practice and Psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst. Mike has particular expertise in digital mental health and is the Director of THIS WAY UP, a leading provider of digital mental health and well-being programs. He is an advisor to the Commonwealth Department of Health and World Health Organisation. As a Senior Lecturer with the University of NSW he teaches regularly at UNSW, Sydney University and the Health Education and Training Institute. His research interests include current trials in application of pharmacogenomics, psilocybin assisted psychotherapy, local and international based internet based CBT, ketamine and is a member of the MAGNET clinical trials network.

Julie Millard is an advocate, consultant in mental health, educator, Australian Credentialed Mental Health Nurse, Board Director and former Regional Vice President Oceania for the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). Julie is the co-chair of the Women’s Mental Health Section WFMH and representative for Western Pacific Region, Global Mental Health Action Network

Dr Sarah Miller is the Coordinator-General, Mental Health and Wellbeing for ACT. Sarah is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Honorary Associate Professor at the Australian National University. She completed her Doctorate in Psychology on cross-cultural mental health and also has a Master Public Health, Master of Laws and qualifications in human resources and international and community development. Sarah is a member of the Australian Psychological Society, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, and Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has published on asylum seeker and refugee wellbeing, forensic psychology, cross cultural practice, trauma, supporting healthcare workers, and mental health and the law. Sarah has worked clinically and in leadership positions in inpatient and community mental health settings, drug and alcohol services, with children with disabilities, in detention and corrections environments, and in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Sarah was also the past Principal Psychologist at ACT Health, the Director of Allied Health across Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services with Canberra Health Services, and during COVID-19 the Mental Health Adviser to the Chief Health Officer. Sarah’s most recent role was as the Head of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland from 2021-2024. Sarah has been appointed to the position of Coordinator-General, Mental Health and Wellbeing until 2025.

I am a registered clinical psychologist currently employed in an inpatient mental health facility providing care for individuals with acute mental illness. I hold a PhD in clinical psychology and have published widely in peer-reviewed journals. I am an Honorary Associate at The University of Sydney where I co-supervise a number of Higher Degree Research students. I lecture in several Master of Clinical Psychology courses at Sydney universities and regularly supervise higher degree placement students and clinical psychology registrars as a Board-approved supervisor. In 2023 I was awarded the SLHD Allied Health Professional of the Year.

Professor More has been a DVC at Macquarie and Canberra universities and a higher education consultant and on the TEQSA Expert Register. Importantly for this conference she has been Chair of the Flourish Australia Board for nine years and, with A/Professor David Rosenbaum has published and presented many papers on the nonprofit disability and mental health sectors, especially on the implementation of the NDIS. She is on the Academic Board and Council of the Australian Institute of Business and management (Kings Own Institute) and involved with other independent higher education bodies.

Alyssa is a lived experience researcher at the Centre for Mental Health Research, ANU. Her research interests include (1) improving lived experience involvement in health research, services and policy, (2) youth mental health, and (3) mental health service evaluation and design.

Natalie is an Advocate in the Office of the Public Advocate, ACT Human Rights Commission. Natalie provides direct and systemic advocacy of child protection, youth justice, mental health, protection matters with a focus of upholding children and young people’s human rights, safety and wellbeing. Previously, Natalie worked within the child protection field and domestic, family and sexual violence matters. Natalie holds tertiary qualifications in Criminal Justice, Sociology and Spanish. Natalie is holistically interested in promoting the voice of people with lived experience, in a trauma-informed manner.

Gabrielle is a social worker with extensive experience in mental health care and system change. She has worked in the UK and across rural, regional, and metropolitan Australia. She will share insights from her role at the ACT Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing, where she and her team are developing a compassionate, collaborative approach to suicide prevention. Gabrielle is committed to a partnership approach, and to ensuring all voices are valued and engaged in service and policy design. For self-care, she enjoys listening to music, walking her exuberant dogs, cooking delicious dishes, and diving into a good book.

Liz is the Service Manager of Canberra Medicare Mental Health (formerly Head to Health). Liz is a clinical psychologist with 15 years' experience, across the public and private mental health sector. Liz has extensive knowledge and training in the delivery of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and has led the establishment of this program at the Centre. Liz is passionate about the development of mental health services to increase access to those who most need it.