Melanie Greenhalgh embarked on her path of service at the age of 17, entering the field of disability support for children and adolescents. This initial experience ignited her pursuit of a Bachelor of Youth Work, setting the stage for a career dedicated to empowering vulnerable people. Over time, Melanie's journey led her to leadership roles. Her involvement in research and policy formulation underscored her dedication to amplifying the voices of those with lived experiences, ensuring their active participation in shaping their futures. She passionately advocates for issues such as domestic violence, sexual violence, and mental health services, leaving an indelible impact on policy. Presently, Melanie serves as the CEO of Collective Wisdom Coaching and Consulting, guiding individuals and groups through coaching, training, workshops, professional supervision, and public speaking. Her local, national, and global impact is underscored by her status as an award-winning neuro coach and best-selling author, a testament to her unwavering commitment to creating positive change.

Yasmin has been working in Lived Experience roles for 8 years. She has worked across public Adult and Child and Youth mental health services in inpatient, outpatient and sub-acute models.

Dr Chris Groot is the Director of the Mental Illness Stigma Lab in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne and the Co-Founder of the Mental Ill-Health Stigma Researchers Australia Network (MISRA). Dr Groot’s academic work focusses on understanding and addressing stigma about severe and complex mental illness for people with lived experience and their families, carers, and other supporters.

Melissa current works for Rebus Theatre as their Wellbeing Director, LGBTQIA+ Project Officer, Playback Theatre Performer and iDrama Program Manager. They are delighted to bring the ways in which our recent Flair production used theatre processes to unpack the theme of leadership, and how this impacted actors’ (with lived experience of disability and mental health’s) sense of confidence and connection with community.

Amelia Gulliver is a Research Fellow at ACACIA: The ACT Consumer and Carer Mental Health Research Unit, Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University. Her research interests include lived-experience research, participatory and co-design approaches to intervention development, and the promotion of mental health and help-seeking in the community.

A/Prof Roger Gurr is a psychiatrist, currently Clinical Director of the headspace Early Psychosis program in Western Sydney, provided by Uniting. Chair of the board of STARTTS, he has become an advocate for better recognition of, and treatment for, complex developmental trauma.

Cristal is a Research Coordinator at Neami National, a leading mental health service provider, with over 7 years of experience in social research. She collaborates with a team of researchers to execute program logic modeling, literature synthesis, and monitoring and evaluation design, including survey development, analysis, and reporting. She combines human-centred design and participatory practice to enhance organisational capability to implement evidence-based practice. She has led multiple monitoring and evaluation projects, guiding them from stakeholder engagement to dissemination of findings. She has also mentored service delivery teams, fostering the development of research skills. She applies her graphic design, design thinking, and UX research skills to create engaging and impactful research outcomes. Cristal is passionate about using social research to improve the quality and effectiveness of mental health services.

Bridget Hamilton is Assoc Prof and Director of the Centre for MHNursing at the University of Melbourne

Vanessa Hamilton is a clinical psychologist with over 25 years' experience, predominantly in the mental health sector. Vanessa has lived and worked in the ACT since 1994 and is currently the Clinical Director of Think Mental Health, a local private organisation which operates a multidisciplinary private clinic and is the lead agency for the Canberra Medicare Mental Health Centre (formerly Head to Health). She has worked across the public, tertiary, community and private sectors, now splitting her time across community and private, in both management and service delivery roles.

Vicki has worked for Eating Disorders Victoria for the past 3 1/2 years as part of the Lived Experience team. She works in the role of Carer Coach and has supported both her sister and her daughter on their recovery journeys. She has a particular passion for families being involved in the recovery process and enjoys continually updating her knowledge through professional development in the area of family led re-feeding and the nuances involved in adapting for different temperament traits.

Associate Professor Nicola Hancock is a mental health occupational therapy academic from The University of Sydney. Her research examines mental health recovery and wellbeing, and how occupational engagement, participation and inclusion support recovery. She developed The Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains and Stages (RAS-DS) a self-report measure of recovery.

Sarah Hankinson is a Melbourne based Artist and Illustrator with over 15 years experience engaging in commercial illustration as well as other creative pursuits. Through community art project’s including murals, residencies and workshops Sarah works with children, young people and adults. She has a passion to engage, encourage and inspire by sharing her love and knowledge of art. Sarah’s interest lies at the intersect of well-being, art and community and she is a keen advocate of mental health awareness through art. She is a firm believer in the healing power of art not only as a therapeutic and mindfulness tool but an outlet for self expression and play. Sarah believes creating art is a powerful way to connect with the world around us which is beneficial to a sense of self.

Paula Hanlon has been a peer worker in the NSW Public Sector for 26.5 years. She is a Director on the Boards of Flourish Australia and the Sydney University's Matilda Centre. Paula is an educator with the University of Western Sydney and the NSW Health Education and Training Institute. Paula recently stepped down from the TheMHS Board, remaining connected as an Associate Member.

Susie is a healthcare leader with over 18 years of experience in clinical and telehealth settings, specialising in youth mental health, private practice, and eating disorders. She is the Director of Clinical & Telehealth Services at Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV), where she oversees support teams, manages staff, and drives initiatives to enhance service delivery. As an Occupational Therapist, Susie focuses on innovative approaches to enhance individuals' engagement with life. She values connection, purpose, and adapting to meet individual needs. Known for her leadership, governance, and change management skills, she builds empathetic and effective workforces. At EDV, Susie leads efforts to provide comprehensive care for those with eating disorders, advocating for a multidisciplinary team approach that integrates lived and learned experiences. She is dedicated to advancing a collaborative system of care that leverages diverse perspectives to improve outcomes.

Jonathan Harms was born in Perth, Western Australia, studied arts and law at UWA and started his career in the Health Department of WA, Mental Health Division. He has worked for MPs, as a plaintiff lawyer and in government, community managed organisations and private corporations. Jonathan joined Mental Health Carers (ARAFMI) NSW in 2009, becoming CEO in 2012. Within MHCN, he has initiated various organisational development processes (achieving accreditation in 2021) and stakeholder engagement projects such as the Mental Health Carer Peak Advisory Committees and the Mental Health Carer Advocacy Network Register. Under his leadership, MHCN won the psychosocial disability systemic advocacy responsibilities for NSW under the Disability Advocacy Futures Program in 2022. Jonathan is a member of the Mental Health Coordinating Council’s board, and MHCN’s management representative to Mental Health Carers Australia and the Mental Health Alliance in NSW.

Jillian Harrington is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice, and is a long-standing employer and board-approved supervisor of psychologists across the career span. Jillian’s areas of clinical interest include perinatal and infant mental health, developmental trauma and neglect, traumatic brain injury, emergency services and veteran mental health. An experienced Company Director and Graduate of the AICD, Jillian has held corporate and clinical governance roles in primary care, including as a Director of a Primary Health Network. In 2018 Jillian was appointed to the Medicare Review Taskforce’s Mental Health Reference Group and continues to consult with government and other stakeholders in the mental health and primary care sector. Jillian is currently the national health policy Chair of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. She is a Director of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, the Chair of the Blue Knot Foundation and President of the Applied Neuroscience Society of Australasia.

Hayley Harris is a passionate community leader with a deep commitment to mental health advocacy, driven by her own lived experiences with mental health challenges. Hayley currently serves on the board of Consumers of Mental Health WA and as the Lived Experience Lead at MIFA, heading the Finding North project.

Meredith Harris is an Associate Professor with the School of Public Health at The University of Queensland and a Principal Research (Honorary) at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. Meredith conducts epidemiological and service evaluation research designed to improve our understanding of the patterns, experiences and outcomes of engagement with mental health services in Australia and around the world.