Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner, a role based at the Australian Human Rights Commission. The National Children’s Commissioner monitors policy and legislation to ensure that the human rights of children are protected and promoted, and provides advice to government. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focused on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing.  As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including in child protection; domestic, family and sexual violence; mental health; child and family counselling; parenting education; and family law counselling.  Anne currently contributes to numerous expert advisory groups and boards. Her report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing’ was tabled in the Australian Parliament in August 2024.

Katherine M. Keyes, PhD, is Professor of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Katherine’s research focuses on psychiatric and substance use epidemiology across the lifecourse, including early and cross-generational origins of child and adult health and cohort effects on substance use, mental health, and injury outcomes including suicide and overdose.  She is particularly focused on methodological challenges in estimating age, period, and cohort effects, as well as using mathematical agent-based and other simulation models to inform public health and policy interventions. She is the author of more than 450 peer-reviewed publications, and two textbooks published by Oxford University Press: “Epidemiology Matters: A New Introduction to Methodological Foundation”, published in 2014 and “Population Health Science” published in 2016. Her work is funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Institution of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Columbia University.

Tommy (he/him) is 22 years old from Melbourne and works as a Casual Facilitator at the Satellite Foundation. Tommy joined Satellite in 2020 and has used his lived experience as a young carer for a family member with a mental health challenge to aid in facilitating camps and programs for young people in Melbourne and across Victoria. Tommy recently completed a Bachelor of Arts and is currently undertaking a Juris Doctor

Dr Lucy Grummitt is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, at the University of Sydney. Lucy’s research focuses on the prevention of mental health and substance use problems among adolescents, with a particular focus on populations that suffer disproportionate rates of mental illness, such as those exposed to childhood adversity and trauma. She is passionate about school-based prevention, and leads the development and national randomised controlled trial of a universal trauma-aware mental health prevention program for Australian students. She is committed to youth involvement in the research process and coordinates a Youth Advisory Board, engaging a diverse group of 10 Australians aged 16-25 to ensure youth perspectives are integrated into research.

Dr Louise Birrell (PhD, BPsych, BSocSc) is a Senior Research Fellow and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Matilda Centre, University of Sydney. As the Program Lead for Young People’s Mental Health & Wellbeing, Dr Birrell’s research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors for youth mental health and substance use. Dr Birrell also develops and evaluates preventive interventions, playing a key role in two major school-based digital health trials in Australia, collectively involving 142 schools and >13,000 students. Dr Birrell has authored 51 peer-reviewed publications, 1 book chapter & 7 government reports in youth mental health.

Dr Lyndsay Brown is a research psychologist who has worked for five years on the Future Proofing Study at the Black Dog Institute. From 2010-2021, thousands of Year 8 students across Australia were recruited for this six-year study and each year they complete confidential questionnaires about their mental health, well-being, identity, values, concerns, and experiences. The team analyses this data to identify risks and protective factors associated with adolescent mental health. Lyndsay’s work spans school engagement, data collection, research, public presentations, translational work, and community outreach. Prior to her current position, she worked for as a process/group facilitator with adolescents in school settings, taught in a secondary senior school in Sydney, and worked as a community psychologist in various not-for-profit organisations. Her doctorate in Social Psychology analysed the construction of subjectivities in social space and the complex interplay between individuals and their environments.

Heidi Berry is a Bachelor of Arts student, focusing on Politics and Aboriginal Studies. A proud NDIS participant, Heidi brings a unique perspective, informed by her lived experience navigating health and disability infrastructure within a regional community. Heidi has been actively involved in advocating for the needs of young people and, this year, began acting as Chairperson and Media Spokesperson for the Matilda Centre’s Youth Advisory Board.

Gary's dedication to enhancing mental health outcomes has been a driving force throughout his career, fueled by his deep-seated passion for mental health and wellbeing.
Gary has deep experience in the public service and community sectors having held executive roles in the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Family and Community Services, NSW Police and most recently as the CEO at JewishCare NSW, a service provider for vulnerable members of the Jewish community.
He brings extensive experience in innovation, program delivery and leadership having worked in leadership roles across his 25 year career.
As Chief Executive Officer at ReachOut, Gary is focused on developing our strategy to maximise our impact, ensuring ReachOut is sustainably resourced and leading our collaboration with sector partners and funders to empower young people throughout their help-seeking experience.
Gary holds tertiary qualifications in Policing and post graduate studies in Crime Prevention and Criminology from Charles Sturt University. He is also a graduate of the Australia Institute of Company Directors and a fellow of the Australian New Zealand Executive Leadership School of Government.

Rob graduated from The University of Sydney in 2012 with a Bachelor of Social Work and has worked exclusively in youth mental health for over a decade. Rob is the Lived Experience Program Manager at batyr where he manages batyr’s lived experience program, ‘Being Herd’ that supports young people aged 18-30 to give a voice to their lived experience of mental ill-health in a safe and impactful way.

Bernard was appointed CEO of Youth LiveLife in 2018, at a time when the Live4Life model was being piloted in two rural communities after five years of programmatic evaluation in the central Victorian founding community of Macedon Ranges Shire. Since then, the award-winning model has expanded to 14 rural communities and has been highlighted as an important case study in the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System's final report. Bernard has been actively involved with many community organisations and held board positions for not-for-profit groups, including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and The Wantok Musik Foundation.

Binowee Bayles is a proud Koori woman, born and raised in Redfern on Gadigal Land. She is a devoted mother to three sons and a Kinship carer to many.
Binowee has spent over three decades sharing her culture through traditional song and dance, both nationally and internationally. Binowee has played an active role in various cultural ceremonies and has developed educational programs for students at primary, secondary, tertiary, and international levels.
Binowee has 20 years' experience in Financial Services, 5 years in Government, 2 years in community organisations, and she volunteers her time as a Board of Director for a number of not-for-profit organisations.
Her passions include caring for Country, advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and supporting Indigenous design, arts, and traditional crafts. Binowee is also loves learning about cultures and trying different food from other countries.

Joel is a Meuram man from Erub (Darnley Island, Torres Strait), with connections to Ngāti Awa and Ngāi Te Rangi (Māori tribes) and Czech Republic. He has worked directly with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across health and education, and comes to SNAICC from NACCHO, where he was most recently part of the Mental Health team. Joel was closely involved in the leadership of the NACCHO Youth Conference for a number of years and is currently a member of several important youth advisory groups, including the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Association’s Youth Roundtable and Canteen Australia’s Young Adult Reconciliation Network.

Professor Frank Oberklaid, AM, MD, FRACP, DCH, was the Foundation Director of the Centre for Community Child Health for over 25 years. He is currently Co-Group Leader of Child Health Policy, Equity and Translation at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and an Honorary Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Oberklaid is an internationally recognised researcher, author, lecturer and consultant, and has written two books and over 200 scientific publications on various aspects of paediatrics.
His work has been acknowledged in the form of a number of prestigious awards and many invited international lectureships and visiting professorships.
For many years he was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, and remains on the editorial boards of a number of international journals.
Professor Oberklaid was co-Chair of an expert working group tasked with developing the National Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in 2021. He was Chair of the Victorian Children’s Council for 12 years, providing expert advice to the Premier and Ministers on child health policies and services for children, and has chaired or been a member of many national health committees, expert working groups and advisory boards.
Professor Oberklaid is especially interested in prevention and early intervention, child mental health and the use of research findings to inform public policy and service delivery. His clinical and research training is in child development and behaviour, and his work as a specialist paediatrician is with children who have developmental and behavioural problems.
Professor Oberklaid leads the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative, which aims to build the capacity of schools and the capability of teachers to address children’s mental health issues. It has a focus on prevention and early intervention through the training of experienced teachers to become mental health and wellbeing coordinators at schools. MHiPS is being introduced to every government, Catholic and low-fee paying primary school in Victoria - over 1800 schools - with funding from the Victorian State Government. Outstanding evaluation results has led to national interest.

A/Prof Roger Gurr AM is a psychiatrist with a long experience in public and private practice in Western Sydney, psychiatry service management, community development activities and the formation and management of not for profit community controlled organisations. He is currently seeking funding for a developmental trauma training and treatment service, to develop the needed workforce, while they apply quantitative EEG analysis and neurofeedback under supervision.
He has a Conjoint Appointment in Psychiatry, Western Sydney University Faculty of Medicine and is currently the Clinical Director, headspace Early Psychosis Youth Service, Western Sydney. He is the Board Chair, NSW Service for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Torture & Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) and a Board Member, Applied Neuroscience Society of Australasia. He is a Community Advisory Councillor, Mental Health Commission of NSW.
Awarded Membership of the Order of Australia and the 2021 NSW Government Human Rights Medal.

Professor Tim Slade is Director of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Matilda Centre for Research in Substance Use and Mental Health, University of Sydney and Co-Director for the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Prevention of Mental Illness and Substance Misuse (PREMISE) Next Generation.

Sarah Abi-Khattar is the Young Carer Project Officer working within the Policy team at Carers NSW, the peak non-government organisation for family and friend carers in NSW. She holds a Diploma in Community Services Welfare from TAFE NSW and a Bachelor of Social Work from University of Sydney. Sarah coordinates the Carers NSW Young Carer Advisory Group, and is passionate about ensuring young carers’ voices are heard at every level of decision-making. Sarah has previously worked in the disability sector, and has a strong commitment to social justice and human rights.

Paulus is a people-centric product leader, focused on helping teams and organisations identify opportunities and solve complex problems and create social impact. As the Head of Product at ReachOut Australia, Paulus looks after a portfolio of products that support Australia’s young people in their mental health journey to be happy and well.
Most recently, Paulus led the development of ReachOut’s Generative AI pilot program.

Kiara Roche is a dedicated carer, university student, and Carer Representative for Carers NSW. In her volunteer capacity with the Carers NSW Carer Representation Program, she actively participates in advocacy initiatives designed to empower and raise awareness of carers, sharing her experience with researchers, policy makers and the broader community. Additionally, Kiara contributes to Carers NSW Young Carers Advisory Group, where she regularly provides insights on the experiences and needs of young carers in NSW.
Drawing on her personal lived experience, Kiara contributes to The Matilda Centre’s Expert Advisory Group for the development of the OurFutures Healthy Relationships and Consent program. As part of her role as an EAG member and lived experience research partner, Kiara provides oversight and consultation on grant submissions and projects relating to the prevention of interpersonal violence. Alongside Amy-Leigh Rowe, Kiara has participated in consultation on the development of the NSW Strategy for Young People’s Health and Wellbeing. Due to her active engagement in youth advocacy, Kiara was invited to deliver a keynote address at the NSW Health Youth Forum and represented Carers NSW at the NSW Youth Summit.
Kiara's advocacy is deeply informed by her lived experience, overcoming childhood abuse, substance addiction, mental health challenges and domestic violence, as well as her ongoing role as a young carer. These experiences drive her unwavering commitment to advocacy, particularly in prevention and the empowerment of underrepresented communities. She is dedicated to advancing policy and procedural reforms in key areas such as disability and health, interpersonal violence, mental health and addiction treatment, and advocating for marginalised groups through representation, support, and systemic change.

Ellen is 20-years-old from NSW and is studying a Bachelor of Communications with a double major in Writing and Publishing and Social and Political Science at the University of Technology. Ellen currently works for batyr as a Lived Experience Storyteller and a member of their National Youth Advisory Group. In her public speaking roles, she advocates for a better world for disabled and neurodigergent individuals and better health services for young people with eating disorders.
Ellen was a member of the 2024 NSW Youth Advisory Council and is returning in 2025 as Chair of the Council. The NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) plays an important role in advising the NSW Government on issues that are relevant to young people across the state. In her role Ellen provides advice to the Minister responsible for Youth and the Advocate for Children and Young People on issues, policies and laws that affect children and young people in NSW.

Bradley Isbister brings over 25 years of dedicated experience working with young people across Perth, the Kimberley, Goldfields, and Pilbara regions. His diverse career spans roles in the mining sector, local government, and mental health, showcasing his commitment to community development and youth engagement.
For the past eight years, Bradley has focused on suicide prevention, developing innovative initiatives to engage young people in activities and programs that enhance their understanding of mental health. His efforts include a pivotal role in the creation and ongoing promotion of the “Right By You” website, a vital resource for mental health awareness, which he actively promotes in Perth and through social media channels.

Hannah (she/her) first joined Satellite Foundation as a participant of the first "Satellite Connect" program in 2020, then went on to become a peer leader, supporting Satellite spaces with her lived experience of being a young carer for her mum. Hannah has been facilitating youth programs for three years. As a young person, she wants hers and other young peoples’ voices to be respected. Outside of work, Hannah is an avid bird watcher, and enjoys learning about new birds!

Alana is a Senior Clinical Psychologist working in Youth Mental Health in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. She is currently working in the district wide role of Clinical Coordinator, Youth Mental Health (job shared). Previously, Alana as the Clinical Lead, Early Psychosis Program and Professional Head of Psychology for the Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service. Alana is a strong advocate for the role of psychological interventions in psychosis, and has experience providing both training and supervision in this area. Alana is passionate about supporting young people who have experienced psychosis on their recovery journeys, and empowering young consumers.

Caitlin Dixon is a Senior Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience in inpatient, community and youth mental health services. Caitlin has a clinical background in early intervention in psychosis and youth mental health, having worked for many years in the inner city areas of Sydney as an advocate for vulnerable and homeless youth, and more recently with SESLHD’s specialist youth mental health teams providing in reach into local headspace centres. Currently working as the Youth Mental Health Clinical Coordinator - South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), Caitlin plays a pivotal role in enhancing youth mental health services and improving pathways to care for young people across the region.

Neeka is an action researcher, systemic advocate, and social innovator in the WA Mental Health field. She has worked in this field for over a decade, leading consumer co-design projects for peak social justice and mental health organisation such as Amnesty International, Consumers of Mental Health WA (COMHWA), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Neami National. Drawing from her personal experience and her role as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Perth Metro, Neeka led the development of Right By You consulting with over 200 young people in Perth in the development of the website. She was the winner of the WA 7News Young Achiever Awards in 2023, for her work in the youth suicide prevention space. Neeka has also spoken about her work with Triple J Hack, The West Australian and youth-led media outlets. As the daughter of political refugees, she is also passionate about ensuring equitable and culturally safe well-being support and continues to amplify the voices of diverse young people and people from multicultural communities in all her work in the mental health space.

Heidi Berry is a Bachelor of Arts student, focusing on Politics and Aboriginal Studies. A proud NDIS participant, Heidi brings a unique perspective, informed by her lived experience navigating health and disability infrastructure within a regional community. Heidi has been actively involved in advocating for the needs of young people and, this year, began acting as Chairperson and Media Spokesperson for the Matilda Centre’s Youth Advisory Board.

John is a young carer who carers for his mum who has mental health issues. John has been a young carer for as long as he remembers. John has completed his Diploma of Mental Health, currently completing his Diploma in Counselling. John works as a support worker, supporting people who have an NDIS package. John volunteers with local Headspace Centre in their Youth Reference Group. John enjoys spending time with friends & family. John's hobbies include, camping, 4-wheel driving, bush walking & attending events at the entertainment centre. John is a Young carer representative on his local health districts Consumer & Carer Consultancy Committee. John has been a Young Carer advocate, speaking at schools & Mental Health Organisations.

Neeka is an action researcher, systemic advocate, and social innovator in the WA Mental Health field. She has worked in this field for over a decade, leading consumer co-design projects for peak social justice and mental health organisation such as Amnesty International, Consumers of Mental Health WA (COMHWA), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Neami National. Drawing from her personal experience and her role as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Perth Metro, Neeka led the development of Right By You consulting with over 200 young people in Perth in the development of the website. She was the winner of the WA 7News Young Achiever Awards in 2023, for her work in the youth suicide prevention space. Neeka has also spoken about her work with Triple J Hack, The West Australian and youth-led media outlets. As the daughter of political refugees, she is also passionate about ensuring equitable and culturally safe well-being support and continues to amplify the voices of diverse young people and people from multicultural communities in all her work in the mental health space.

Tommy (he/him) is 22 years old from Melbourne and works as a Casual Facilitator at the Satellite Foundation. Tommy joined Satellite in 2020 and has used his lived experience as a young carer for a family member with a mental health challenge to aid in facilitating camps and programs for young people in Melbourne and across Victoria. Tommy recently completed a Bachelor of Arts and is currently undertaking a Juris Doctor

Thomas Wedding is the Co-Chair and Media Spokesperson of the Youth Advisory Board at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney. Thomas graduated with degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Adelaide. He played a leading role in a cross-departmental project between the South Australian and Commonwealth governments, contributing to research on veterans’ mental health. He is passionate about dismantling stigma, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring young people’s voices shape mental health policies and research.

Mariam is a university student majoring in Software Engineering with a minor in Cybersecurity, passionate about using technology for community development. As a former Brimbank Youth Councillor, Mariam led initiatives on youth engagement, cultural diversity, and well-being, including managing social media. She has worked with young people across LGA's in Victoria through youth forums to understand their challenges. Additionally, Mariam has used technology to support global community development for youth. Currently, she is a member of the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney, contributing to mental health research. Mariam is dedicated to improving mental health awareness and support within CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities.