Mental Health Advisory Group

Mental Health Program

Within the Commission’s remit, the focus of the program is on safety and quality in the delivery of health services to people with lived experience of mental health issues. This applies both to services:

• Delivered by specialist mental health teams
• Provided to people across all health care settings.

Key roles of Mental Health Advisory Group

The key roles of Advisory Group members are to:

• Provide advice on the components of the Mental Health program
• Review resources and tools
• Provide advice on the strategies to support the implementation of this work, including how to inform, educate and engage relevant stakeholders.

Membership is comprised of:

• Individuals with relevant expertise and current clinical experience on the diagnosis, treatment and management of the condition
• Individuals with a thorough knowledge of, and experience in Australian healthcare systems
• Representatives of major consumer and carer organisations.

Members may be nominees of specific organisations, or may be appointed in an individual capacity.

For those representing an organisation, it is expected that representation at the Advisory Group will encompass both their individual expertise and the views of nominating organisations. It is expected that all members will consult broadly with colleagues to ensure the widest possible range of views are considered.

Each member is appointed on the basis of their nomination / individual skills, knowledge and expertise and holds their appointment at the discretion of the Commission.

Mental Health Advisory Group membership

• Ms Christine Gee (Chair) – ACSQHC Board Member
• Dr Suellen Allen – Director, Director, Clinical Communications, Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment, ACSQHC
• Mr Tom Brideson – State-wide Coordinator for NSW Aboriginal Mental Health Workforce Program. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health representative
• Dr Marc Broadbent – Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of the Sunshine Coast
• Dr Nathan Gibson – Chief Psychiatrist, WA. Safety and Quality Partnership Standing Committee representative
• Ms Judi Higgin – CEO, New Horizons, Mental Health Coordinating Council representative
• Ms Tanja Hirvonen – Lecturer, Mental Health, Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University
• Dr Peter Jenkins – Director, Child and Youth Mental Health, Eastern Health. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists representative
• Ms Maureen Lewis – Interim Chief Executive Officer, National Mental Health Commission
• Ms Anna Love – Chief Mental Health Nurse, Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria
• Ms Eileen McDonald – Carer representative, National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum
• Ms Janne McMahon OAM – Independent Chair, Private Mental Health Consumer and Carer Network
• Ms Anne Mortimer – CEO Northside Group, Ramsay Health. Australian Private Hospitals Association Psychiatric Committee representative
• Ms Heather Nowak  Consumer representative, National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum
• Ms Cecily Pollard – Safety and Quality Consultant, Tasmanian Health Service
• Associate Professor Morton Rawlin AM – General Practitioner and Chair of the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration Royal Australian College of General Practitioners representative

Further information

The Mental Health Advisory Group is coordinated by Dr Andrew Moors, Principal Advisor, Mental Health at the Commission.

For further information, please contact Dr Moors on Andrew.Moors@safetyandquality.gov.au or 02 9126 3590.