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 AM (Co-Chair), Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Board Member
• Mx Priscilla Brice (Co-Chair) - CEO, National Mental Health Consumer Alliance
• Ms Katrina Armstrong - CEO, Mental Health Carers Australia
• Mr Rod Carracher - Deputy Commissioner, Practice Quality Division, NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
• Dr Sophie Davison – Chief Psychiatrist, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
• Ms Bronwen Edwards AM – CEO, Roses in the Ocean
• Ms Rachel Fishlock – CEO, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia  
• Dr Nathan Gibson - Chief Psychiatrist, WA, Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, Government of Western Australia
• Dr Stephen Gourley – President, Australasian College of Emergency Medicine
• Dr Nichole Harch - Fellow and Medical Educator, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
• Ms Kerry Hawkins – CEO, Community Mental Health Australia
• Ms Judi Higgin – Chair, Mental Health Coordinating Council
• Ms Tanja Hirvonen - Interim CEO, Thirrili
• A/Prof Rebecca Koncz - UNSW Chair, National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health
• Professor Shaon Lawn - Chair and Executive Director, Lived Experience Australia
• Ms Anna Love - Chief Mental Health Nurse, Safer Care Victoria
• Mr David McGrath - CEO, National Mental Health Commission
• Professor Richard Newton - Consultant Psychiatrist, Peninsula Mental Health Service, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
• Ms Carolyn Nikoloski - CEO, Mental Health Australia & Embrace - Multicultural Mental Health
• Ms Cecily Pollard – Clinical Nurse Consultant, Quality and Patient Safety, Tasmanian Health Service
• A/Prof Morton Rawlin AO – Co-Chair, General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
• Dr Daniel Rock - Principal Advisor and Research Director, WA Primary Health Alliance
• Mrs Lynne Walker - CEO Perth Clinic and Australian Private Hospitals Association Psychiatric Committee representative

Further information

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

For further information, please contact Dr Moors on 02 7232 5422 or Andrew.Moors@safetyandquality.gov.au