About

Advisory Council

The National Mental Health Commission Advisory Council (Advisory Council) will give advice to the Commission on its work to improve the mental health system, including tracking progress, reporting, and policy design.

The Commission works to make mental health and wellbeing systems more open and accountable. This includes tracking how money is spent on mental health and suicide prevention, providing advice to the Australian Government, and reporting on the mental health and suicide prevention systems. The Advisory Council allows the Commission to test emerging work with representative organisations, lived experience leaders and subject-matter experts.

The Advisory Council provides advice to the Commission to inform our work. This may include: 

  • giving advice on Commission projects   
  • providing feedback on draft plans, papers and reports 
  • managing project risks 
  • identifying opportunities to improve the mental health system 
  • giving strategic advice on the mental health system. 

The Advisory Council provides a structured, representative, and collaborative forum for consultation. Members of the council include:

  • mental health peak bodies, including groups that represent mental health workers 
  • mental health professionals with specialist knowledge 
  • people with lived experience of mental health challenges 
  • people from communities that are often more affected, such as LGBTQIA+ communities, culturally diverse communities, and people with disability.

The Advisory Council has been set up for an initial period of two years. 

Membership

David McGrath - National Mental Health Commission - CEO (Chair) 

Tracey Andrews - National Mental Health Commission - Deputy CEO 

Dr Alex Hains - National Suicide Prevention Office - Head 

Carolyn Nikoloski - Mental Health Australia (MHA) - CEO 

Priscilla Brice - The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance (NMHCA) - CEO 

Katrina Armstrong - Mental Health Carers Australia (MHCA) - CEO 

Vicki McKenna - Indigenous Australian Lived Experience Centre (IALEC) - CEO 

Rachel Fishlock - Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia -  CEO 

Dr Cassandra Goldie AO - Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) - CEO

Terence Humphries - LQBTIQ+ Health Australia - Executive Director: Programs, Learning and Capacity Building for the Advisory Council 

Monika Wheeler - Chair of the Primary Health Network (PHN) Cooperative and CEO of North Coast PHN 

Adriel Appathurai - CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) expertise

William Campos - Service Delivery expertise

Georgie Harman AO - Service Delivery expertise

Dr Stephen Carbone - Prevention of mental health concerns expertise

Louise Gates - Biostatistics & data management expertise

Prof Sue Cotton - Evaluation & implementation science expertise

Prof Samuel Harvey - Mental health research expertise

Shannon Calvert - Accessing mental health services expertise

Dr Rita Kleinfeld-Fowell - Disability sector expertise

Last updated:
Tags:
  • CALD
  • Consultation
  • Disability
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Lived experience

Acknowledgement of Country

The Commission acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live, work and learn.

Diversity

The Commission is committed to embracing diversity and eliminating all forms of discrimination in the provision of health services. The Commission welcomes all people irrespective of ethnicity, lifestyle choice, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Lived Experience

We acknowledge the individual and collective contributions of those with a lived and living experience of mental ill-health and suicide, and those who love, have loved and care for them. Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to mental health suicide prevention systems reform.