Emma Coughlan

Emma is a system-level mental health advocate with a keen passion to make a contribution towards improving the mental health of Australians.

Emma currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor at Mental Health Australia. Emma’s passion for improving the mental health of Australians was sparked early in life and demonstrated through her study of social work, which naturally led to a support worker role in a community mental health organisation, working directly with people experiencing mental illness. This role ignited her search for a greater understanding of the systemic and structural factors that influence the lives of vulnerable people. She has grown this knowledge through a decade of work in national policy development within government as well as advocating for positive mental health policy reforms at a national peak body.

Emma’s core interests include the safe and genuine inclusion of mental health consumer and carer views in government decision making and encouraging the systemic and structural factors which underpin improvements in mental health outcomes.

Watch Emma Coughlan talk about the Fellowship here.