The Mental Health Australia Ltd Board consists of up to eight elected Directors from the Mental Health Australia membership and two additional Board-Appointed Directors. The election was yet again a strongly contested one and we are delighted our members are so engaged in the governance of Mental Health Australia. At the 2022 AGM it was announced that Dr Cathy Andronis from the RACGP and Mr Mark Orr AM from Flourish Australia were re-elected to the Board for another two-year term and Ms Tamara Cavenett from the APS and Ms Marie Piu representing Mental Health Carers Australia have joined the Board through to the 2024 AGM.

For 2023, the Mental Health Australia Ltd Board consists of the following people:

Mr Matt Berriman (Board appointed Director and Chair)
Dr Cathy Andronis
Ms Tamara Cavenett
Ms Georgie Harman
Prof Sharon Lawn
Mr Mark Orr
Ms Marie Piu
Mr Ashley de Silva
Ms Carmel Tebbutt

Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride, says the Albanese Government is investing $8 million into seven collaborative research projects to better support the health and wellbeing of all Australians, under the Partnership Project. As part of these projects, health and medical researchers will work with policy and organisations so their findings can be implemented into practice. One of these projects will involve a partnership between Dr. Zephanie Tyack from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Beyond Blue, Wesley Medical Research Institute, and regional councils to improve access to mental health services in remote communities.

Beyond the budget 2022-23: Fiscal outlook and scenarios presents the Parliamentary Budget Office’s (PBO’s) independent projections for the Commonwealth’s fiscal position across the medium term (2026-27 to 2032-33). It also updates the analysis of long-term fiscal sustainability, to 2062-63.

headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation has appointed Wiradjuri descendant Donna Burns as First Nations Director and Board Member. Ms Burns brings to headspace more than twenty-five years’ experience in the healthcare sector, with a strong focus on organisational change management. Her previous roles include Deputy CEO with The Healing Foundation, and Organisational Change Management Specialist and Director at Optimism Consultancy Group. She was recently announced as CEO of Australian Indigenous Doctors Association as well. Ms Burns is also a Non-Executive Board Director for Q-bital Healthcare Solutions, and previously Non-Executive Board Director for Huntington’s Queensland. “I am excited to join a Board of distinguished mental health advocates and offer guidance and support in leading youth mental health care,” Ms Burns said.

A new report reveals how the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Australians, as many of us received government income support, worked from home under lockdown, watched more TV and worried over an uncertain future.

The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, conducted by the Melbourne Institute, is the country’s only nationally representative longitudinal household study following the same group of Australians over their lifetimes. The latest report of the study, released today, uses data up until 2020 to reveal the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australian households.

The report shows inequality declined significantly in Australia with the largest fall in the survey’s 20-year history, as governments provided unprecedented emergency income support and other measures to respond to the growing pandemic.

Law changes introduced to the Queensland parliament are a welcome first step to safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. The amendments to the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 will make Hospital and Health Services (HHS) and their boards responsible for staff wellbeing and for promoting a culture that supports health, safety and wellbeing. “AMA Queensland has advocated strongly for these changes, which are similar to laws introduced in South Australia,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said. “Health Minister Yvette D’Ath flagged her intention to introduce these amendments at last month’s Health Workforce Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit, which was held as a result of AMA Queensland advocacy.”

A new mental health program supporting young people to turn their lives around is now underway. Tasmania’s first Multisystemic Therapy (MST®) mental health program is the latest step in the Rockliff Liberal Government’s positive plan to reform the state’s mental health services. The Program supports young people - who have a history of offending - to build the skills they need to get themselves on the right track. Premier and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Jeremy Rockliff said that clinical research shows MST can reduce long-term rates for re-arrest by up to 70 per cent, significantly reducing youth offending.

Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says Dr Andrew Lu AM has been appointed as President of the Mental Health Tribunal of Western Australia for a five-year term. Dr Lu will lead the Tribunal in its role to safeguard the rights of people who are subject to involuntary treatment orders under the Mental Health Act 2014 (WA). As part of his role as President, Dr Lu will support respectful, fair hearings which encourage participation from patients, carers and families and result in a consistent, just decision in every matter.

The peak body of psychiatrists has welcomed the Rural Psychiatry Training program being launched in Western Australia. The Rural Psychiatry Training WA (RPTWA) program will attract, train and retain psychiatrists in country WA and enable them to meet the diverse and unique needs of rural communities. A first of its kind rural psychiatry training program in Australia and New Zealand, the RPTWA has been accredited by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). It will be overseen by WA Country Health Service (WACHS). “The RPTWA program is a direct result of the work done by the RANZCP to develop the Rural Psychiatry Roadmap 2021, combined with the tireless advocacy efforts of the RANZCP WA branch and Section of Rural Psychiatry,” said Dr Michael Verheggen, RANZCP WA Branch Chair.

Between 2018-19 and 2019-20, spending on mental and substance use disorders grew to replace injuries as the fourth highest category of health spending. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released Disease expenditure in Australia 2019-20, which analyses health spending in terms of the age and sex of the people that were the focus of the spending, ranks the conditions and diseases in terms of how much spending they attract and identifies in what parts of the health system the spending occurred. “Around 73% ($140.4 billion) of recurrent health spending in 2019-20 could be attributed to specific disease groups through this work,” said AIHW spokesperson Dr. Adrian Webster (PhD).

This Community Mental Health Australia conference will provide an opportunity for those both in and around the mental health sector to come together for the important conversations needed to address the advancement of the NDIS and related services. It will be a place where collaboration, compassion, and research come together to improve the wellbeing of our community. 

Expert speakers will lead discussions about NDIS issues, human rights, success stories, quality & navigation, psychosocial disability, and lived experienced leadership.

There will also be a focus on the creative brain, including the amazing exhibition ‘Out from the Mist’ accompanied by a talk from creative director Michael Lockwood. 

It will run across two full days from Monday 20 to Tuesday 21, February 2023, at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.

The International Mental Health Conference is a leading event in the international mental health community, attracting a cross section of sector leaders, professionals, and practitioners.

Why attend IMH?

Stay up to date with future projections.
Hear from experts on what the mental health workforce of the future looks like. Learn how we can support the longevity of our workforce and strategically manage our workforce.

Tap into more advanced work systems and care models.
Access the latest tech advancements and industry innovations to improve multi-sectoral collaboration and service standards to support better mental health.

Feel connected to your global community of mental health industry professionals.
Gather with likeminded sector professionals from both near and further afield to share stories, experiences and future plans for the sector.

Share, Collaborate and Listen.
Collaborate with your peers and learn from others in the field. Have your voice, research or insights seen and heard either as a presenter, or during the interactive Pan-Shops.

Emerging Minds has recently launched Emerging Minds’ Families – a new range of resources for parents seeking information and support about infant and child mental health.

The resources – including videos, factsheets, animations and podcasts – are free to access. They have been developed in collaboration with families, practitioners, and researchers and are designed for ease of use by all parties.

Topics include

- Supporting parents and families living with mental illness 
- Responding to and managing the impact of natural disasters including floods, bushfire and drought  
- Understanding and managing anxiety in children and young people, and 
- Infant mental health and wellbeing.

Visit the Emerging Minds website to access the resources and subscribe to the Emerging Minds Families newsletter for the latest updates and releases.