22 July 2022
Mind Australia CEO Gill Callister has been appointed as a member of the governance board of the new Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The establishment of the Centre is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
The Collaborative Centre will be the first of its kind in Australia – bringing together people with lived experience, researchers and health professionals to lead critical improvements in the mental health system.
The Collaborative Centre will provide treatment, care and support to adults, lead cutting-edge research and serve as the ‘engine room’ for reform across the mental health sector and its workforce.
Ms Callister said the Victorian government is to be commended to have enacted this key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
“I am really proud and humbled to be part of the inaugural Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing Board. I am looking forward to working with my board and sector colleagues to make this a beacon of excellence,” Ms Callister said.
“I am looking forward to being a part of the governance board to ensure this unique Centre enables new systems of service and knowledge grounded in human rights approaches to research, workforce development, lived experience leadership and partnerships.
“We need a system that supports Victorians to have access to the mental health care they want and need, in a way that meets their needs and is timely, supportive, informed by relevant expertise and empowers them to lead fulfilling lives.
“The Collaborative Centre will play a key role in ensuring that the entire sector can share in the new knowledge and expertise that it will develop, and I am excited to play a part in this process.”
Mind Australia is of the largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services in Australia. It provides individualised, evidence-based and recovery focussed support to more than 11,000 people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns in Australia every year.
Victoria’s Minister for Mental Health, Gabrielle Williams, said the centre will be at the heart of a rejuvenated mental health system.
“Its board brings outstanding skills, knowledge, diversity and lived experience to help guide these critical reforms that will change lives and save lives,” the Minister said.
The new board is made up of contemporary and innovative thinkers who will bring a range of professional and personal experiences. The board will get started in September 2022. Other board members will include Chair Terry Laidler, Deputy Chair Maria Katsonis, Phong Nguyen, Sheree Lowe, Fionn Skiotis, Lisa Brophy, Steve Moylan, Gerard Naughtin and Amelia Walters.
A message from Mind Australia CEO Gill Callister.
Psychosocial supports – like the kind provided by Mind – help people with mental health and wellbeing concerns to manage daily activities, rebuild and maintain connections, engage with education and employment, and participate fully in the community. These are supports that help people take positive steps in their recovery journey.
To access Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs services call 1300 375 330.
