State Council

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Inc.

Our Mission
To promote, strengthen and develop the growth of the Mental Health Community Sector to provide community-based, recovery-oriented responses to the needs of people with mental illness and psychiatric disability in Queensland.

Our Vision
"All people are able to access a diverse range of services and resources to support their recovery and well being"

We Represent
The non-profit Mental Health Community Sector who meet the needs of people with mental illness or psychiatric disability, including consumer groups, family and carer groups and non-government community-based service providers across Queensland.

State Council

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Inc. is governed by a State Council. The State Council provides an important leadership forum in representing the perspective of the Mental Health Community Sector.

Through strategic partnerships and dialogue with its members, the State Council (with the support of Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Secretariat) identifies the key issues and decides upon the strategic directions that the peak body takes to address those issues.

Strategic Directions

Queensland Alliance for Mental Health developed the following strategic directions in line with the vision of all people being able to access a diverse range of services and resources to support their recovery and well being.

1. Develop influence through work with key organisations

Ensure that the community sector is integral to the National Health Reform agenda. Develop gap analysis of key government relationships. Develop gap analysis of key corporate relationships. Work with member organisations to develop government influencing skills.

2. Integrate diversity of culture into operational and service models

Develop cultural competency workshops for board, staff and key stakeholders. Engage multicultural and Indigenous membership to determine how the Alliance can be more relevant to them and what support we can offer.

3. Develop evidence-based support

Map existing research in mental health community sector practice. Broker partnerships between researchers and practitioners. Influence the research agenda in health and social policy. Develop an evidence base on the impact of Industry Body Practice.

4. Develop society-changing programs

Establish an anti-stigma initiative for mental health social inclusion. Promote and develop mental health promotion in the community sector. Provide new services to employers that will increase their productivity by reducing mental health discrimination in workplaces.

Current 2011 State Council Members

 Cathy O’Toole (President)
Cathy is the Service Director, Townsville Mackay Medicare Local's NQ Community Rehabilitation. Cathy sees Queensland Alliance for Mental Health as a vehicle to influence governments at all levels, the coprorate sector and the community in general in relation to ensuring people with mental health conditions live a life of choice and full citizenship. Cathy has firsthand experience of the positive influence that Queensland Alliance for Mental Health has made as she has been a serving member of the Council for the past 7 years and the last 2 years as President which she considers to be an honor and privilege.

Mary-Anne Bowyer (Vice President)
After 26 years working in NGO community care organisations, Mary-Anne is passionate about and has a strong belief in the capacity of communities to facilitate recovery and well being with people with mental illness and psychiatric disability. Mary-Anne has experience in direct client services, middle and senior management roles as well as representation in State and Federal Government Steering Committees and Advisory Panels.

Kerry Staines (Treasurer)
Kerry has been employed within the community sector for the past 18 years, working with youth through to the elderly. She is currently the Manager of a service on the Sunshine Coast that provides accommodation and support to individuals living with a mental illness. Kerry has strong working relationships with other service providers, both Government and Non-Government and she attends regular network meetings. Kerry is committed to promoting independence were appropriate and valued status for all individuals.

Clare Guilfoyle
As State Director Community Health for a large Community Care service, Clare has responsibility for the strategic management of Community Mental Health Services throughout Queensland. With this experience Clare has a good understanding of the issues faced by many member organisations. Clare has a strong belief that community mental health services should be available to all in need in the place where people live.

Jude Bugeja
Jude has worked in community based NGO mental health services both in Queensland and Victoria for 19 years. Jude is committed to advocate with, and for, the sector including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Jude is currently the Manager of the Brook RED Centre, an inner Brisbane Peer Support Service that has developed a peer support framework. This framework is reflected in the organisations governance and day to day practices.

Jackie Doyle
Jackie has had extensive experience in the social services and community mental health, both in England and Australia. Since 1999 Jackie has been employed by FSG Australia and oversees all the mental health programs in three different regions. FSG has a well developed team of staff on the Gold Coast based at Burleigh. Programs include P300, HASP, ALSP a guest house resident support program, children and families program and brokerage. Having great enthusiasm for mental health and having worked over 3 different regions, Jackie is aware of the different issues in these areas and will strive to put forward these gaps to the Government members when opportunities arise.

Gill Townsend
Gill has worked in social work and social justice for 30 years commencing her career as a residential social worker in Brixton, South London, working with homeless youth and young people with intellectual disabilities in both the government and non - government sector. Since then she has moved to Cairns and during this time has worked as the co-ordinator of a women’s refuge, as a disability advocate and at both the Human Rights Commission and the Qld Anti-Discrimination Commission. The Mental Health Resource Service, where she has worked for the past five years, offers a range of individually tailored opportunities to assist people to navigate the barriers in their lives. The service bases its efforts on evidence based recovery oriented principles.

Bob Steele
Bob has been involved with the Community Based, Non-Clinical Mental Health Sector for over 10 years. He is currently the vice president of the Board of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Queensland Inc and has served on the Boards of other non-clinical organisations in a variety of roles including President, Vice President, Treasurer and General Board Member. Bob has an understanding of and strong commitment to community mental health services. He has experience in governance, financial management and strategic planning.

Jeremy Audas

Jeremy is the CEO of the Mental Illness Fellowship of North Queensland. He has worked in community and disability services in North Queensland for over 25 years principally in the delivery of government services. He has an extensive knowledge of community and disability services with a focus on service quality and governance. Jeremy started his working life as a teacher and has managed a range of education and training activities including learning support, adult literacy, workplace training and apprenticeships. He has been involved with a number of not for profit organisations as a board member and has an interest in social justice, education and training and advocacy for improvements in the community mental health sector.
 

State Council 2011

State Council 2011 L-R: Kerry Staines, Christian Grieves, Mary-Anne Bowyer, Gill Townsend, Jude Bugeja, Jeff Cheverton, Cathy O'Toole, Bob Steele, Jackie Doyle, Claire Guilfoyle