The Queensland Alliance State Council
The Queensland Alliance
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.
Click here to download a brochure about the Queensland Alliance (PDF)
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
The Queensland Alliance 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 the Alliance Secretariat) identifies the key issues and decides upon the strategic directions that the peak body takes to address those issues.
Through strategic partnerships and dialogue with its members, the State Council (with the support of the Alliance Secretariat) identifies the key issues and decides upon the strategic directions that the peak body takes to address those issues.
Strategic Directions
The Queensland Alliance 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. Promoting the Mental Health Community Sector.
Promote investment in sustainable Mental Health Community Sector responses in a way that preserves sector values and models of practice.
2. Strengthening Relationships
Develop and maintain strategic and other partnerships and networks with key stakeholders to broaden our support base and increase our influence in mental health policy development, implementation and evaluation.
3. Promoting Positive Representations of Mental Health
Develop strategies that will enable the organisation and its members to promote mental health and a positive representation of people with mental illness and the mental health community sector.
4. Building a responsive, member-based organisation
Ensure the Queensland Alliance has sound governance policies, good management and quality systems, and effectively represents the membership as peak body.
1. Promoting the Mental Health Community Sector.
Promote investment in sustainable Mental Health Community Sector responses in a way that preserves sector values and models of practice.
2. Strengthening Relationships
Develop and maintain strategic and other partnerships and networks with key stakeholders to broaden our support base and increase our influence in mental health policy development, implementation and evaluation.
3. Promoting Positive Representations of Mental Health
Develop strategies that will enable the organisation and its members to promote mental health and a positive representation of people with mental illness and the mental health community sector.
4. Building a responsive, member-based organisation
Ensure the Queensland Alliance has sound governance policies, good management and quality systems, and effectively represents the membership as peak body.
Current 2010 State Council Members
Cathy O’Toole (President)
Cathy is the CEO of Advance Employment Inc. a Disability Employment Service (DES) provider specialising in assisting people with mental health conditions into open and meaningful employment. She is passionate about social justice issues and committed to promoting, encouraging and supporting people with mental health conditions to achieve a meaningful and fulfilling place in community via employment. Cathy has worked in the mental health area for seven years, with a strong background in vocational education and training.
Noel Muller (Vice President)
Noel has been an active member of a Consumer Advisory Group for the past nine years. He has represented consumer rights and issues at a local, state and more recently national level at many different forums. Through his involvement with a number of groups and the consumer health network/movement, Noel has gained a deep understanding of mental health and disability, both in the local community and broader Australian context. Noel has served on the Alliance State Council since 2002.
Kerry Staines (Treasurer)
Kerry has been employed within the community sector for the past 18 years, working with youth through to 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 where 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.
Mary-Anne Bowyer
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.
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.
Dorothy Dunne
Based in Cairns, Dorothy has spent the past 13 years as the Manager of Worklink Inc, part of the Disability Employment Network (DEN) which assists individuals who have experienced a mental health condition to find and maintain employment. Dorothy has grown the organisation to become a significant service provider in the Cairns community, which also delivers the Personal Support Program and an education for employers. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Health (Community Mental Health) and a Certificate IV in Business (Frontline Management).
Christian Grieves
For the last nine years Christian has been the CEO of the Mackay Division of General Practice. The Division supports 120 GPs and the 150,000 people who live in Central East Queensland. As CEO, Christian has responsibility for 40 fantastic staff, who deliver an incredible array of innovative health services, and the agency is one of the biggest employers of allied health professionals in Central Queensland. Under his leadership, the Division is continuing its dynamic growth and is set to become the biggest local NGO provider of mental health services in Central Queensland. The Division currently employs seven psychologists and three mental health nurses who work in collaboration with local GP’s.
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 over sees 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.
Cathy is the CEO of Advance Employment Inc. a Disability Employment Service (DES) provider specialising in assisting people with mental health conditions into open and meaningful employment. She is passionate about social justice issues and committed to promoting, encouraging and supporting people with mental health conditions to achieve a meaningful and fulfilling place in community via employment. Cathy has worked in the mental health area for seven years, with a strong background in vocational education and training.
Noel Muller (Vice President)
Noel has been an active member of a Consumer Advisory Group for the past nine years. He has represented consumer rights and issues at a local, state and more recently national level at many different forums. Through his involvement with a number of groups and the consumer health network/movement, Noel has gained a deep understanding of mental health and disability, both in the local community and broader Australian context. Noel has served on the Alliance State Council since 2002.
Kerry Staines (Treasurer)
Kerry has been employed within the community sector for the past 18 years, working with youth through to 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 where 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.
Mary-Anne Bowyer
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.
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.
Dorothy Dunne
Based in Cairns, Dorothy has spent the past 13 years as the Manager of Worklink Inc, part of the Disability Employment Network (DEN) which assists individuals who have experienced a mental health condition to find and maintain employment. Dorothy has grown the organisation to become a significant service provider in the Cairns community, which also delivers the Personal Support Program and an education for employers. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Health (Community Mental Health) and a Certificate IV in Business (Frontline Management).
Christian Grieves
For the last nine years Christian has been the CEO of the Mackay Division of General Practice. The Division supports 120 GPs and the 150,000 people who live in Central East Queensland. As CEO, Christian has responsibility for 40 fantastic staff, who deliver an incredible array of innovative health services, and the agency is one of the biggest employers of allied health professionals in Central Queensland. Under his leadership, the Division is continuing its dynamic growth and is set to become the biggest local NGO provider of mental health services in Central Queensland. The Division currently employs seven psychologists and three mental health nurses who work in collaboration with local GP’s.
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 over sees 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.
State Council 2009
State Council 2009 L-R: Kerry Staines, Bob Steele, Mary-Anne Bowyer, Jeff Cheverton, Claire Guilfoyle, Christian Grieves, Noel Muller, Cathy O'Toole, Jude Bugeja.