Speakers
Keynote Speaker: Dr Sally Cockburn
Dr Sally Cockburn is a GP and Heath communications expert. You may also know her as Dr Feelgood.
Sally's passion for bringing sensitive issues to public attention is well known. In particular she has been a prominent advocate for destigmatising Mental Health issues. In her role as host of her own program, Talking Health on Melbourne's top rating radio station 3AW, mental health issues are a priority.
Sally's work with mental health issues was recognised with a Victorian MBF Health and Wellbeing Award for Excellence in Health Journalism. She currently sits on the board of Vic Health and was involved in their "Exercise Your Mental Health" campaign of the 1990's. Recently she initiated and worked with the City of Kingston to hold a two day Mental Health Expo "Kind 2 Mind" where she moderated an expert and consumer panel in an open discussion of mental health issues together with hundreds of local secondary students and community members.
As a practicing GP Sally understands the issues facing consumers and carers and doesn't shy away from the hard issues. As an advocate and media person she is well aware of the obstacles to getting mental health issues on the public agenda. She knows people with mental health issues find it hard to have a voice and carers are often too tired to take up the public battle. Sally has a voice and she uses it.
Themed Seminar Speakers
Jackie Crowe
Jackie Crowe is in her 5th year as a Family/Carer Consultant for Ballarat Health Services Psychiatric Services. In that time she has been involved in many Family/Carer participation initiatives. Jackie has presented at national and international Conferences regarding family inclusive service provision, and participation of Consumers and their Families in service provision. She has also been involved in lectures at the Ballarat University on evidence based family inclusive service provision.
Jackie has been invited to consult on participation issues to other mental health services across Australia and is presently involved with the Tasmanian Mental Health Services to assist in their development of an optimal model of a State wide Consumer and Family Participation model.
Coming from a background of business ownership and management, and having a keen interest in strengthening the skills of existing and emerging mental health family/carer leaders, has led Jackie to become involved with the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership to further enhance the initiative by strengthening family/carer leadership internationally.
A strong supporter of Consumer, Family/carer and Community participation in health services, Jackie is inspired by consumers, families/carers, community members and mental health professionals exploring new ways of communicating, sharing visions and values and developing strategies with the vision of building quality services.
Melinda Kidgell
Melinda has worked for 18 years in the human services field both in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has worked in homelessness, justice, community mental health and addictions services. She has developed particular expertise in service development and strategic planning for clients with multiple and complex needs. Her particular areas of interest are women with complex needs and people who are subject to multiple service exclusions. She is currently employed as the manager of Community Outreach Services with the Melbourne Central Division of the Salvation Army. Prior to this she managed two components of the Department of Human Services Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative.
Glenn Rutter
Glenn Rutter is the Team Leader of SUMITT (Substance Use and Mental Illness Treatment Team). Glenn is a social worker and has postgraduate qualifications in education, drug and alcohol studies, suicide prevention and management. He has worked in community mental health services in metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria and has particular interests in dual diagnosis, suicide prevention, psychoanalysis and mental health policy.