Mental Health Commission

Sector Governance

The mental health and alcohol and other drug systems are governed by tiered groups. The governance arrangement was put in place following the Western Australian Government's commitment to establishing new governance arrangements on 31 August 2023.

The governance structure comprises the:

  • Mental Health, Wellbeing, Alcohol and Other Drugs Ministerial Advisory Panel
  • Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Joint Leadership Group
  • Clinical Advisory Group
  • Lived Experience Advisory Group
  • Joint Executive Directors Sub-Group

The Mental Health Commission (Commission) is also supported by the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board (AODAB). The AODAB is established pursuant to s.14 of the Alcohol and Other Drug Act 1974 to provide advice to the CEO (Mental Health Commissioner).

Advisory and Leadership Groups Overview

The Mental Health, Wellbeing and Alcohol and Other Drugs Ministerial Advisory Panel (MAP) is an expert advisory and consultative body that provides direct feedback to the Minister for Health; Mental Health (Minister) about system performance and reform progress.

The Mental Health Commissioner and the Department of Health (DoH) Director General attend the MAP as observers to stay abreast of the MAP’s feedback and advice.  

The MAP is independent of the Commission and the DoH.

Download the Communiques:

Ministerial Advisory Panel Membership

NamePosition
Hon Meredith Hammat (Co-Chair)Minister for Health; Mental Health
Margaret Doherty (Co-Chair)Lived Experience Leader (Carer)
Alex ArpinoAlcohol and Other Drug Consumers and Community Coalition (Development Coordinator)
VacantYouth Affairs Council of WA
Shannon CalvertLived Experience Leader (Consumer)
Sue CantwellSt John of God (CEO Social Outreach)
Taryn HarveyWestern Australian Association for Mental Health (CEO)
Dr Helen MilroyProfessor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Darren MundayConsumers of Mental Health WA (CEO)
Jill RundleWestern Australian Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs (CEO)
Tanya SimLived Experience Leader (Carer)
Julia StaffordAlcohol and Other Drug Advisory Board (Deputy Chair)
Meaghan Holden Living Proud (CEO)
Dr Murugesh Nidyananda The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (WA Branch Chair)
Dr John Edwards General Practitioner, Cambridge Clinic

The Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Joint Leadership Group (JLG) is tasked by the Minister to be responsible for the performance of the public and community mental health and alcohol and other drug systems, inclusive of strategic reform objectives.  

The JLG provides high-level, system-wide, collaborative decision-making, and oversight to deliver a system that adopts a person-centred approach and encapsulates whole-of-system priorities. This includes the transition to community-based services that provide prevention, earlier intervention, and diversion away from acute in-patient services.   

The Mental Health Commissioner and the DoH Director General Co-Chair the JLG. They are accountable to the Minister who has responsibility for administering the mental health (including alcohol and other drugs) and health portfolio. Members include the Chief Executive Officers of each of the Health Service Providers. The Commission's Assistant Commissioners for Aboriginal Affairs, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Lived Experience Consumer, and Lived Experience Significant Other attend as strategic advisors to the JLG.

Download the Communiques:

Joint Leadership Group Membership

NamePosition
Dr Shirley Bowen (Co-Chair)Director General, Department of Health
Maureen Lewis (Co-Chair)Mental Health Commissioner, Mental Health Commission
Neil Doverty A/Chief Executive South Metropolitan Health Service
Rob TomsChief Executive, North Metropolitan Health Service
Dr Lesley BennettChief Executive, East Metropolitan Health Service
Valerie BuićChief Executive, Child and Adolescent Health Service
Jeffrey MoffetChief Executive, WA Country Health Service

The Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) is an advisory body and supports the JLG by providing contemporary, practical and achievable expert advice on clinical mental health, alcohol and other drug matters in a range of settings inclusive of both inpatient and community settings.   

The CAG is a Ministerially appointed Committee and is co-chaired by the Commission's Deputy Commissioner, Commissioning and Programs and Dr Steven Blefari, Head of Department ICAMHS Southwest WA Country Health Service (WACHS); Director of Training Rural Psychiatry Training WA, WACHS .  

The CAG members comprise diverse and multidisciplinary professionals with clinical expertise in mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues and conditions.

Clinical Advisory Group Members

NamePosition
Monica Taylor (Co-Chair)Deputy Commissioner Commissioning and Programs, Mental Health Commission
Dr Steven Blefari (Co-Chair)Head of Department ICAMHS Southwest WACHS; Director of Training Rural Psychiatry Training WA, WACHS
Dr Robina RedknapChief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Department of Health
Dr Sarah YoungsonGeneral Practitioner, Bridgetown Medical
Lana MoncurAllied Health Coordinator, North Metropolitan Health Service
Jennifer WiltonNurse Practitioner, Silver Chain
Teresa StevensonClinical Psychologist, Rockingham Peel Group
Dr Richard O'ReganAddiction Medicine Consultant, East Metropolitan Health Service Royal Perth Bentley Group
Chloe WalkerAddiction Medicine Nurse Practitioner, Next Step
Carolyn BrightClinical Psychologist Director, North Metropolitan Health Service Women and Newborn Health Service
Josephine GrayAboriginal Mental Health Consultant, WA Country Health Service
Dr Vinesh GuptaMedical Co Director, East Metropolitan Health Service

The Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) supports the JLG by providing advice grounded in lived experiences and human rights. 

The LEAG is an advisory body, responsible for ensuring the voices of consumers, family members and significant others and community members with lived and living experience of mental health, alcohol and other drug issues, harms and service use are embedded in the relevant work being undertaken across the mental health and alcohol and other drug systems.  

The LEAG is a Ministerially appointed committee and is co-chaired by Wendy Cream, the Assistant Commissioner Lived Experience (Significant Other), and Stephen Bright, Assistant Commissioner Alcohol and Other Drugs.  

The LEAG members comprise diverse designated Lived Experience members, inclusive of emerging Lived Experience leaders.

Lived Experience Advisory Group Memberships

NamePosition
Dr Stephen Bright (Co-Chair) Assistant Commissioner Alcohol and Other Drugs, Mental Health Commission
Wendy Cream (Co-Chair) Assistant Commissioner Lived Experience (Significant Other), Mental Health Commission 
Patricia Tran Assistant Commissioner Lived Experience (Consumer), Mental Health Commission
Carli Sheers Lived Experience Leader 
Charles Foster Lived Experience Leader 
Gee Anderson Lived Experience Leader 
Jessica Brentnall Lived Experience Leader 
Lee Steel Lived Experience Leader 
Lorraine Powell Lived Experience Leader 
Margaret Doherty Lived Experience Leader 
Michael Elwan Lived Experience Leader 
Paul Dessauer Lived Experience Leader 
Samantha Phipps Lived Experience Leader 
Virginia Catterall Lived Experience Leader 
Nicole Velkoski Lived Experience Leader 
Tony Lee Lived Experience Leader 

An action from the first meeting of the JLG was to establish a sub-group to meet monthly, with membership comprising Health Service Provider Executive Directors. This group is chaired by the Commission's Deputy Commissioner Commissioning and Programs and will support decisions and actions as requested by the JLG. To facilitate the group in undertaking its function, all members will be appointed as strategic advisors to the JLG.

Joint Executive Director Sub-Group Membership

NamePosition
Monica Taylor (Chair)Deputy Commissioner Commissioning and Programs, Mental Health Commission
Jill PascoeExecutive Director Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Child and Adolescent Health Service
Megan InglisExecutive Director Governance and System Support, Department of Health
Sandra MillerExecutive Director Mental Health, East Metropolitan Health Service
Dr Theresa MarshallExecutive Director Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services, North Metropolitan Health Service
Tim LeenExecutive Director Mental Health and Transformation, South Metropolitan Health Service
Paula ChatfieldExecutive Director Mental Health, WA Country Health Service 

The Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board (AODAB) was established pursuant to s.14 of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Act 1974 (the Act) to provide feedback and advice to our Commissioner on key projects and priorities of the Commission.

All members of the AODAB are appointed by the Minister responsible for the Act. Members are appointed based on their leadership, experience, knowledge and expertise in the AOD sector and do not represent specific organisations or professions. 

To ensure the advice provided is considerate of diverse perspectives, membership may include, but is not limited to, members with expertise in the following areas: 

  • Community sector and regional services
  • Aboriginal sector
  • Multicultural sector
  • Prevention, Treatment and Recovery
  • Youth, older adult and people experiencing disability
  • Law enforcement
  • Psychiatrists and/or Addiction Medicine Specialists
  • Public Health
  • Academia and research
  • Lived and Living Experience (consumer and significant other)

The AODAB’s expertise contributes to ensuring decision-making at the highest level is informed by contemporary and expert advice, including decisions related to strategy and policy development and systems and services planning.

Download Communiques

Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Board Members

NamePosition
Professor Steve Allsop (Chair)Academia and Research
Julia Stafford (Deputy Chair)Prevention/ Public Health
Miriam RuddLived and Living Experience
Commander Lawrence PanaiaLaw Enforcement
Nafiso MohamedCulturally and Linguistically Diverse Community
Ethan JamesCommunity Sector

Download Terms of Reference

Page last updated1 May 2025

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