ACMHN 2025

speakers

We are excited to welcome the following invited speakers to the ACMHN 2025 stage.

Speaker bios

Professor John Baker

Professor John Baker was appointed to Chair of Mental Health Nursing at the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds in 2015. His research focuses on improving the quality and safety of mental health care, through a focus on reducing coercion and restrictive practices, patient and professional safety in mental health services, developing effective and therapeutic mental health services.

Peta Marks

Peta is the National Programs Manager at InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders Research at the University of Sydney, and the Chief Operating Officer of the Australian Eating Disorders Research & Translation Centre. She has extensive experience in national project management in mental health, having been involved in mental health service planning, framework and strategy development, and workforce development projects for the past 20 years - at InsideOut, in her previous role with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, and in her consulting work. Her focus is on always ensuring strong stakeholder engagement, genuine co-production with consumers and carers, and collaborative, constructive and transparent working processes across all projects.

Peta began working in the eating disorders area in 1994, when she took on the role of nurse co-ordinator for the eating disorder inpatient program at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. She was appointed as the first eating disorder specific position in Australia, re-establishing the University of Sydney's Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders and conducted a GP Shared Care project in Eating Disorders in 2000 as part of her Masters in Public Health. As a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and with a Masters in Couple and Family Therapy, Peta has always maintained a clinical practice providing psychological therapy for people who experience eating disorders and their families - it is this strong grounding in the reality of how hard it is to experience and recover from an eating disorder, that drives her passion for genuine co-production in all her work. In 2024 she undertook a Mastery in Business and Empathy program - with a focus on leadership for the new economy...the restructuring of our organisations and businesses to ensure a safe and healthy planet with safe and healthy people who meet their potential. Peta is a highly respected mental health nurse, and contributor to and editor of a number of publications, most recently as co-editor of Elsevier's Mental health in Nursing 6th Edition text book, and a text focused on mental health care in emergency settings. She collaborates as a clinician in the research and publication work of InsideOut.

A/Prof Catherine Hungerford

Catherine Hungerford is a registered nurse, credentialed mental health nurse, and endorsed nurse practitioner. She has extensive professional experience in diverse clinical, academic, and policy settings, with a focus on leadership. She has worked for state-run health services, a private hospital, various universities, government and non-government organisations, community-managed organisations, and as a sole practitioner in private practice. Currently, Catherine is Head of College, Nursing and Midwifery, in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences. This role involves leading and supporting Heads of Courses, curriculum development and accreditation, course implementation and evaluation, and staff and student cohorts across multiple campuses.

Catherine has published extensively, authoring or co-authoring over ninety journal articles, including editorials in a level 1 nursing journal. She is the lead author of Mental Health Care: An introduction for health professionals (5th edition), a textbook prescribed nationally in vocational and tertiary institutions. She is also on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.

Catherine is a Fellow of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing (ACMHN). She led the development of the first ACMHN Scope of Practice of Mental Health Nurses in Australia (2013); and is currently the Chair of the ACMHN Accreditation Committee, which oversees the accreditation of postgraduate programs in mental health nursing nationally.

Katrina Ward

Katrina Ward is a descendant of the Ngiyampaa people of the Wongaibon nation whose country is in the Central West NSW. Katrina has worked in the health sector most of her lifetime specialising in the mental health sector. Her zest for learning and lived experience has contributed to her developing a wealth of knowledge and skills in the areas of social and emotional wellbeing, suicide intervention, grief and loss, substance abuse and family violence. Katrina has studied intensively, and she is passionate in promoting and improving the wellbeing of all individuals through applying culturally safe practice. She is currently working toward completion of her PhD focusing on ‘Keeping Well’ for First Nation Young People.

Katrina is currently employed in the role of Chief Operations Manager for the Walgett and Brewarrina Aboriginal Medical Services (WAMS).

Hineroa Hakiaha

Hineroa Hakiaha’s genealogy is from ngā waka ō Mataatua and Tainui. Originally from a coastal town of Whakatane, Hineroa has worked in several hospitals around Aotearoa New Zealand. Ten years ago, Hineroa arrived in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland, through a call to action from Māori Caucus of Te Ao Māramatanga requesting her support in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Hineroa is currently the President of Te Ao Māramatanga-New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses, and is the first Māori nurse to hold this position. She has been a member for Te Ao Māramatanga since its inception in 2004. During that time she was, and remains a strong advocate of implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and eliminating inequities into her everyday nursing practice.

Her journey as a nurse and leader is deeply rooted in her genealogy, lauguage and tikanga Māori, reflecting on her commitment to uplifting Māori health and wellbeing. In 2024, Hineroa embarked on a Professional Doctorate journey at Te Wānanga o Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington to advance her expertise in Māori health care.

Suzette Poole

Suzette was born in Pahiatua, North Island, New Zealand and now resides in Te Awamutu. Her parents were from English and Prussian descent. Suzette is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.He Māori aku tamariki. Ko Shannon, Ko Phillip, Ko Nastas-sjia and Ko Talitha Te Huia. Nō pare te kawa-Ngāti Maniapoto rāua. He tokomaha aku mokopuna.

Suzette is a registered nurse-mental health with a Post graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychiatry and a Master of Nursing. Suzette was awarded Fellowship to the Australia and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses in Rotorua in 2003, which was then transferred to Te Ao Māramatanga New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses in 2004. Suzette was College President – 2017 to 2021 and is currently secretary and events lead.

Suzette’s career in mental health began in 1980 as a Psychiatric Assistant. She qualified as a Psychiatric Nurse at Tokanui Hospital in 1985. Suzette later specialised in forensic mental health and initiated the first on-site forensic mental health nurse roles in prisons. Previous leadership roles include: Clinical Advisor- design team for Hikitia- Mental health facility based at Waikeria prison (Ara Poutama – Department of Corrections), Clinical Lead (Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui- national workforce centre) which including work on supervision; trauma informed care; seclusion, women in secure mental health care and co-existing problems, Nurse Advisor –Health (Nursing Council of NZ).

Suzette is the Nurse Director- Waikato Mental Health and Addiction Services- Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, a role Suzette held previously (2003-2007).

Lisa Curry AO

Best known for her long and successful swimming career, Lisa Curry AO has competed in three Olympic Games, two World Championships and three Commonwealth Gams and her competitive swimming career spanned an awe-inspiring 23 years and saw her ranked in the top 25 swimmers in the world every year she competed. She held Australian and Commonwealth records in every stroke (except backstroke) from 50 - 400mts, a feat no other Australian swimmer has ever achieved. She was also the first swimmer to represent Australia at Commonwealth and Olympic Games as a mother. At the age of 30 with 2 small children, Lisa swam the fastest ever at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and rates this as the highlight of her career.

Lisa returned to elite sport after swimming, coaching and competing with outrigger team, the Riggeroos, to win four World Championships in 72km Outrigger Canoe race in Hawaii becoming the first Australian team to do so in the history of the race. She also was the first Australian ever to win the Hawaiian Molokai to Oahu 66km solo outrigger race.

For over 25 years, Lisa was a TV presenter and brand ambassador for Uncle Tobys, P&O, Fernwood Fitness and 30Plus, travelling the country promoting a healthy lifestyle. Her 23 year association with Uncle Tobys is still one of the longest and memorable associations ever between a company and athlete.

As one of Australia's most sought after speakers, she carries out many speaking engagements and personal appearances both nationally and internationally and talks of her success and challenges as an elite athlete as well as her personal experiences as a coach, working mum, wife, author, public personality and health and fitness advocate.

Stressing the important role of physical and mental health and fitness for effective life management, Lisa talks about maintaining a balance in both personal and professional areas to help maximise achievements and increase productivity.

Recently Lisa finished a 50,000km road trip around Australia working in 100 regional towns running boot camps and workshops, speaking and working with preppie kids right through to those living in aged care.

Lisa held the position of Chairman of the National Australia Day Council from 2000 to 2008. Appointed by former Prime Minister John Howard, becoming the first woman to ever hold this prestigious position. She has been awarded an MBE, and OAM for services to sport and community and an AO for lifting the values of what it means to be Australian through her role as Chairman of the National Australia Day Council.

Drawing on a lifetime of experiences, Lisa motivates and inspires audiences from all walks of life and ages, to live life with optimum wellbeing, passion, commitment and drive and is dedicated to assisting in the reversal of childhood and adult obesity and lowering the prevalence of heart disease.

Healthy or unhealthy, fit or unfit, motivated or down in the dumps, Lisa's message is for all and she is a living example of what she teaches, living each day with happiness, passion and contentment.

Amanda Butt

Amanda Butt is a highly respected Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, health leader, and founder of NPathy, an innovative virtual mental health clinic providing bulk-billed, uncapped sessions with no referral required. Her work is transforming how Australians access care - particularly those most underserved - through a model that is trauma-informed, person-centred, and truly accessible.

With over 15 years of experience in clinical mental health and health system leadership, Amanda is also the Vice President of the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP). She is deeply engaged in national health reform, holding a number of key roles including Adjunct Fellow at Western Sydney University, Clinical and Technical Advisory Committee Member for the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), member of the National Electronic Medication Chart Framework Project with the Australian Department of Health and Ageing, she is a CHIA Certified Health Informatician and also a consultant with the primary health care realm.

Amanda has co-designed nationally funded mental health models, and continues to lead meaningful reform to expand access and reduce stigma in mental health.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to empowering Mental Health Nurses and Nurse Practitioners to lead innovative, sustainable solutions across the healthcare system. Amanda’s contributions are advancing not only the profession but also a more inclusive and responsive mental health landscape for all Australians.

Kylie Straube

Kylie is a Credentialed Mental health Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, she has lived and worked most of her life in rural and remote communities in the Northern Territory and Queensland. She is a strong advocate for nurses to be recognised and utilised to their full scope of practice within the health care system. Kylie has worked in the government and non-government sector both nationally and internationally. She has completed Masters degrees in Primary Health care, Masters in Mental health nursing and a Masters of Nursing- Nurse Practitioner. Kylie has worked as a Remote Area Nurse, Mental health nurse and has gained Nurse Practitioner meta specialities in the area of primary health and mental health. She has developed models of care in adolescent in -pt mental health, dementia and delirum and asylum seeker/ refugee health. Most recently she had opened a private primary health care clinic focusing on mental health care.

Nathan Dart

Nathan Dart is currently the Director of Nursing at Metro North Mental Health, he holds a Masters of Nursing (Mental Health) degree from the University of Southern Queensland and a Masters of Health Service Management degree from Griffith University. Nathan holds an elected Board Director position with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) and chairs the Finance, Risk, and Governance Committee.

Nathan recently completed a secondment to the Queensland Chief Nurse Officer role which was an invaluable experience of professional growth. Advising on professional, regulatory and policy related nursing innovations and advancements was a real privilege.

Associate Professor Adam Searby

Associate Professor Adam Searby is the immediate past president of the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA), the association for nurses with an interest in alcohol and other drug care. He has a clinical background in mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) nursing. Dr Searby's research interests include nurse led models of care for alcohol and other drug use, least restrictive care, the nursing workforce and alcohol use among Australian nurses.

Dr Searby is the current Editor in Chief for the Journal of Addictions Nursing.

Professor Rhonda Wilson

Professor Rhonda Wilson is an internationally recognised mental health nursing scientist with a research focus on digital health interventions. She is Professor of Nursing in the Nursing and Midwifery School, at University of Newcastle where she leads the largest Master of Mental Health Nursing program in Australia with 1000 students enrolled, generating 400 graduates per year. Rhonda leads an innovative digital mental health nursing laboratory, supervising 12 PhD students. She is a Registered Nurse and a Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and has worked across various roles as a clinical nurse, researcher and academic in Australia, Denmark and New Zealand over the past 35 years.

As a Wiradjuri descendent, she is a vigorous advocate for the promotion of cultural safety and decolonisation in our education and health institutions.

Adjunct Professor Shelley Nolan

Adj Professor Shelley Nowlan, appointed as Queensland's Chief Nurse Officer. Her distinguished career includes serving as the Queensland Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for 7 years and the Australian Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner. Her 37 year industry experience in health service leadership and government, combined with health planning and commissioning health services in Queensland, uniquely positions her to navigate the complex intersection between health service provision and the profession of nursing.

Internationally, Adj Prof Nowlan has represented Australia at esteemed organisations such as the International Council of Nurses, United Nations, UNICEF and provided advice to governments of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. Advocating strongly for the profession, rural and remote health her contributions in advancing nursing and midwifery professions has been significant.

Professor Roianne West

Professor Roianne West, is a proud Kalkadoon and Djunke woman and one of Australia's most distinguished Indigenous nurse academics. A Master of Mental Health Nursing graduate, she was one of the first Aboriginal members of the then Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses and the 2003 recipient of the Stan Alchin Award. In 2009, she co-authored one of the first book chapters on Indigenous mental health nursing. Now Professor of Nursing at the Univeristy of Sydney, she has dedicated over 30 years to advancing cultural safety, equity, and First Nations leadership in nursing and midwifery.