Agenda
Day One | Tuesday | 12th May 2026
7:30
Registration
8:40
Welcome to Country
9:00
Chairperson’s Introduction
James Maskey, CEO, Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia
9:15
Government address: The government's plan for the future of mental health service delivery
Understand what policy is being put in place to shore up and support delivery of effective and compassionate mental health care
Hear about what comes next after the National Agreement on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention expires
Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention & Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health
9:30
Local Action Keynote: Integrating the fragments for a cohesive and effective system
Exploring how Primary Health Networks are working to overcome system fragmentation and build integrated, needs-based services at a regional level.
What resources and data do PHNs need to effectively implement bilateral schedules to direct funding of services that respond to local needs and identify gaps?
What governance models ensure genuine partnerships between PHNs, LHNs and the community sector?
How do we tailor regional plans to the needs of rural/remote versus urban populations?
Michael Bonning, Director, WentWest (Western Sydney PHN)
10:15
Morning tea and coffee
Systemic Leadership and Accountability
10:45
Confronting the crisis in mental health: Why incremental change is not an option
What are the consequences of an overworked public system?
Why has private care become financially out of reach?
How can trust be rebuilt between patients, practitioners and the system?
Christopher Stone, Executive Director of Sector Advocacy, Suicide Prevention Australia
11:15
Panel: Harnessing Tech, Managing Risk, AI, Meta & Discord in Mental Health
How are youth already using digital platforms for mental health support?
What risks come with algorithmic bias in AI-driven interventions?
What is the role of policy-makers in creating ethical safeguards and quality standards for AI and digital mental health tools?
Alexander Santos, Head of Digital Products, Batyr
Eoin Killackey, Chief of Research and Knowledge Translation, Orygen
Kylie King, Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute, Monash University
12:00
Panel: Defining roles and funding psychosocial carer support beyond the NDIS
Outlining supports to fill the critical service gap for people with psychosocial disability now missing from the NDIS.
What “speed humps” currently block access to support and how to eliminate bureaucracy
Where to allocate funding streams to enable seamless referral pathways that put a person's recovery journey before administrative silos.
Corinne Henderson, Director, Mental Health Coordinating Council, NSW
Simon Pont, General Manager Reform, Roses in the Ocean
12:45
Networking Lunch
Tackling Gaps and Building Resilience
1:45
Translating culturally safe suicide prevention and aftercare to hospital settings and mainstream health facilities
What does a culturally safe stepped-care model look like in practice?
How do we build up support from suicide prevention and AOD services?
What does a genuine partnership model look like for integrating Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations with mainstream services?
Tanja Hirvonen, Chief Executive Officer, Thirilli
2:15
Critical Coordinated Care in Complex Mental Illness and Trauma
How do we design integrated care pathways between state-funded specialist services, PHN-commissioned primary care, and community supports?
What role can innovative housing and employment models play in a holistic recovery approach?
How do we ensure psychosocial supports are not lost in transition?
Angela Rintoul, Principal Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
2:50
Telehealth outcomes and the outbound experience in Australia's regional mental health ecosystem
How must commissioning and funding models evolve to integrate digital and face-to-face services seamlessly?
What are the governance and data-sharing standards required for a national digital ecosystem?
How do we ensure digital solutions enhance equity rather than widening the digital divide?
Nathan Mercurio CEO, Rural and Remote Mental Health
3:20
Afternoon Tea
3:40
Leadership & Accountability Facilitating Systemic Change
What performance indicators must be in the next National Agreement to measure genuine system progress, not just activity?
How do we embed formal mechanisms for Lived Experience leadership into national governance structures?
What mechanisms will embed consumer and carer voices in national policy?
Priscilla Brice, CEO, National Mental Health Consumer Alliance
4:10
Formalising the role of independent assessment and reporting on progress
What specific powers and resources does the NMHC need to conduct truly independent assessments of all governments' progress?
What national indicators are needed to measure success?
What role should the government play in mandating and monitoring the centrality of consumer and carer participation in all reforms?
Tim Heffernan, Chair, BEING
Dr Chris Groot, Senior Lecturer / Director, University of Melbourne Mental Illness Stigma Lab