Speakers and facilitators at our 2019 seminars and programs include:
Dr Gill Hicks AM MBE
Founder of M.A.D for Peace, Author, Survivor of the London Terrorist Bombings 2005
Gill Hicks is considered one of the most thought provoking and powerful speakers in Australia and the UK. She is globally known as a survivor of the London terrorist Bombings on July 7th, 2005. In 2007 Gill founded the not for profit organisation M.A.D. for Peace, a platform that connects people globally and aimed at both deterring anyone from following the path of violent extremism and building sustainable models for peace, drawing upon Gill’s previous roles within the Arts. Gill has made it her mission to use her experiences and her new body form to positive effect.
See http://www.madminds.org/ »
Andrew Fuller
Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychologist, Inyahead
Andrew has recently been described as an ‘interesting mixture of Billy Connolly, Tim Winton and Frasier Crane’ and as someone who ‘puts the heart back into psychology’. As a clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller works with many schools and communities in Australia and internationally, specialising in the wellbeing of young people and their families. He is a Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of Melbourne. Andrew has recently been the scientific consultant for the ABC on a 5 episode series called Whatever: the science of the teenage brain. He has also been a principal consultant to the national drug prevention strategy REDI, the ABC on children¹s television shows, is an Ambassador for Mind Matters and is a member of the National Coalition Against Bullying. Andrew is author of the best selling Life: A Guide, Tricky Kids and Tricky People and the Brain Based e-manual.
Paul Dillon
Educator, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia
Paul Dillon has been working in the area of drug education for the past 25 years and continues to work with young people and their families across the country. He has been contracted by many agencies and organisations to give regular updates on current drug trends within the community. He has recently published a book ‘Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs’, released nationally in February 2009. Paul is regarded as a key social commentator in Australia, and has appeared on a wide range of television programs including Sunrise, Today and A Current Affair discussing topical issues.
See http://darta.net.au and http://doingdrugs-darta.blogspot.com.au »
Greg Gebhart
Senior Education Trainer, Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner
Greg Gebhart is the senior education trainer for the office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner. Greg is one of Australia’s leading experts on cybersafety and has provided presentations to more than 300,000 students, teachers and parents. Greg is widely recognised for his passion for education technology and cybersafety and has been awarded several national and international awards.
Matt X
Preventing Violent Extremism Consultant, Government and Non-government Organisations
As a young person, Matt was the leader of a racist gang, but a life-changing moment altered his path and now Matt's mission is to break cycles of hate and violence in our society. Matt is a CVE consultant working with government and non-government organisations as well as with schools to educate and inspire with his powerful story of redemption.
See https://www.exit.org.au/ »
Dr Kristy Goodwin
Digital Wellness Expert; Researcher and Honorary Associate, Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University
Dr Kristy Goodwin is a highly sought after expert on the impact of technology on young children’s health, learning and development (and also a mum!). Kristy’s a speaker, author, workshop facilitator, researcher and consultant who delivers evidence-based information about the impact of digital technologies on young children’s health, wellbeing and development.
Along with being an Honorary Associate at Macquarie University at the Institute of Early Childhood, Kristy has worked as a primary school and early childhood teacher for thirteen years in a range of educational settings in Australia and Asia.
Dr Jane Tracy
Medical Practitioner and Director of the Centre for Developmental Disability Health, Monash Health
Jane is a medical practitioner who has worked for over 25 years with people with disabilities and their families. She is Director of the Centre for Developmental Disability Health, Monash Health. The Centre works across the health and disability sectors to improve the healthcare, health and wellbeing of adults with intellectual and associated disabilities through educational, research and clinical activities. Jane contributes to medical and allied health professional education, believing this is an essential component of improving the healthcare available to people with disability. She has two adult children, one of whom has severe disability and therefore has both a professional and personal understanding of the field.
Fiona McCallum
General Manager, Good Grief
Fiona McCallum is the General Manager of Good Grief, a program of MacKillop Family Services. Good Grief provide Seasons for Growth, an evidence-based education program to support children, young people and adults who have experienced significant change and loss in their lives. Fiona’s background is in human resource management, health and education. Her professional interests include children’s social and emotional wellbeing and supporting the learning of professionals to further their understanding and skillset to support children and young people.
Kristen Douglas
National Manager, headspace in Schools
Kristen Douglas is the Head of headspace (the National Youth Mental Health Foundation) in Schools. She is a highly respected and sought presenter nationally and internationally on the topics of youth mental health and wellbeing, suicide postvention, Principal, School Staff self-care and wellbeing.
Kristen has significantly contributed to the synergy between education and youth mental health, combining her experience as an educator and principal, with her passion and experience in education and mental health and wellbeing, from government policy to leading headspace school support (suicide postvention support for secondary schools), a service that has contributed to the national and international evidence best practice in working with suicide in school communities. As head of headspace in Schools, Kristen continues to lead a multi-disciplinary national team of mental health and education consultants to support primary and secondary schools across Australia to support mental health and wellbeing from promotion, prevention, early intervention to postvention.
See https://headspace.org.au/schools/headspace-in-schools/ »
Madonna King
Author, journalist and chair of the Queensland Government’s taskforce on cyberbulllying
Madonna King is an award-winning journalist, author and commentator. She has long been known as the voice of current affairs in Queensland, heading the top rating current affairs program on the ABC for six years, and winning several national ABC awards for her journalism. Madonna’s ninth book is called Fathers and Daughters and it follows her award winning book Being 14. Madonna writes a weekly column – That Thinking Feeling – for Fairfax, and appears also in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend magazine. Previously, she wrote a popular Saturday column for Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail. Her experience in the media and politics allows Madonna to provide a fascinating yet entertaining keynote about what goes on behind-the-scenes in politics and the decision-making process. She has also been an in-demand speaker for school communities, particularly focused on the challenges faced by teen girls. A fellow of the prestigious World Press Institute, Madonna has served as a visiting fellow at the Queensland University of Technology, and on the Walkley Advisory Board for Journalism. She has completed a Diploma in Company Directorships, through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently on two not-for-profit boards. She is chair of the Queensland anti-cyberbullying taskforce.
Jonny Shannon
Mental Health Advocate
Jonny Shannon is one of the most sought after speakers in Australia having spoken over 2900 times since 2013. At school, undiagnosed dyslexia and other disabilities led him to failing all his subjects and being bullied; but a counsellor helped him to turn things around. After a short time in the NZ Army, Jonny moved to Australia to become a qualified youth-worker. He later took some time off and co-started four companies; one of which was 'Pushpay', an app that helps people give to charities, now on the ASX. He took his success and resources and re-dedicated his life to full-time youth work, this time focusing on interviewing youth psychologists and speaking at schools on various health topics.
Sherenne Foale
WA State Manager, headspace in Schools, Be You
Leonie is the headspace in Schools ‘Be You’ ACT Manager. Leonie Everett is a highly experienced clinician and presenter with considerable experience working in youth mental health, inclusive as a headspace centre Clinical Coordinator and NSW State Manager for headspace School Support (a suicide postvention support service for secondary schools).
See https://headspace.org.au/schools/headspace-in-schools/ »
Andrew Lord
Senior Education Consultant, headspace in Schools, Be You
Andrew headspace Schools ‘Be You’ NSW Senior Education Consultant. Andrew has over 10 years’ experience as an educator, 5 of those years as an Assistant Principal. This experience enables Andrew to understand the complexities school communities face, and is passionate about assisting schools improve mental health outcomes in children and young people and building capacity in educators to enable this.
See https://headspace.org.au/schools/headspace-in-schools/ »
Leonie Everett
ACT Manager, headspace in Schools, Be You
Leonie is the headspace in Schools ‘Be You’ ACT Manager. Leonie Everett is a highly experienced clinician and presenter with considerable experience working in youth mental health, inclusive as a headspace centre Clinical Coordinator and NSW State Manager for headspace School Support (a suicide postvention support service for secondary schools).
See https://headspace.org.au/schools/headspace-in-schools/ »
David Wild
SA State Manager, headspace in Schools, Be You
David is the headspace in Schools ‘Be You’ SA State Manager. He has extensive experience as a clinician working with children, youth and families. Dave has worked in SA and WA in remote, regional and metropolitan regions, across Govt. and non-government education and mental health, inclusive of services supporting young people and their families from Refugee, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities. David is a STTARS Board member and a 2017 graduate of the Governors Leadership foundation.
See https://headspace.org.au/schools/headspace-in-schools/ »
Dr Rachael Sharman
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast
Dr Rachael Sharman is a lecturer and researcher in psychology, specialising in child/adolescent development. Rachael's research is focused on the optimal and healthy development of the paediatric brain, and has covered the neuro/psychological impacts of: dietary practices of parents and their children; physical activity; obesity; sport participation; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; genetic disorders; concussion and childhood trauma.
Rachael has a long history in working in child-related fields including child protection, juvenile justice, disability, advocacy and genetic research. Rachael remains committed to research that ensures children have the best possible chance to meet their full potential. Her current interests include: children’s play opportunities and the built environment; resilience-building features of risky play; child protection issues including sexual abuse and trafficking; adolescent arson and self-harming; transitions from education to the workplace.
Dr Emma Goodall
Autism Consultant
Dr Emma Goodall is the Manager Disability & Complex Needs for the Department for Education in South Australia. She is responsible for the review of programs and the development and implementation of research based policy and programs to enable students with complex needs including those on the autism spectrum to flourish in the education system. Emma is an experienced autism consultant and teacher, blogger and published author who combines her professional and academic skills and knowledge with her lived experience as an autistic, to help people understand what it means to be on the autistic spectrum and how different life is for those on and not on the spectrum.