Gallery of Honour
TheMHS Medal
This Award, created in 2015, honours a unique and inspiring contribution to Mental Health by an individual or organisation and is awarded at the discretion of TheMHS Award Committee.
TheMHS Medal 2017
Presented to Mental Health First Aid Australia
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia is a national, not-for-profit, health promotion charity focused on mental health first aid training and research.
Its mission is to provide high quality, evidence-based mental health first aid education to everyone. Its vision is a community where everyone has the first aid skills to support people with mental health problems.
MHFA Australia has 16 FTE staff members and a budgeted expenditure for this year of $2 Million. Funding is derived from fee-for-service training activities, government grants and philanthropy. MHFA Australia trains, then supports a national network of 1,386 MHFA instructors, who have trained over 500,000 members of the public.
The organisation has spread MHFA training to over 20 countries and has in 2017 reached the extraordinary milestone of over 2 million people trained globally.
Extensive research to inform the curriculum and to evaluate MHFA training has shown that it improves mental health knowledge, reduces stigmatising attitudes and increases helping behaviour.
Photo: TheMHS Medal 2017 – presented to Mental Health First Aid Australia (Hon Greg Hunt, Betty Kitchener OAM and Nataly Bovopoulos
TheMHS Medal 2016
Presented to Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Orygen was awarded the TheMHS Medal to celebrate their extraordinary and world-leading influence in Youth Mental Health endeavors including the vital role of early intervention to address mental ill-health in young people.
Photo: TheMHS Medal 2016 - Presented to Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health. Picture: (John Moran, Kevin Allan and Kerryn Pennell) (Pat McGorry).
TheMHS MEDAL 2015
Presented to Australian Broadcasting Corporation for 2014 Mental As …
2014 Mental As… was an amazing collection of programs on ABCTV, radio and online during one moving week of events across all ABC genres and platforms.
Photo: TheMHS Medal 2015 - Presented to ABC Mental As.. Jack Heath, SANE, Richard Finlayson, ABC and Tegan Cotterill, Mindframe.
Exceptional Contribution Winners
TheMHS Exceptional Contribution Award has a proud history of recognising the hard work and extraordinary achievement of individuals in improving mental health service delivery for Australians and New Zealanders.
This award represents an acknowledgement of an exceptional contribution, the results of which will flow on to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of all.
For other categories of TheMHS Awards Winners, view the archive of All Award Winners.
Year |
Location |
Winner(s) |
| 2017 | Sydney |
Helen Morton: Former Western Australian Minister for Mental Health Pamela Rutledge: CEO of Flourish Australia |
| 2016 | Auckland |
Bernadette McSherry: Founding Director, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne Jenny Burger: Schizophrenia Fellowship, Tandem, North West Area Mental Health Service, Melbourne, VIC |
| 2015 | Canberra |
Helen Herrman: Director, Research at Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, VIC; President Elect of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Brendan O'Hanlon: The Bouverie Centre, VIC Janet Peters: Psychologist, Tauranga, New Zealand |
| 2014 | Perth |
Douglas Holmes: Mental Health Consumer Participation Officer, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW Erica Lee: Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Mater Health Services, Brisbane, QLD |
| 2013 | Melbourne |
Margaret Leggatt, Victoria Anne Helm, Wellington, New Zealand |
| 2012 | Cairns |
Trevor Hazell: Director, Hunter Insitute of Mental Health Barbara Hocking: Executive Director of SANE Australia |
| 2011 | Adelaide |
Leanne Craze, NSW |
| 2010 | Sydney |
Isabell Collins, Melbourne, VIC |
| 2009 | Perth |
Betty Kitchener: Director of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training Program |
| 2008 | Auckland |
Beth Bailey, Melbourne VIC |
| 2007 | Melbourne |
Sandy Jeffs, Christmas Hills, VIC Sharon Lawn: Southern Adelaide Health Service Bedford Park, SA |
| 2006 | Townsville |
Ms Ngoc-Anh Nguyen: Western Region Health Centre (WRHC), Western Region Outreach Service (part of WRHC) Professor Ian Falloon: University of New Zealand |
| 2005 | Adelaide |
Barbara Wieland: Service Director, Central Northern Adelaide Health Service Mental Health Division, Northern Barbara Disley: CEO- Group Special Education Ministry of Education in New Zealand |
| 2004 | Gold Coast |
Lifeline 24 Hour Crisis Telephone Line |
| 2003 | Canberra |
SANE Australia |
| 2002 | Sydney |
Dr Joan Clarke: Executive Director of Prahran Mission |
| 2001 | Wellington |
Ms Anne Deveson, AO: SANE Australia Professor John Werry: Mental Health Commission, New Zealand |
| 2000 | Adelaide |
Simon Champ Janet Meagher, AM |
| 1999 | Melbourne |
Kathleen Stacey: Department of Public Health – Community Mental Health SPHERE: A National Depression Project |
| 1998 | Hobart |
Create - Community Recreation, Education Access, Training & Employment Team 'Cornucopia': Ryde Community Mental Health Service Rehabilitation and Therapy Programs for Mental Health Clients: Belvedere Mental Health Resource and Therapy Centre |
| 1997 | Sydney |
The Centre for Indigenous Mental Health Research and education: University of Melbourne Dept. of Psychiatry St Vincent's' Hospital Diploma of Health Science (Mental Health): Joint Initiative with Charles Sturt University, Southern Health Service, and Aboriginal Steering Committee Darwin Rural Aboriginal Mental Health Team: Territory Health Services |
| 1996 | Brisbane |
Mental Health Program: Department of Public Health & Nutrition, University of Wollongong |
| 1995 | Auckland |
Associate Professor Patrick McGorry: Early Psychosis & Intervention Centre |
| 1994 | Melbourne |
Ms Robyn Byers: Nelson Marlborough Health Service Ltd |
