Meet the Speakers:

Katrina Armstrong

Katrina has been employed as the Executive Officer, Mental Health Carers Australia (MHCA) since the start of 2019. She is passionate about leading MHCA’s advocacy agenda to help create a service system that acknowledges the vital role family, friends and community play in supporting mental and social well-being, as well as the importance that they receive recognition and support in their own right

Katrina joined MHCA following a 30-year career in disability service delivery, policy and program management. Katrina has been involved with the emerging imperative to co-design across a range of settings, including in 2014-15 where she was involved in delivering the NSW Government’s Supported Living Fund, which was a form of individualised funding for people with disability. The Supported Living Fund was designed and successfully implemented through a co-design process with NSW consumer and carer peak bodies.

As the mental health sector undergoes a significant period of reform, Katrina strongly views that this period of change must be led by consumers with support from their closest personal connections, including families and friends – using structured, funded and representative co-design methodologies that are key to ensuring truly person-centred solutions.

Christine Morgan

Christine Morgan is the CEO of the National Mental Health Commission and National Suicide Prevention Adviser to Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Ms Morgan is a passionate leader in mental health care reform, committed to listening and responding to the voice and needs of those with lived experience.

Prior to joining the Commission, Ms Morgan was CEO of the Butterfly Foundation for eating disorders and Director of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration. As former CEO of the Butterfly Foundation, she led a collaborative advocacy strategy that included amplification of eating disorders as a serious mental and physical health issue. This is now being replicated internationally. In the not for profit sector, Ms Morgan was General Manager at Wesley Mission, over the areas of Corporate Services; and Community & Family Development. Prior to joining Wesley Mission, Ms Morgan was Executive General Manager responsible for managing the strategic direction and business unit effectiveness of the Wholesale, Broadband & Media Business Unit at Telstra.

Ms Morgan brings connection and passion to mental health reform, built on the networks she established in the corporate world, her broad legal expertise, her extensive not-for-profit experience and her strong ability to demonstrate to people how their contribution can make a real difference.

Maggie Toko

Maggie is the CEO of VMIAC and identifies as indigenous to Aotearoa.  Maggie’s career has been spent working in the welfare sector which has included working in homelessness, youth, sexual assault, mental health and drug and alcohol.  Maggie also spent some time in dual roles as a teacher at RMIT travelling to the Northern Territory teaching the Diploma in Mental health to Indigenous students and as a consumer consultant with Reach Out Southern Mental Health. Maggie started the first Youth Hearing Voices group in Victoria and continues to support and encourage youth leadership through VMIAC.  Maggie continues to work within a Human Rights framework and has a life commitment to work to end injustice.

Natasha Mitchell (moderator)

Natasha Mitchell is a multi-award winning science journalist, host, audio producer and podcaster. She is the presenter and producer of the weekly culture and science show, Science Friction, which won best Science and Medicine Podcast at the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. She was host of the flagship daily social affairs program on ABC Radio National, Life Matters, for 4 years, and founder of the popular program and podcast, All in the Mind, which she hosted and produced for 10 years. Natasha’s commitment to mental health journalism has been recognised with four Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Broadcast Media Awards. Natasha served as vice president of the World Federation of Science Journalists, was recipient of the prestigious MIT Knight Journalism Fellowship, the New York Radio Festivals’ Grand Prize and four Gold World Medals, amongst other awards. She has an engineering degree from Monash University, and a postgraduate diploma in science communication from the ANU. She regularly facilitates public events and dialogues around Australia, including a series of four dialogues with the Dalai Lama and scientists.

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