Embedding the Collaborative Centre in the community
Our move into our new home is now complete and the Collaborative Centre is up and running at 205 Queensberry St, Carlton! Some final renovation work is underway on the top floor of the building and will be finished by early in the New Year.
This move creates a foundation for deeper community collaboration and brings us closer to our Consortium of health and research partners. It also embeds the Royal Commission vision of working differently at the Centre.
Integrated teams of researchers, practitioners, people with lived expertise, workforce educators and policy makers are now actively delivering on our priority focus areas. These include mental health translational research and systemwide training and capability development of Victoria’s mental health workforce to innovate service delivery and models of care informed by lived and living experience.
Supporting Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing workforce
In July, we welcomed staff who transitioned from the Centre for Mental Health Learning (CMHL) and have now settled in well at the Centre. We are also pleased to update that the Centre has taken on program management for the Lived and Living Experience Workforce (LLEW) Development Program. This has transitioned from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Division’s Lived Experience Branch at the Department of Health accompanied by $11 million of annual funding support.
Integrating these two critical workforce programs aligns with the Centre’s new role in whole-of-workforce professional development and strengthens our partnership with The Collective and other LLEW sector partners. It further embeds LLEW expertise at the Collaborative Centre, with six designated lived experience roles within the Centre’s Workforce team.
We are currently undertaking a whole-of-workforce training needs analysis and sector mapping to guide the implementation of this work in partnership with the Department of Health, leveraging translational research expertise at the Collaborative Centre.
Our goal is to improve outcomes and experiences of consumers and carers, alongside workforce capability and wellbeing.
Data-driven insights and research capabilities
Our data analytics capability and new AI-driven Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) are now in place. The KSP provides the sector with evidence-based insights and resources, championing a transformative approach to knowledge sharing by integrating evidence from LLE expertise, best-practice wisdom, and academic research and evaluation.
In July, the Centre welcomed Jason Thompson, Professor of Mental Health Reform, recently appointed by our lead academic partner the University of Melbourne. Jason brings extensive expertise in public health policy modeling, systems research, and research translation. He will lead the growth of an interdisciplinary mental health translational research hub fostering LLE research leadership and participation.
Changes to the Collaborative Centre Board
In August, we celebrated the contributions of Terry Laidler as the inaugural Chair of the Collaborative Centre. Terry has chosen to finish his term as Board Chair after three years. Our heartfelt thanks to Terry for his leadership, collaboration and hard work in guiding the establishment of the Centre. We also farewelled and thanked departing Deputy Chair, Maria Katsonis and Board Director, Dr Steven Moylan for their commitment and many contributions to the Centre.
The Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt MP has appointed Dr Gerry Naughtin as Board Chair and Amelia Walters as Deputy Chair. Gerry and Amelia are current Board Directors and will guide the work of the Centre until the new Board is appointed. Amelia is one of the designated Lived Experience Directors and will chair the Board’s Lived Experience steering group.
Strengthening lived experience in the Centre's governance and leadership
In August, the Board endorsed a recommendation from the Centre's Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) to establish a Lived and Living Experience Governance (LLEG) board subcommittee to replace LEAP. A charter has been developed that will support this new subcommittee and strengthen the voices of people with lived and living experience in the governance and work of the Centre.
Sam Hayward and Robyn Callaghan have been elected as the new LEAP Co-Chairs following the completion of Caroline Lambert’s three-year term as Chair of LEAP. Sam and Robyn are working with the Board’s Lived Experience steering group on the transition and recruitment processes for the new LLEG subcommittee. More details will follow soon!
Reflecting the Centre’s commitment to lived and living experience and bringing an evidence-informed approach to our work, a review of the Centre’s engagement with lived experience communities was undertaken. This review was led by Erandathie Jayakody and produced a set of recommendations that will be actioned by the Board to deepen our collaboration and relationships with Victoria’s lived experience sector leaders and communities.
The Board has also completed a review of the Co-CEO position descriptions and approved proceeding with the appointment to the vacant Co-CEO Lived Experience role on an interim basis. The Board has confirmed that the appointment of the permanent Co-CEO role rests with the new Board, once its membership has been finalised.
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