Preventive Mental Health Conference 2026

Pat Dudgeon, a Bardi woman from Western Australia, is a psychologist and professor at the Poche Centre for Aboriginal Health and the School of Indigenous Studies at UWA. Her research focuses on Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. She is the director of the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention and lead Chief Investigator for the national Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing research project. Pat has served on numerous boards, including the National Suicide Prevention Office Advisory Board, NACCHO Culture Care Connect, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit Australia), and AIPA, and was a National Mental Health Commissioner for five years. A leading voice in Indigenous mental health, her significant publications include Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice (2014) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project Report – What the Evidence and Our People Tell Us (2016).

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Dr Brown is the Chief Medical Officer for Medilinks, an organisation providing services to veterans. She currently sits on the Board of Wellways and from time to time, provides consultancy services as an expert advisor. She was one of three Commissioners appointed to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. She formerly held roles including Senior Clinical Advisor at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care; Chief Executive Officer of the National Mental Health Commission; Director-General, ACT Health; Chief Psychiatrist/Director of Mental Health in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory; and an NHS International Fellow in the United Kingdom. She has also served on the Boards of Ahpra, Health Workforce Australia, the National eHealth Transition Authority, and Healthscope (Advisory Board).

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David McGrath is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Mental Health Commission. With extensive experience as a Board Director for the Black Dog Institute, a Senior Executive in NSW Health and formerly chairing the National Mental Health Standing Committee, David now leads the Commission’s work to monitor, evaluate and improve Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention system. Additionally, David is a highly experienced public policy consultant who has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation for over a decade. 

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