One in five Australians will experience difficulties with their mental health at some stage of their lives but mental ill-health isn’t a life sentence.
Nor does it define a person. I’m proud to lead Mind Australia – an organisation that supports people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns – to find help, hope and purpose in their lives.
We have a proud tradition of providing individualised, evidence-based, early intervention and recovery focussed support to more than 11,000 people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns in Australia every year.
We’ve been doing this important work with clients and their carers, families and friends for more than 40 years.
We are one of the largest providers of community-managed psychosocial services in Australia – an area of mental health support which continues to gain more exposure as a vital element of much-needed mental health system reform.
Psychosocial supports – like the kind provided by Mind Australia – help people with mental health and wellbeing issues manage daily activities, rebuild and maintain connections, engage with education and employment, and participate fully in the community. These are supports which help people take positive steps in their recovery journey and are the foundation of Mind’s services.
We partner with health, community, and government organisations to provide holistic support and a safe environment for people experiencing mental health and wellbeing concerns to live in the community.
I’m proud to say we are a leading employer of people with lived experience of mental ill-health, recognising their unique ability to connect with and motivate clients and guide their recovery.
We are engaging different voices and experiences to deliver across multiple platforms and services, setting new targets and new ways of thinking and working. We know this is integral to mental health reform and providing the best support we can to those we serve.
Mind is also one of the leading specialist community housing providers in Australia for people with a psychosocial disability, because we know that one of the foundations of mental health and wellbeing is safe, secure and affordable housing.
Our support services are flexible and offer genuine choice and control because we know everyone’s mental health recovery journey is unique.
We also work with young people who have a range of mental health and wellbeing concerns. We support people to set goals, and develop the knowledge and skills to achieve them because young people should not be defined by their mental ill-health.
But our impact extends beyond service delivery. We invest in research and advocacy to build and translate the evidence about what works in mental health recovery into policy and practice.
We’ve contributed to state and federal government inquiries, including the landmark Productivity Commission into Mental Health and the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
I’m proud to work for an organisation which values lived experience, social connection, innovation, a recovery focus, safety and quality, diversity and inclusion, and dignity and worth for all.
I encourage you to subscribe to our monthly digital newsletter, Mind View, to keep up to date with all the latest news from Mind, and if you are in a position to do so, consider donating to help us continue our important work in the community.
Best wishes,
Gill Callister PSM
Chief Executive Officer
Mind Australia
Gill Callister is available for interview, media comment and speaking engagements. please contact Mind Communications Manager Max McLean at [email protected] or on 0497 333 545 to arrange an interview or for more information.
Follow Gill on Twitter: @GillCallister
About Gill Callister
Gill Callister PSM, Chief Executive Officer
Gill Callister is CEO of Mind Australia, a community-based mental health organisation with a long tradition of working with people with serious mental illness. She has dedicated her career to improving public policy and service delivery, particularly for vulnerable people in the community, and was recognised with a Public Service Medal in 2019.
Most recently an Associate Dean and Vice President at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) in 2019-20, Gill ran executive education programs in ethics and integrity, women’s leadership, and senior public sector leadership development. She also holds an adjunct professor role at Monash University.
Prior to this Gill served as Secretary of two Victorian Government Departments over almost ten years from 2009 to the end of 2018 – The Department of Human services and The Department of Education and Training. Her legacy is a strong reputation for person-centred reform in social policy and an active advocate for gender equality and women’s leadership.
This followed a range of senior roles in the Victorian Public Service and a ten-year stint in the community sector working with children, young people and families.
Gill is chair of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency management committee, a member of the Monash University Council, and a member of the Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand Board.
Gill is a past President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) (Victoria). Her leadership in public policy was recognised in 2013 when she was named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence and received a Sir James Wolfensohn Public Service Scholarship to attend Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In October 2014, Gill was awarded the IPAA National Fellowship award and a Monash University Fellowship and in 2017 was named as one of the top 50 women in the Victorian public service.
Gill holds Bachelor degrees in Social Work (with Honours) and Arts.