Mental Health Advisory Council

The Mental Health Advisory Council (MHAC) provides strategic advice and guidance to the Mental Health Commissioner regarding major issues affecting people with mental health issues, their families and service providers.

To be able to provide balanced and confidential advice to the Commissioner, MHAC members obtain feedback from across the mental health sector, the community and the State. 

The MHAC works in collaboration with the Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Board to achieve a coordinated focus on mental health, alcohol and other drug use issues.

Following a period of abeyance, the MHAC reconvened in December 2019 with a new Chair and some newly appointed members.

To contact the MHAC, phone the Mental Health Commission on 08 6553 0600 or email mhac@mhc.wa.gov.au.

Mental Health Advisory Council Members

Margaret Doherty, Chair

Margaret is committed to ensuring that a diversity of lived experience voices are meaningfully included in the design, delivery and evaluation of initiatives which affect them. Her values include equity, integrity and love.

Before becoming Chair in 2019, Margaret was a member of the Mental Health Advisory Council from 2011-2018. In 2010, she founded Mental Health Matters 2 as a result of her family's experiences in the mental health, alcohol and other drug and corrective services systems. She blends this living experience with her professional background in education, corrective services and running her own business. 

Margaret holds undergraduate degrees in arts and commerce and post-graduate qualifications in education and mental health. She is a member of a number of committees, including the Forensic Mental Health Sub Network Steering Committee and the National Peer Support Guidelines Development Steering Committee.

Margaret was the consumer/carer representative on the Review of the Clinical Governance in Mental Health of Public Mental Health Services in Western Australia and is a member of the Sustainable Health Independent Oversight Committee. Margaret is also a regular panellist and keynote conference presenter. She credits her family, friends, rescue pets and sprawling garden‑in‑construction with helping her maintain a semblance of sanity.

Patricia Councillor, Deputy Chair

Patricia is a strong Yamaji Nyarlu (woman) originally from Meekatharra. Patricia has been working in mental health since 2009 and working as a mental health practitioner and counsellor since 2013. Patricia has been a carer for a family member with disability and mental health issues for thirty-two years.

Patricia values respect, especially of our Elders. Sharing of knowledge, commitment to helping and supporting others, and compassion. Patricia briefly worked as Service Manager for a step-up step-down mental health service in Geraldton and servicing the Midwest region, she is now located at Centacare Geraldton as a team leader for children contact services as well as Aboriginal Community Advocate.

A Council member since 2019, Patricia stepped into the role of Deputy Chair in September 2021. Patricia holds a bachelor degree in mental health and various certificates related to human and community services, and has worked in government, non-government and Aboriginal controlled organisations. Patricia has served on many boards and committees including Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Meekatharra Aboriginal Reference Group and Wungen Kartup Carer Consumer Advisory group. Since 2012, Patricia has been delivering Aboriginal Mental Health Fist Aid around the state to community and agency staff in remote areas. Her most recent workshop was delivered to prisoners in Greenough Prison.

Patricia's journey into mental health came about due to one of her family members becoming mentally unwell and the hoops she had to jump through to get the correct and appropriate support for them. She now shares her resources and pathways into mental health services with whoever asks and tries to keep updated on all the resources and services available. Patricia believes mental health is talked about more now than it ever was, and it's just about finding the correct service for whoever needs it. For Patricia, as an Aboriginal person, it is about finding services that are culturally appropriate to help her mob that little bit more. 

Dr Richard Oades

Richard is a human service manager and practitioner, with a strong background in the development of communities. His values include belief in human ability to achieve and community belonging.

Richard was born in the UK, travelling to Australia at the age of 23. He has degrees in Sociology (Hons), Social Work (B Ap Sc), Community Development (MA) and a Doctorate (Social Sustainability). Richard has worked in mental health, training, child protection, justice (both adult and juvenile) in New South Wales and Western Australia. He has 13 years’ experience in the Kimberley in Justice and Community Development and six years as Manager of state-wide Crisis Care (24-hour service). Richard is on the Board of Morrissey Homestead (aged and disability care) and a member of several advisory committees. He is the former Director of the Western Australian Association for Mental Health.

He has three Aboriginal children as part of a blended family of six children, the youngest being 30 years. He and his wife live on a 17-acre property near Donnybrook. His interests include golf, wine, music, his dog, fishing and travel with his wife.

Lee Steel

Lee lives in Pingelly, a small remote rural community, and enjoys a peaceful lifestyle that includes a strong connection to her local community. Lee values family, integrity, compassion and respect.

Lee has lived in remote rural communities for over 35 years and is currently the manager of the Pingelly Community Resource Centre. Lee enjoys her work as it allows her to assist in building capacity in both individuals and the community. Lee’s highest priority in life is her family and they are very supportive of both her career and mental health illness. Like many, Lee has struggled with her mental illness on and off for many years and has had long periods of time away from her family and community as there were no or very limited services available locally. Due to her illness Lee has also had to endure institutionalisation and imprisonment in both the Frankland Centre and Bandyup Women’s prison, including long stays in isolation. Lee looks forward to providing independent advice and guidance, particularly from a lived experience view point, to the Mental Health Commissioner regarding major issues affecting people who experience mental distress, their families, carers and supporters, as well as service providers.

Tracey Young

Tracey is a registered nurse with 23 years of experience in the public mental health sector. She values honesty, inclusion, team work, and integrity.

Tracey has worked in many senior roles in Queensland and WA Health. These include the youth, adult and child mental health sectors, and in acute, emergency, community and inpatient roles. Additionally, she has a breadth of experience with homeless mental health services, interagency collaboration, policy and special projects. She views herself as a ‘professional advocate’ for consumers, incorporating families, carers, and associated government and community-based organisations to achieve the individual's recovery goals and ‘a contributing life’. Road trips with a ute and a tent, snorkelling, and time spent with her five adult children and one fine grandie (all of whom she likes very much) keep her motivated and balanced.

Jessica Nguyen

Jessica has been a pharmacist for almost 15 years, following graduation from the University of Western Australia in 2007 with a Master’s degree in Pharmacy. Jessica has a focus on mental health pharmacy and  values maintaining psychopharmacology excellence in her profession and patient centred service.

Jessica currently works at Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group in the Department of Pharmacy as a Senior Pharmacist on the Adult Mental Health wards. Jessica has a passion for patient centred medication treatment.

Paul Parfitt

Paul Parfitt is a Balladong/Wilman Noongar Marmun with connections to many Noongar and Yamatji people throughout WA. He has worked all his life doing a range of different jobs such as Shearing, Boilermaker-Welder, Aboriginal Education Worker, Aboriginal Health Worker, Aboriginal Alcohol and Other Drug Worker, Quitline Aboriginal Liaison Worker and Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Officer that involved family tracing and uniting families who have been separated since childhood and never known or met their parents. This particular work of re-uniting families together was delivered Australia wide and globally, including over-seas locations such as Scotland, England and America.

Paul’s training qualifications include; Boiler Maker-Welder Trades Certification, Aboriginal Health/ Mental Health Certificate IV, Aboriginal AOD Worker Certificate III and an Advanced Diploma in Aboriginal AOD Worker Narrative Therapy Counsellor. Paul is a father, husband, brother, grand-father and Noongar Elder who currently resides in Northam and is proud to represent his community and families. Paul has worked in both Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and mainstream Government Organisations for well over 40 years and still has the passion and commitment to helping and supporting Aboriginal individuals, families and communities.

Paul is a Stolen Generations survivor who Co-Chaired the inaugural WA Stolen Generations Committee and the National Stolen Generations Committee for over 10 years, during this period they were instrumental with their involvement and implementing the National Sorry Day Apology. Through this process Paul has built up the strength and resilience to overcome many challenges and continues to advocate strongly for his people to highlight and address the many struggles and disparities they experience in their lives today.

Virginia Catterall 

Virginia is a dedicated consumer representative and system advocate in the mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD) and criminal justice sectors.  She works as a consumer representative for Start Court, the Forensic Mental Health Sub Network Steering Committee, the Forensic Community Partnership Advisory Group and as an AOD consumer representative for North Metro Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services. Virginia is currently on the system advocacy group, Mental Health Matters 2 Steering Group. Previously, Virginia has worked for the Alcohol & Other Drug Consumer & Community Coalition (AODCCC) as Treasurer and Vice Chair. Currently she also works for Avivo on their Experts by Experience Council. Finally, she was the recipient of the Lived Experience Impact and Sustainability Award sponsored by the Mental Health Fellowship of WA at the Western Australian Association of Mental Health Awards in 2020.

Virginia holds a business degree and a Masters certificate in Project Management and has a significant background working in these fields and is always looking for ways to increase her knowledge and expertise in the fields she is now working in.

Nafiso Mohamed

Nafiso is a young Somali Australian who has a passion for working in international policy and research and has a keen interest in service accessibility, inclusion and equity. In 2020, Nafiso completed an internship at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Amman, Jordan, where she focused on combining gender mainstreaming with targeted interventions for women and girls as a tool to bridge historical gaps in gender equality, participation and access to services.

In 2019, she undertook research in Economic Development and Social Policy at the Centre for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan. Nafiso has engaged in various advocacy and mentor-based programs that support the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia through policy development and research evaluation. Having graduated from Curtin University, Nafiso is an advocate for empowering and engaging young people to shape the policies that influence their lives through her work with government and non-government organisations. She currently works for Services Australia and continues to advocate on the intersections of gender equality, multiculturalism and human rights to shape policies that influence lives of refugee and migrants living in Australia.

Jennifer Wilton

Jen has been a registered nurse for the past 30 years, and has been working as an endorsed Nurse Practitioner in the community for the past 12 years. Jen is working with our most vulnerable community members hoping to make positive changes in the health of homeless, indigenous, CALD and people with lived experiences in mental health. She treasures strong family ties and values honesty, commitment, inclusion and empathy.

Jen holds postgraduate qualifications in mental health and diabetes education, and a Masters in Nursing. Her passion for change and improvement in services and access for people with lived experiences begun when she started working in the Perth CBD and helping the homeless community in the city. Her own personal journey began with her husband who is a war veteran after serving in the Navy for the past 25 years. She has become acutely aware of the issues being faced by our DVA Personnel, namely PTSD and veteran suicide which has unfortunately touched her heart too many times. Currently Jen is working as a Nurse Practitioner with Silver Chain and working with the vulnerable and disadvantaged community to improve their health outcomes. 

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