About us

Dan Vautin is the CEO of the Mental Health Council of Tasmania (MHCT).

Dan, in partnership with our Board, is responsible for ensuring that MHCT functions as an effective peak body for the community managed mental health sector in Tasmania. Together, the Board and CEO give direction and leadership towards the organisation’s relevance to the community and stakeholders, and the achievement of its vision, mission, strategic plan, annual goals and objectives.

dvautin@mhct.org

Amanda is undertaking an environmental scan of current mental health and wellbeing initiatives, training, and community groups and working with partners in the development and implementation of a mental health and wellbeing program. She works with key stakeholders to establish and support a network of community engagers including the development of training resources to increase participation and engagement of a mental health and wellbeing program across Tasmania.

aaitken@mhct.org

Emily provides administrative and communications support across the whole organisation, including answering incoming calls, responding to website enquiries, the preparation and dissemination of meeting invitations, together with supporting the development and coordination of MHCT events, campaigns, and projects. She is responsible for the monitoring and maintenance of the MHCT website and social media accounts and supports the Communications Manager in the development and delivery of the MHCT Communication Strategy.

ecarter@mhct.org

Hannah is working on the development and implementation of our Youth Mental Health Access Project. This includes developing a youth peer training program, resources and presentations which are evidence based, codesigned and build on existing peer training and support the growth of a youth peer workforce.

hgodfrey@mhct.org

Laura is working on the development and implementation of our Youth Mental Health Access Project. This includes developing a youth peer training program, resources and presentations which are evidence based, codesigned and build on existing peer training and support the growth of a youth peer workforce.

ljohnson@mhct.org

Laura is responsible for the finance, payroll, compliance, and human resources functions of MHCT. Her role is responsible for the development and implementation of policies, procedures and workplace health and safety initiatives and the oversight of all funding agreement deliverables. She provides administrative support to the CEO and MHCT Board and subcommittees.

lmartin@mhct.org

Nick is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the MHCT website and social media accounts, monitoring government and media activity relating to mental health, developing a range of communications including newsletters, infographics, surveys and marketing materials, and coordinating MHCT events.

nsullivan@mhct.org

Rhiannon (Rhi) is our Lived Experience Workforce Project Officer. Rhi will be working alongside the LEx Training Hub team to promote the benefits of an impactful, understood, and professionalised Lived Experience workforce through an approach to organisational readiness.

rhamilton@mhct.org

Sophie is responsible for general office administration including answering incoming telephone enquiries, travel coordination, managing office and kitchen supplies, and the coordination of internal team meetings. She assists in maintaining the MHCT stakeholder registers and the processing of new MHCT Member applications, as well as Work Health and Safety inspections and staff Induction Program Coordination.

scliffe@mhct.org

John Kirwan

Chair

With over 40 years’ experience in the Health and Community services sector, John is currently the CEO of Royal Flying Doctors Service Tasmania, and has been CEO of the Launceston General Hospital and Northern Area Health Service. Having been born in Kalgoorlie, and having worked in the NW of WA, NT and northern Tasmania, John has a deep commitment to our rural and remote communities.

Andrew Little

Treasurer

Andrew has over 30 years’ experience in the financial oversight and have actively contributed to the strategic and financial viability of organisations throughout his career. He has provided a range of risk management, assurance, IT, and financial audit services to both public and private sector organizations across various industries and sectors, including mental health service delivery, public health promotion or campaigns, legal, and research. Andrew is deeply passionate about advocating for mental health and wellbeing and committed to supporting service providers in their essential work. He understands the critical need for accessible services, having personally witnessed the transformative impact of mental health support, both professionally and personally.

Mark Mewis

Deputy Chair

Mark is a former Commander of Police with over 40 years of experience in policing, including a number of years representing police in the delivery of mental health services. Prior to his recent retirement, his more immediate experience lay in the areas of strategic planning, large scale project management, and executive level leadership.

Ben Hughes

Board Member

Ben has extensive experience in a start-up mental health charity, initiating the first Men’s Table in June 2011 – a peer support model for men focused on active listening. In 2019, it was decided to start more Tables. There are now approximately 260 Tables across Australia. With experience engaging different levels of government and advising the Federal Health Department on men’s health, Ben advocates for lived experience and mental health resilience. As a former Executive Director of The Men’s Table and AICD-trained in non-profit governance, he is committed to Tasmanian community wellbeing and preventative mental health strategies.

Doctor Becc Nothrop

Board Member

For Becc, mental illness has been an inescapable reality in her career as a clinician – not only from her patients. She highlights the irony of her colleagues in healthcare, particularly doctors, suffering unacceptably high rates mental illness predating the COVID pandemic.

Both patients and healthcare workers want and work hard for the best healthcare outcomes for Tasmanians but structural and intangible system barriers limit this impact. Acknowledging this, over the years Becc has taken herself to roles beyond the bedside and into leadership coaching for doctors, speaking, and advisory and now to the MHCT board.

Through her professional coaching and advocacy work, she has worked with leaders in primary care delivery in Tasmania and has been invited to speak at numerous national events hosted by preeminent bodies including Australian Medical Association, The Royal Australian Colleges of Surgeons, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Elsevier Publishing.