Peter Agalla and Kelly Johnstone have bright futures as leaders in mental health.
Peter is a child protection social worker from Darwin, and Kelly is a clinician working on mental health partnerships at Bupa.
They spent a week at the Commission in February, under the National Mental Health Commission’s Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship (AMHLF) – meeting staff and stakeholders and learning about the work of the Commission and the sector in Queensland.
Kelly said she was impressed by the number of passionate and committed people making a difference in mental health and AOD services.
“Without good people, the mental health and AOD sector cannot be effective – and leadership is everyone’s responsibility, regardless of where they work in the system.
“I think sometimes we take our eye off the prize. To make a difference, we need to remember that the consumer is at the centre of the system,” she said.
Peter said he took to heart the words of Commissioner Ivan Frkovic.
“He said leadership is about relationships, and I really believe that. As one of the leaders in my own community, I think that’s something I need to take along and really practice.”
The importance of listening was also emphasised during the week.
“I was told that you can write a great policy, but if the policy doesn’t meet people in the middle so everybody’s voice is heard, then it’s not going to make a difference,” Peter said.
“I think that’s a great way to address and include the needs of minorities and migrant and refugee communities.
“For me, it’s simple. Go out there, listen to people -- because they’re the experts in their own problems, within their own unique communities.”
Kelly agreed, noting Commission and Advisory Council efforts to visit regional communities to hear their unique needs and learn about their strengths and resilience.
“Making a point of having meetings in regional areas has obviously had an impact on NGOs and service providers – how you’ve actually taken the time to meet with them and learn about their journey as providers and the challenges they’ve had meeting they’re community’s specific mental health needs,” she said.
The Shifting minds: Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategic Plan 2018-2023 and Every life: The Queensland Suicide Prevention Plan 2019-2029 also made an impression.
“Every person we met reflected on Shifting minds and how it fitted with their work and aligned with their KPIs or work plans for three to five years,” Kelly said.
“Even though you write a policy now, it takes years for it to go through to where it needs to be, and then for it to be operational and implemented, and to actually make a difference.
“Reform is a long journey” she said.
Asked what message she would like to send the mental health sector, Kelly said: “My advice is treat other people how you expect to be treated yourself.”
“If you’ve got that in your mind, you’ll always be kind, considerate and mindful of other people’s needs. I think that’s the bottom line.”
Peter said he hadn’t worked directly in mental health, but had seen many mental health issues in his child protection and social work roles. He now hopes to move into mental health.
“Part of it is because I have personally lost someone to suicide. I brought a nephew from Africa who came with so much – dreams and aspirations – but because he felt he wasn’t meeting his goals, eventually he took his own life.
“I get this drive because I want to really learn a lot about mental health service delivery and utilise my knowledge and experiences to prevent any more loss in the community.
“Certainly coming to the Commission has been an eye-opener for me, just to know there are passionate people out there who are not only trying to make a difference for people, but are trying to change the system to suit people.
“It’s been an honour and a great opportunity to have been part of this process, because I’ve learnt so much and come across people I would probably never have met, and I’m leaving with a lot of confidence.
“It’s been a real privilege to have this opportunity.”
About AMHLF
The Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship (AMHLF), developed and led by the National Mental Health Commission, has been funded by the Australian Government since July 2018.
It is designed to support emerging leaders with a passion and commitment to mental health. The program is competitive, with about 20 fellows selected from across Australia per cohort.
The fellowship incorporates a mix of experiential learning, reflective practice and group activity and is supported by expert facilitators, coaches and mentors. Educational content designed and delivered by the University of Melbourne includes mentors sourced from a pool of experienced health managers and leaders.
Kelly and Peter are in the fellowship’s fourth cohort. Their placement with the Commission has given them opportunities to attend and lead a series of interviews to gain exposure to a diversity of people, organisations and roles in the mental health sector. They have been exposed to unique perspectives about leadership journeys in mental health, and to knowledge about the mental health sector in Queensland.
For more information about the AMHLF, visit https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/mental-health-reform/leaders-fellowship
