Belinda Connell

Belinda Connell has been a registered Social Worker for 25 years and has over 10 years’ experience in suicide prevention, delivering LivingWorks’ suicide intervention training in Australia and overseas. Prior to joining LivingWorks, Belinda worked in Government and Non-Government sectors and has also served as a sworn Police Officer with the NSW Police Service. This experience has helped her establish and nurture relationships with first responders, ultimately building LivingWorks’ network of safety. As State Training Manager for NSW and ACT, Belinda oversees and supports a network of more than 190 LivingWorks ASIST and safeTALK trainers, and sits on the Suicide Prevention Australia NSW/ACT Joint Committee.

Sergeant Matt Ireland

Sgt Matt Ireland is in his 23rd year within the NSWPF. He has served within metropolitan, regional and remote areas of NSW. He spent 6 years with the NSWPF Mental Health Intervention Team. Sgt Ireland has an Honours Degree in Psychology and was a PhD candidate in 2018 when he was seriously assaulted whilst on duty. After a significant time out of the workplace following a diagnosis of PTSD, he now holds a position within the NSWPF People and Capability Command. In 2022 he walked the Camino de Santiago - an 850km journey across Spain.

Cameron Watts

Cameron is the Founder and Managing Director of Capital Integrity, a strategic counsel and government relations consultancy that helps clients in the tech and cyber fields engage with government and industry.

Cameron served fourteen years in the Australian Federal Police, most of this time in leadership roles, and as an AFP advisor to the federal government. He also led some of Australia’s biggest corporate criminal matters including foreign bribery and corruption investigations.

Cameron has deep expertise in engagement with senior decision makers in government both domestically and internationally and uses this expertise to align the needs of government and his clients.

Cameron is a strong advocate for first responders and the need to provide support to this under resourced cohort, and he and his wife Sharn are both proud Fortem Australia Ambassadors.

Megan Kingham

Bio coming soon.

Professor Sam Harvey

Sam Harvey is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Executive Director and Chief Scientist of the Black Dog Institute. Over the last 10 years he has led Australia's largest program of research focused on the mental health of frontline workers. Together with Prof Richard Bryant, he established the Bushfire Support Service after the 2019/20 bushfires, which has now transformed into Australia's National Emergency Worker Support Service (NEWSS).

Leona Tan

Leona Tan is PhD Candidate based at the Black Dog Institute and University of New South Wales. Her PhD aims to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of mind-body resilience training to prevent the development of trauma related mental health disorders in first responders.

Her excellence in research has been recognised by numerous competitive awards including the 2021 John Raftery Early Career Award for Research in Traumatic Stress. Her research has also influenced organisational policies within local and international first responder organisations, as well as the World Health Organization in their development of guidelines for high-risk industry groups, including first responders.

Hugh Strong

Hugh Strong commenced with the Queensland Rural Fire Service in 2014. He is a Crew Leader and Brigade Training Officer with Glen Aplin Rural Fire Brigade as well as a member of the Queensland RFS Remote Area Operations team or RAFT. Hugh was elected to the position of Deputy Group Officer for Training for the Stanthorpe Group in October 2022. He has lead crews during the 19/20 Black summer fires as a crew leader, sector commander and divisional commander as well as acted in the role of deputy strike team leader during deployments interstate and been part of strike teams to flood zones assisting in recovery efforts.

Outside of the RFS, Hugh works for the Federal Government in the welfare sector dealing with the vulnerable in areas such as domestic violence, natural disaster recovery and welfare payments as well as being a first aid officer and mental health first aid officer. Hugh also is a self-defence instructor assisting domestic violence and assault survivors rediscover their strength and confidence.

Dr Mark Deady

Dr Mark Deady is a UNSW Senior Research Fellow based at the Black Dog Institute, and the Research Lead within the Workplace Mental Health Research Program. He has over thirteen years research experience in the field of mental health and substance use disorders. Dr Deady has extensive expertise in the development of digital interventions, online service delivery, clinical trial evaluation and workplace mental health. His primary research interest is in improving access to evidence-based prevention and early intervention through technology and the translation of research into practice, particularly in vulnerable populations including young people and high-risk workforces.

Dr Aimee Gayed

Dr Aimee Gayed is a registered psychologist with experience in research, professional education and clinical settings across mental health and criminological domains. Aimee has been with the Workplace Mental Health Research Team at the Black Dog Institute, UNSW since 2015. The primary focus of her research is developing and evaluating tailored training for managers, to help them better understand and better support the mental health needs of the staff they supervise. She is also leading research with employees in high-risk industries investigating the benefits of evidence-based workplace interventions designed to address psychosocial risk factors and promote more mentally healthy workplaces.

Commissioner Georgeina Whelan

Georgeina Whelan graduated from Officer Training in June 1988. She has extensive experience in the command and management of Defence health systems, and military and civilian disaster and emergency response. As an Army Officer, Brigadier Whelan deployed to East Timor in 1999 and to Banda Aceh, Indonesia on Operation Sumatra Assist in command of the ANZAC Field Hospital in 2005. She has completed several leadership, management, and tertiary programs over the past two decades.

Georgeina joined the ACT Emergency Services Agency as the Chief Officer of the State Emergency Service in late October 2017. She was subsequently appointed as the Commissioner of the ACT Emergency Services Agency in September 2019. She was appointed as the ACT Emergency Controller and led the ACT response to the 2019 Black Summer Fires. She remains engaged with Defence through Reserve Services as a project officer within the Directorate of Army Health.

Georgeina was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) in 2004 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006 and awarded a Bar to her Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2016.

She was named ACT Telstra Businesswoman of the year in 2015 and awarded the ACT Public Service Award for Leadership in 2019.

Georgeina is the patron of the ACT Down Syndrome Association and sits on several research and advisory boards that focus on the provision of health and wellness programs to both ADF and Australian Emergency Service First Responders. She is also a member of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Male Champions of Change Coalition.

Georgeina is married to Gary a retired Army Officer and Fire Fighter and they have four children. Georgeina’s interests include coaching netball, following the NRL, cooking and watching Gary gardening 😊

Dr Dominic Morgan ASM Assoc Professor

Bio coming soon.