Lynda Berends, Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW,Karen Crinall, Senior Lecturer, Federation University of Australia


Lynda Berends is a health services researcher who specialises in the study of alcohol and other drug service delivery and system design, across acute and primary health sectors. Lynda is a senior researcher at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales and she has an extensive history with Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. Lynda is the inaugural chair of the Health and Human Services Working Group, for the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia, and she is on the council of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Karen Crinall is a senior lecturer in Community Welfare, Counselling and Human Services Management, and is Research Director in the School of Applied Media and Social Sciences, Federation University of Australia.

Vanessa Bleier - Has worked in health and human services for 17 years, in aged care and in Disability services, having originally started as a casual Disability Support worker and Attendant Carer while working through university; Fiona Boyle - CEO, Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault; Sue Carswell - Has a doctorate in social anthropology from Otago University and over 18 years research and evaluation experience working for government agencies, community organisations and universities. For the last 9 years she has worked as an independent research and evaluation consultant based in Christchurch, New Zealand; Leanne Coupland - Works for a Community Service Organisation, involved in the delivery of Children Youth and Family Services, in addition Leanne also teaches university undergraduates; Melissa Elliott - Associate Director Quality, Planning and Innovation, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre; Marie Feeley - Has worked in the Community Services area in Victoria for over 25 years. She is currently a Senior Clinician with a small non-government counselling agency; Sharon Fisher - Director for Outer Gippsland Department of Human Services (DHS); Daryl Fitzgibbon - Clinical manager, Western Region Alcohol and Drug Services (WRAD); Laurie Harkin AM - Victoria's inaugural Disability Services Commissioner and his Office (DSC) commenced operation on 1 July 2007 in accordance with provisions of the Disability Act 2006; Darrell Hinga - Director of alcohol and drug services in the Eastern Victoria Region; Terry Huriwai - Probation officer by trade but has worked in various roles (including operational, policy and research) in the addiction sector for over 20 years. Currently he is an advisor in the National Addiction Workforce Programme; Rachael Mackay - Social Work practitioner working in health promotion and training in the women's health sector. For the past 10 years Rachael specialised in family violence support, coordinating the pilot Bsafe Project and training police and human services in the area of domestic and family violence; Sharon O'Reilly - Clinical Services Manager at Bayside Medicare Local. Sharon is also currently the Vice President of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association - VAADA; Jodie Martin - Chief Executive Officer at Gippsland Women's Health Service since January 2012. She has over 15 years' experience in the health and human services sector; Simon Ruth - Director of Services at the Victorian AIDS Council. Prior to this he spent 14 years in management roles with Peninsula Health and the Salvation Army in Victoria, where he managed a range of alcohol and drug services, youth services, indigenous health and ambulatory care programs; Jenny Smith - CEO, Council to Homeless Persons which is the peak body for the specialist homelessness sector in Victoria. Jenny has over 20 years of experience in leadership and management in the public sector; Cheryl Sobczyk - Part of executive management team, Bendigo Community Health Service; current President of the Victorian Drug and Alcohol Association; Geoff Soma - Director of the Western Region Alcohol and Drug (WRAD) medical services and specialist drug and alcohol centre in Warrnambool, Victoria; Allyson Walker - Has worked in various roles such as liaison officer, caseworker, Indigenous development broker and manager Community Strengthening.