Phil Amos – Board Chair

A strategic and purpose-driven Health and Community Services professional with extensive experience in navigating mental health policy reform and facilitating collaboration between Government, peak/professional bodies, and service providers. Philip currently works as the National Policy and Capacity Building Officer (Mental Health and AOD) for the Primary Health Network (PHN) Cooperative and is actively engaged in contributing to national mental health policy and program development and implementation.  In this role, Philip regularly engages with: the Mental Health Division of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care; Mental Health Australia, the peak body of the Australian mental health sector; the National Mental Health Commission; and influential NGOs including the Black Dog Institute, Beyond Blue, SANE Australia, the National Eating Disorders Collaboration among others.

Prior to his current role, Philip has over 10 years’ experience and skills gained from leading his own consultancy business facilitating sustainable growth for clients across the not-for-profit and health sectors, through the development of business development strategies and person-centred program design services.

Philip has specialist skills in preparing business cases, funding applications, and fundraising.  During his time as a Consultant, Philip prepared successful tenders and proposals on behalf of for health and community organisations that secured >$500,000,000 in State and Commonwealth government funding.

Nerida Leighton – Public Officer and Secretary

Nerida has a lived experience of being a carer of children who have experienced significant mental health challenges. She has experienced how multiple systems such as the health and education systems respond to young people in mental distress. She is a Social Worker who has worked as a youth worker as well as with adults who have disabilities including people with mental health issues. She has been guided in her work by strengths based, recovery orientated and trauma informed practice. She has a collaborative approach to working with stakeholders and experience leading teams and working with volunteers in order to respond to the needs of marginalised people.

Craig Stanley-Jones – Director

For over 20 years, Craig has worked in various government and community roles within the mental health sector, including roles within public and private clinical settings. As a clinical psychologist, Craig worked closely with GPs in primary health care settings. Craig has led and assisted in the development and implementation of a range of community-managed mental health programs across Queensland both for the government and “profit for purpose” sectors. These programs have included projects focusing on consumer participation, system reform and community sector leadership.

Craig’s has had recent and ongoing lived experience as a parent and carer of children and young people with complex mental health issues. He has worked with staff at all levels within Qld Health including Hospital and Health Services, Dept of Housing and the Mental Health NGO sector.

In addition, over the past decade, Craig has worked in senior management and executive roles, within the community managed mental health NGO sector including as State Manager, Regional Manager and Group Manager for two national mental health NFP organisations and a large state-based Queensland Charity. Craig’s lived experience together with his professional background led him to join with a group of passionate families and carers to establish and co-found Raising Minds Ltd.

Damian Le Goullon – Director

Damian Le Goullon brings over thirty years knowledge and experience in designing and delivering empowering education programs to disadvantaged communities. His roles include: program manager of an emergency crisis shelter, design of health promotion for homeless youth, educational support for children in care, design of an award winning educational program in a mental health service and educational research of the community participation of adults with an intellectual disability. He is currently in the role of Community Leader of Brisbane L’Arche Inc. part of a international federation promoting mutual relationships of friendship, care and compassion between people with and without an intellectual disability

Don Hubbard – Director

Don has had a 30 year career in Accounting and Financial Management in the for profit and not for profit space. He also worked for the Commonwealth Bank in the 1980s in what was then the newly formed Electronic Banking Division at Sydney Head Office. This Division pioneered the early development of Home Banking, introduced EFTPOS and replaced the bank’s domestic Bankcard with the International MasterCard. Don worked on policy, systems development and implementation for that division.

His career in accounting started in manufacturing before moving to the Suncorp Life and Wealth Creation Business Unit in the mid 90s, ultimately managing the Accounting and Management Information section. More recently, he was the Finance & Property Manager for Mercy Family Services, a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, for 12 years. In addition to managing financial and management information, he gained exposure in providing Procurement, HR and Compliance Services and managing external contracts with IT, Builders, Architects & specialist HR consultants. In the last 3 years of his career, he was employed as the Business Analyst for Child Protection and Mental Health Divisions for Anglicare QLD, providing financial information and advice to senior executive.

Don has a Bachelor of Economics, Diplomas in Education and Financial Management and is a past member of the Certified Practising Accountants.

He has 2 children, 3 grandchildren and lives in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland where he volunteers as an ambassador for Sunshine Coast Tourism and at Festuri, a multicultural events organisation.

Adlin Younger – Director

I was born in Berlin and lived in Germany until I was 30 years old. I was diagnosed with a severe mental health issue in 2010. I have lived experience of both the German and Australian mental health systems including hospital stays, as apart of my recovery journey.

My first visit to Australia was in 2008 on a working holiday. During this time, I met my husband to be and we married in Australia in 2014. In Berlin, I completed tertiary studies in fashion design. I have worked in the fashion industry and retail over numerous years.

I have a passion for sharing my lived experience and recovery journey for the betterment of children and young people with mental health issues. With this passion and lived experience, I look forward to contributing to the purpose of Raising Minds.

Craig Stanley-Jones – Chief Executive Officer

For over 20 years, Craig has worked in various government and community roles within the mental health sector, including roles within public and private clinical settings. As a clinical psychologist, Craig worked closely with GPs in primary health care settings. Craig has led and assisted in the development and implementation of a range of community-managed mental health programs across Queensland both for the government and “profit for purpose” sectors. These programs have included projects focusing on consumer participation, system reform and community sector leadership.

Craig’s has had recent and ongoing lived experience as a parent and carer of children and young people with complex mental health issues. He has worked with staff at all levels within Qld Health including Hospital and Health Services, Dept of Housing and the Mental Health NGO sector.

In addition, over the past decade, Craig has worked in senior management and executive roles, within the community managed mental health NGO sector including as State Manager, Regional Manager and Group Manager for two national mental health NFP organisations and a large state-based Queensland Charity. Craig’s lived experience together with his professional background led him to join with a group of passionate families and carers to establish and co-found Raising Minds Ltd.

Don Hubbard – Corporate Services Manager

Don has had a 30 year career in Accounting and Financial Management in the for profit and not for profit space. He also worked for the Commonwealth Bank in the 1980s in what was then the newly formed Electronic Banking Division at Sydney Head Office. This Division pioneered the early development of Home Banking, introduced EFTPOS and replaced the bank’s domestic Bankcard with the International MasterCard. Don worked on policy, systems development and implementation for that division.

His career in accounting started in manufacturing before moving to the Suncorp Life and Wealth Creation Business Unit in the mid 90s, ultimately managing the Accounting and Management Information section. More recently, he was the Finance & Property Manager for Mercy Family Services, a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, for 12 years. In addition to managing financial and management information, he gained exposure in providing Procurement, HR and Compliance Services and managing external contracts with IT, Builders, Architects & specialist HR consultants. In the last 3 years of his career, he was employed as the Business Analyst for Child Protection and Mental Health Divisions for Anglicare QLD, providing financial information and advice to senior executive.

Don has a Bachelor of Economics, Diplomas in Education and Financial Management and is a past member of the Certified Practising Accountants.

He has 2 children, 3 grandchildren and lives in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland where he volunteers as an ambassador for Sunshine Coast Tourism and at Festuri, a multicultural events organisation.

Ric Nilson – Communications and Engagement Advisor

Ric graduated from QUT in 1999 with Post Graduate Diploma Business major in Marketing, including additional macroeconomic subjects and specialized training in Client and Community Engagement with US based Kelly Outsourcing Group, while employed full time over ten months.

Ric has 40yrs experience while working initially for twenty-eight years in the advertising industry then followed by eight years in recruitment, and finally another four years working in retirement living, aged care and community care.

Ric’s most recent role was as the Relationship Manager with Churches of Christ Queensland, in support of what was titled as the ‘Big Four’ new aged care developments in Stanthorpe, Warwick, Boonah and Caloundra. My brief was to identify and establish relationships with key stakeholders within the local communities, and Primary/ Allied Health practitioners within the Southeast Queensland health system. I was able to establish a position of trust as the provider of the latest best practice data regarding the management of aged care via dozens of fruitful workshops, and information seminars. At the conclusion of the four-year project, Ric was able to say that he had met all expectations and key performance indices while maintaining a network of several hundred people.