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The Alliance is not a support service. For crisis support and other contacts, see our list of key contacts.

About the Alliance

Governance

Governance

Though the Alliance exists with the commitment of its broader membership, its backbone support comes from the Coordinating Committee and the 3 lead agencies: Capital Health Network and the Youth Coalition with assistance from the ACT Government. The lead agencies provide secretariat and coordination support, while governance is supported by the Coordinating Committee which comprises key stakeholders, including young people with lived experience. Decision-making in the Alliance works towards consensus — reaching general or widespread agreement.

Key documents

CYMH Alliance Terms of Reference (Alliance ToR)

The CYMH Alliance Terms of Reference outline the structural components, terms, and operations of the Alliance. In the attachments, it also includes the Alliance Program Logic which articulates the intended short and medium-term outcomes of the Alliance. The Alliance ToR were developed following consultations with services across the mental health and the child, youth, and family sector through 2022–23. You can view the Alliance ToR document under Publications.

Decision-Making and Planning Framework

The Decision-Making Framework supports the CYMH Alliance membership to determine which strategic priorities will be progressed through the Alliance. It is intended to guide discussions and enable strategic decision-making that is informed, transparent, collaborative and achievable.

Governance

Coordinating Committee

Initially, the Coordinating Committee oversaw the establishment of longer-term processes and protocols for the Alliance. It has since evolved to provide ongoing strategic oversight and governance, helping to inform activities, projects, detailed processes and the Alliance's sustainability. The Committee meets approximately every two months and engages in decision-making about Alliance activities, guided by the underpinning principles and agreed-upon decision-making framework of the Alliance. The Coordinating Committee also provides advice to the lead partners to support delivery of the Alliance's activities.

Membership of the Coordinating Committee is comprised of cross-sector representatives from the Alliance membership, including representatives from community-based and government mental health services, education, child, youth and family services, academia, and the Youth Reference Group (YRG). Representatives from the YRG are able to choose whether to act in their personal capacity as a young person, or as a representative and conduit between the Coordinating Committee and YRG.

Activities undertaken by the Coordinating Committee include:

  1. Leading the development / endorsement of the Alliance Terms of Reference and processes;
  2. Providing leadership and administrative support to develop and conduct Alliance activities;
  3. Establishing a decision-making framework for the Alliance;
  4. Overseeing the Alliance governance workplan;
  5. Identifying, prioritising and shortlisting focus areas for the consideration of the Alliance membership;
  6. Identifying opportunities and risks for the Alliance;
  7. Briefing the ACT Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Executive Committee and other relevant agencies on Alliance activities and progress.

Current Membership of the Coordinating Committee

Name Organisation Representative role
Prof Alison Calear Australian National University Broader sector supporting children, young people and families (academic / research)
Erin Barry Youth Coalition of the ACT Lead Partner Agency (Youth Coalition)
Emily Brown ACT Education Directorate Broader sector supporting children, young people and families (Government – Education)
Carrie Coghlan Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), CHS Government – ACT Health & Community Services Directorate
Rebecca McIntyre Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead Partner Agency (OMH&W)
Sam Thomas Youth Reference Group YRG member
Samantha Gill Marymead CatholicCare Child / youth mental health programs (community-based)
Vacant Youth Reference Group YRG member
Stephanie Lentern Capital Health Network Lead Partner Agency (CHN)
Vikki Radford Grand Pacific Health (headspace) Child / youth mental health programs (community-based)
Cass Tinning Mental Health Policy and Strategy Government – ACT Health & Community Services Directorate (Mental Health & Suicide Prevention)
Josephine Brogden Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead Partner Agency (OMH&W – YRG Group Coordinator)
Ryan McLaughlan ACT Health & Community Services Directorate Broader sector supporting children, young people and families (Government – Community Services)
Lisa Kelly Mental Health Community Coalition ACT Broader mental health sector (community-based)

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Coordinating Committee Documents

You can view previous minutes and Coordinating Committee documents (including the Terms of Reference) in the Alliance's Publications.