Synopsis

Join us for a panel discussion to explore how integrating the voices of children and their parents can transform the work we do in mental health. We will share our projects and insights, emphasising the impact of lived experience on the supports and resources we create. We will discuss practical insights for supporting lived experience in research, knowledge translation and clinical practice and challenge current assumptions to reshape mental health resources and how they are created.

Speakers

Dr Zeffie Poulakis is a clinical psychologist and serves as Director of Psychology at The Royal Children’s Hospital. Zeffie has had an ongoing career in child health research and in health service delivery and management, with a research focus on early identification of congenital hearing loss, the examination and promotion of optimal developmental outcomes amongst children with hearing loss, and outcomes for gender diverse young people.

Dr Anthea Rhodes is a Developmental Paediatrician with the Department of General Medicine at The Royal Children’s Hospital. She is also the Founding Director of the RCH National Child Health Poll and the RCH Health Literacy Project. Anthea is passionate about knowledge translation and the role of effective science communication in helping children and young people to thrive.

Derek McCormack is Director of the Raising Children Network, the Australian parenting website. Derek leads a highly skilled and talented team in the knowledge translation and online delivery of evidence-informed resources supporting parents and carers around the healthy development of children. Derek leads Raising Children Network’s collaborations with the Australian and state governments, non-government organisations, businesses and community organisations and regularly contributes to the media on issues of raising children in Australia.

Deanna De Cicco is a Lived Experience Advisor, Campus Mental Health Strategy. Dee is a young person with a lived and living experience of disability, mental illness and chronic illness. She is passionate about creating systemic change and creating more positive outcomes for young people, their families, and supporters. Dee spent an extensive amount of time as a patient at RCH and is committed to using her experience and expertise to help build and create resources and supports.