In this episode, we explore ethical leadership in psychiatry, particularly in the context of the Royal Commission into Mental Health Care. Dr Nardine Elzahaby leads the discussion with Professor Sharon Lawn, Kerry Hawkins, and Professor Neeraj Gill on incorporating lived experience into decision-making and the need for systemic transformation to better serve patients and families. This conversation delves into the complexities of ethical leadership, exploring themes such as power dynamics, cultural humility, and reflective practice. The speakers discuss psychiatry’s historical context, the responsibilities of mental health professionals, and the need for systemic change to address disparities in care.

Victorian Psychiatrist Leadership Development Framework

Dr Nardine Elzahaby is a Consultation-Liaison psychiatrist and the unit Director of the Adult Mental Health Service at Dandenong hospital, Monash Health. She runs a Telehealth Psychiatry clinic. She is a former co-founder, co-director and tutor at IMGSOS, an online tutoring business for IMG and local graduates of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. She is interested in Telehealth implementation and the use of AI in psychiatry, business, mentoring and doctors’ health.

Professor Sharon Lawn is the Executive Director of Lived Experience Australia with over 24 years of Lived Experience advocacy, 23 years as a mental health professional, and similar period as a mental health researcher focused on consumer and family perspectives and experiences of healthcare systems. Professor Lawn is involved in a number of state and national committees, including as a Board Director for Mental Health Australia and the Australian Self-Care Alliance.

Ms Kerry Hawkins from a Lived Experience perspective as a family member. Her interests lie in systems transformation. She is a graduate of Boston University's Global Leadership Institute's Recovery Class of 2013 and returned this year from a Churchill Scholarship investigating international rights-based contemporary approaches to mental health that recognise the integral role of families in mental health.

Professor Neeraj Gill is a psychiatrist at Gold Coast Health. He is the Regional Vice-President, Oceania of the World Federation for Mental Health and the Secretary of the World Psychiatric Association Section on Psychiatry, Law and Ethics. Neeraj was awarded his Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) based on his doctoral thesis on 'human rights of people with mental disabilities'. He has published many papers on human rights, mental health law, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing.

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This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.